What does it actually cost to spend nearly five decades defending life on Capitol Hill? Mary Margaret sits down with Congressman Chris Smith, co-chair of the House Pro-Life Caucus, to trace a career built on hate mail, death threats, and legislation most Americans have never heard of. Smith authored the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 — the law used to convict Ghislaine Maxwell and nearly 5,000 other exploiters — and its follow-up bill has already died twice in the Senate. On abortion, he cites a study finding nearly 1 in 10 women suffer serious complications from the abortion pill, and argues the silence around it isn't caution, it's a cover-up nobody in power wants to answer for. After watching colleague after colleague abandon the pro-life cause once they reached higher office, Smith's conclusion is blunt: conviction, not caution, is the only thing that's ever actually held the line.

Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
3:41 – From the UN fight over China's forced abortions to the faith behind it all
7:11 – The cost of standing for life: hate mail, Nathanson, and a death toll in the millions
10:53 – The cover-up: FDA, media, and defending the indefensible
14:45 – Democrats who flipped, and colleagues purged for staying pro-life
17:56 – Abortion until birth: the bill, the politics, and what the polling really shows
22:19 – Staying grounded: faith, staff, and family
26:04 – From the Cold War to the law that convicted Ghislaine Maxwell
29:57 – Pornography, the 1980s commission, and Clinton-era rollbacks
33:48 – Rebuilding the fight, and reflecting on Epstein and Maxwell
37:33 – His message to fellow Republicans, and the last line of defense

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In Conversation With | Episode #6

In Conversation With is a Catholic Herald podcast hosted by Mary Margaret Olohan, featuring candid discussions on politics, culture, faith and the Church.

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Host: Mary Margaret Olohan
Guest: Congressman Chris Smith
Film Crew: Cavern Collective
Production Team: Arcadia Digital

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