WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback last night delivered the following comments on the Senate floor during debate over the bill to ban partial birth abortion.

"We have a unique opportunity to end the grisly partial-birth abortion procedure in this country," Brownback said. "In fact, it will be the first time since the Supreme Court Decision, Roe v. Wade, that we will curtail a practice that results in the death of an innocent human being.

"The partial-birth abortion procedure which is akin to infanticide must be banned once and for all. Now, under Republican leadership, we will have the opportunity to do it. The vast majority of Americans (77%) are opposed to this procedure.

"I believe the true mark of a civilized society is not the level of human dignity that it confers on the strong and the wealthy; its true mark is on how much it confers to the vulnerable and the oppressed. Clearly, an abortion procedure that dismembers and kills a partially born human being has no place in a civilized society.

"Aside from partial-birth abortion, I think it is becoming increasingly clear that the impact that abortion has had on society is in itself profound. In particular, I am very concerned that the widespread acceptance of this brutal procedure has already significantly coarsened public attitudes towards human life in general; particularly toward the most vulnerable in our society—whether they are the unborn or the old and the infirm.

"Mother Teresa once said, 'if we can accept that a mother can kill her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another.' We all have a duty, an obligation, as citizens of the United States to stand up against the moral outrage of abortion.

"Human life is not something to be disposed of by those with more power. Yet, one of the most extreme assaults against human dignity is made against some of the most innocent among us. It seems that in some measure this debate is about whether or not that child, prior to birth, is a child at all. Is this young human a person or a piece of property?

"Some who support partial-birth abortions will argue that this young human is not a person and can therefore be disposed of as property. This is a ghastly concept.

"The Congress must speak out against abortion. We must speak out against this degradation of human life," Brownback said.