Today thousands of people from communities in North Texas and around the country will gather in our nation’s capital to serve as voices for the most vulnerable among us. As America marks another anniversary of Roe v. Wade and its tragic consequences, the March for Life – a peaceful protest 46 years strong – reminds us that life is a precious and sacred gift, and we must do all we can to protect it.

The question of abortion, sometimes reduced to yet another political issue, is personal for me. My belief in the right to life has influenced my career for much longer than my time in Congress. In fact, it’s been a lifetime. Before being elected to represent the 26th District of Texas in Congress, I spent nearly three decades practicing as an obstetrician in North Texas. My medical career was rooted in my pro-life practice and the belief that all life has meaningful potential.

As a North Texas doctor, I delivered more than 3,000 babies. Not only did I have the joy of seeing these babies when they were born, but throughout my career I witnessed great advances in the technology that allows doctors and parents to see these children developing in the womb. For those of us who have watched a baby squirm and kick during a sonogram, there is no question about the sanctity of life.

While my work has changed through the years – I now spend late nights delivering policy instead of babies – my dedication to pro-life medicine remains steadfast. As a member of Congress, I fight against taxpayer funding for abortion, advocate on behalf of pro-life health care providers, and promote pro-growth, pro-life policies that help families welcome new additions into their homes. 

With each step forward, our nation comes closer to recognizing unborn life as inherently valuable and worthy of protection. While I respect the March for Life and its mission, I look ahead with hope to a day when it will no longer be necessary. Until that time, I remain committed to protecting every unborn child’s right to life, every health care provider’s right to refuse involvement in abortions, and every taxpayer’s right to refuse federal funding of abortions. After a lifetime dedicated to pro-life work, there is no question that it is the right thing to do.