Daines on Senate Floor: There Is Dignity and Value in Every Single Life

• June 23, 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Steve Daines today gave a speech on the floor of the U.S. Senate, where he commemorated the 4^th anniversary of the Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization and urged his colleagues to support his bill, the "Protecting Individuals with Down Syndrome Act."

Watch Daines' speech HERE.

Daines' remarks as prepared for delivery:

Thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you to Senator Lankford for organizing this time today.

Tomorrow, June 24^th, marks a pivotal anniversary in our nation's history. Four years ago, the Supreme Court ruled that there is no federal constitutional right to abortion, and overturned Roe v. Wade in a landmark 6-3 decision that altered the landscape of the pro-life movement forever.

Reflect for a moment on how things would be different today if the Court decided otherwise.

If the Court decided there was a national right to abortion, society's culture of death would be more prevalent. States would be prevented from enacting pro-life laws. And as a result, millions of unborn children would've been killed, and countless more women would've experienced the trauma of losing their child.

I remember back in 2018 when I founded the Senate pro-life caucus, I had no idea how important our work would become. I had no idea that we would get the opportunity to confirm pro-life justices to the Supreme Court, including Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who became part of the majority on the Supreme Court to overturn Roe.

The pro-life movement was given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help promote a culture of life, and thanks to an incredible nationwide movement of grassroots activists, countless hearts and minds have been changed.

We cannot understate the importance of that day.

I remember I was struck by a profound truth, found in Jeremiah 1:5: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I set you apart."

That's why there is dignity and value in every single life, including the unborn, the disabled, and the aging.

Unfortunately, those beliefs are under attack by pro-abortion advocates who use a disability diagnosis to justify abortion.

Between 60 to 80 percent of babies diagnosed with Down syndrome are aborted in America. It's higher in other countries- nearly 100 percent in Denmark and Iceland.

Let that sink in. Why on earth would we ever think this is ok? To use a prenatal diagnosis as a case for abortion is discrimination at best and eugenics at worst.

It also spurs the belief that having Down syndrome makes your life less valuable, or not worth living.

Individuals with Down syndrome make meaningful contributions to society and are loved by their families and friends.

That's why I introduced the Protecting Individuals with Down Syndrome Act, which will ban doctors from performing abortions because the child received a prenatal Down syndrome diagnosis.

The Constitution says that all individuals are endowed by our Creator with the unalienable right to life. There is no clause that says "except for individuals with down syndrome." No clause that says "except for anyone with a disability."

It's clear. Every person has the right to life, and it's our duty to protect that right and be a voice for the voiceless.

I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this bill- and for all the other pro-life legislation that my colleagues are speaking on today.

I'm confident that one day, by the grace of God, abortion will be unthinkable and every preborn child will be protected by law.

So this week as we celebrate this anniversary of the historic Dobbs decision, let's reflect with grateful hearts on the progress we've made, and let's look forward with hope to a future where every life, born and unborn, is valued.

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