Planned Parenthood Asks Public to Donate Protective Equipment for Abortions During Pandemic

As many states are prohibiting non-essential medical procedures to conserve personal protective equipment (PPE) like surgical masks to protect doctors treating COVID19, several Planned Parenthood branches have reached out to the public to ask for PPE donations.

"In uncertain times like this, Planned Parenthood is as committed to patients as always," reads the Planned Parenthood Keystone of Pennsylvania donations page. "We will provide as many people as possible with the critical sexual health care they need to stay safe and healthy. In order to help us do this, please consider donating hand sanitizer, home-sewn masks, shoe covers, and surgical hats to protect our medical staff as they continue to provide care in our communities."

The Pennsylvania branch also called for donations on social media, making sure that its desire to drain important medical resources during this time was visible.

Live Action News also reported that Sue Dunlap, President/CEO Planned Parenthood Los Angeles, sent out an email asking for PPE donations. “In order to continue to meet the needs of the women, men, families, and communities who rely on Planned Parenthood… In order to keep our patients, staff, and sites moving through this emergency, we need all of the same supplies you are hearing about on the news. As gloves, masks, and medications run low, we are doing all that we can to procure supplies for the essential care our community is depending on us to provide.”

Abortion is an elective procedure that is not essential healthcare, no matter how many times Planned Parenthood says it is. Asking the public to donate PPE that could be used by doctors dealing with the current pandemic is incredibly egotistical and irresponsible.

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Senate-Passed Coronavirus Aid Bill No Longer Provides Abortion Funding

Credit: John Brighenti / Flickr

Two weeks ago, there was concern that pro-abortion advocates on capitol hill were going to slow down the legislative response to the coronavirus epidemic by insisting that any aid package includes funding for abortion clinics like Planned Parenthood. The bill that was finally passed Wednesday after much negotiation no longer has any provisions for abortion funding.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act passed unanimously in the Senate, and the House of Representatives plans to hold its own vote on the bill today.

Hyde Amendment protections against these funds being used for abortion businesses were applied to sections of the bill dealing with health care funding to ensure that these emergency funds aren't used to end the lives of unborn children. Furthermore, non-profits will not be eligible for small-business relief loans if they have over 500 employees (which Planned Parenthood does).

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30,000 Physicians Respond to Abortionists' Calling Elective Abortions "Essential Health Care" During COVID-19 Outbreak

On March 23, a coalition of five medical groups representing 30,000 physicians issued a press release criticizing pro-abortion groups, specifically mentioning the College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), for characterizing elective abortion as essential health care.

"...In such an uncertain and tumultuous time, the entire healthcare profession is being called upon to conserve resources and healthcare professionals to an extent never seen before. And yet, in the midst of this call, while hospitals are postponing elective procedures and many outpatient clinics are rescheduling non-essential office visits, the abortion industry continues with business as usual. 

In their recent joint statement, ACOG with several other traditionally pro-abortion medical organizations, made the preposterous claim that 'abortion is an essential component of comprehensive health care' for women, even though elective abortion treats no disease process.

Furthermore, over 85% of practicing obstetricians and gynecologists do not perform elective abortions. If elective abortion were an “essential component” of women’s health care, it would be a part of every obstetric and gynecologic practice."

To ensure the safety of all Americans, several states have told physicians to stop performing non-essential procedures to preserve resources like surgical masks for doctors who need them to treat COVID-19 patients. By insisting to continue performing elective abortions, abortionists are risking the lives of even more people than they normally do by potentially using resources needed by doctors performing procedures in life-or-death circumstances. They could also put additional strain on hospitals by harming women during abortions:

"Elective abortion, both surgical and drug induced, also generates more patients to be seen in already overburdened emergency rooms. Most abortion providers instruct women to go to an emergency room if they have any concerning symptoms after the abortion. Approximately 5% of women who undergo medication abortions will require evaluation in an emergency room, most commonly for hemorrhage. Surgical abortions can also result in hemorrhage. Emergency room personnel – who are already struggling to meet the demands of the COVID-19 pandemic – will be further strained to provide care to these women."

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Bernie Sanders Calls for Expanded Abortion through Telemedicine During COVID-19 Pandemic

Democratic Presidential Candidate Bernie Sanders
Credit: Gage Skidmore / Flickr

Democratic Presidential Candidate Bernie Sanders called out several state governments for closing abortion clinics to save personal protective equipment like surgical masks for hospitals treating patients with COVID-19. His comment shows a lack of understanding about the current crisis and suggests that he values the political gain associated with touting abortion access over the safety of Americans.

"It is outrageous that right-wing politicians in states like Texas and Ohio are using this crisis to risk women's health and safety by denying their right to abortion and other reproductive health care," Sanders wrote on Twitter. "Instead, we should be expanding access with things like telemedicine."

It is outrageous that right-wing politicians in states like Texas and Ohio are using this crisis to risk women's health and safety by denying their right to abortion and other reproductive health care. Instead, we should be expanding access with things like telemedicine.

— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) March 24, 2020

These states are not targeting abortion clinics specifically. Abortion clinics use important personal protective equipment like surgical masks when they complete surgical abortions; elective procedures that are not essential to the health and survival of a patient. The same states are also prohibiting other health care providers like dentists from performing non-essential surgical procedures during this time. In reality, states that inconsistently apply this rule to create an exception for abortion clinics are only putting additional strain on important equipment and putting all Americans at risk, not just the unborn or their mothers.

Access to abortion via telemedicine is currently prohibited by the FDA through its risk evaluation and mitigation strategy (REMS). When women attempt to complete at-home abortions by using abortion pills without the presence or consultation of a doctor, complications can occur which can lead to injury or death, especially if the woman has not had an ultrasound to diagnose conditions such as an ectopic pregnancy.

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Illinois Reproductive Health Act Fact 1: Clinics Don't Need to Notify the County Coroner if a Woman Dies During an Abortion

For the next 7 weeks, the IFRL blog will release a fact sheet each week exposing the dangers of the Illinois Reproductive Health Act which was signed into law last summer. 

GET THE FACTS - Click here to view or download this week's fact sheet.

Click here to view or download a PDF of this fact sheet.

Texas Governor Prohibits Medically Unnecessary Procedures, Including Abortions, to Save Resources During COVID-19 Pandemic

Texas Governor Greg Abbott

On March 22, Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued an order adding Texas to the list of states prohibiting elective abortions during the COVID-19 pandemic to make sure personal protective equipment such as surgical masks are available for increasingly-strained hospitals.

From the governor's press release:

"Under this order, the Governor directed all licensed health care professionals and facilities to postpone all surgeries and procedures that are not immediately, medically necessary to correct a serious medical condition or to preserve the life of a patient who without immediate performance of the surgery or procedure would be at risk for serious adverse medical consequences or death, as determined by the patient’s physician."

In response statements from abortion clinics claiming that their elective abortion procedures are "essential healthcare" which should continue during this event, Texas Attorney General Paxton made it clear that abortions are included in the temporary ban:

"This prohibition applies throughout the State and to all surgeries and procedures that are not immediately medically necessary, including routine dermatological, ophthalmological, and dental procedures, as well as most scheduled healthcare procedures that are not immediately medically necessary such as orthopedic surgeries or any type of abortion that is not medically necessary to preserve the life or health of the mother."

Violations of this executive order could lead to $1,000 fines or 180 days in jail. Hopefully, abortionists will understand that by at least delaying procedures they can help doctors save lives.

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Ohio Abortion Clinics Defy Governor's Order to Halt Non-Essential Procedures Amidst Pandemic

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost

On March 17, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost issued an order to halt all elective surgical procedures in the state to preserve personal protective equipment so it remains available for hospital workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Several Ohio abortion clinics have publicly announced that their doors are still open and they are performing surgical abortions despite the state's order; claiming that surgical abortions are "essential health care."

On March 20, the Ohio Attorney General's Office issued notices to Planned Parenthood of Southwest Ohio’s Cincinnati Surgery Center and the Women’s Med Center in Dayton. These notices included a warning that unless non-essential surgical procedures were halted, the Department of Health will take action against these abortion businesses:

"On March 17, 2020, the Ohio Department of Health issued an order pursuant to the Department’s powers under R.C. 3701.13. That order (attached) cancelled all non-essential or elective surgeries and procedures utilizing personal protective equipment (“PPE”) as of 5:00 p.m. on March 18, 2020. The order was issued, in part, to preserve PPE for health care providers who are battling the COVID-19 pandemic that is spreading in our state and also to preserve critical hospital capacity and resources. 

The Ohio Department of Health has received a complaint that your facility has been performing or continues to offer to perform surgical abortions, which necessarily involve the use of PPE. On behalf of the Department, you and your facility are ordered to immediately stop performing non-essential and elective surgical abortions. Non-essential surgical abortions are those that can be delayed without undue risk to the current or future health of a patient. The Department of Health has outlined criteria to consider when determining whether a procedure is essential (see attached order). If you or your facility do not immediately stop performing non-essential or elective surgical abortions in compliance with the attached order, the Department of Health will take all appropriate measures."

Stopping abortion procedures (all of which should be considered non-essential) would slow the spread of COVID-19, free important protective equipment such as masks for use in hospitals, and reduce the need for emergency room care by preventing women from facing the complications that can occur during an abortion (such as hemorrhaging).

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FDA Confirms Regulations Banning Mail Distribution of Abortion Pill will Remain during Pandemic

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar
Credit: Chris Williams / Flickr

Last Thursday, the pro-abortion news outlet VICE wrote an opinion piece arguing for increased access to abortion pills through telemedicine. If abortion pills were available this way, people could contact abortion providers virtually via the phone or internet to receive abortion pills through the mail. When VICE asked the FDA to comment on the idea, it confirmed that restrictions against mail distribution of abortion pills would remain in effect.

“Certain restrictions, known as a risk evaluation and mitigation strategy (REMS), are necessary for mifepristone when used for medical termination of early pregnancy in order to ensure that the benefits of the drug outweigh its risks,” the FDA Office of Media Affairs told Vice.

VICE suggested that "… During the COVID-19 pandemic, HHS Secretary Alex Azar could perhaps apply Trump’s telehealth mandate to medication abortion by directing the FDA to eliminate or relax its regulations, and allow pregnant people to consult with their providers virtually and obtain mifepristone via their pharmacy or in the mail," but the Trump administration maintains its stance that giving abortion pills to women who haven't physically met with a doctor is dangerous.

Some dangers involved with loose distribution regulations can include women having complications when attempting DIY abortions, and abusive men forcing women to undergo abortions they don't want.

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Euthanasia Lobby Calls for "Teledeath" Euthanasia in Response to COVID-19

Credit: Cory Doctorow / Flickr

In a recent fundraising email, Compassion & Choices President and CEO Kim Callinan took advantage of the coronavirus pandemic to suggest that the recent acceptance of telemedicine could lead to the availability of assisted suicide drugs over the telephone or internet.

"As always, we are responding quickly to the needs and opportunities of the times," she wrote. "As the workforce grapples with the pandemic, telehealth is gaining prominence as a critical mode of delivering medical care. This provides a unique opportunity to make sure health systems and doctors are using telehealth, where appropriate, for patients trying to access end-of-life care options. These efforts should improve access to medical aid in dying in the short and long-term."

If suicide drugs were made available via telemedicine, impulsive individuals in need of other help could possibly access death drugs without ever physically meeting with a psychologist or doctor.

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Illinois Planned Parenthood Clinics to Continue Operating During Stay at Home Mandate

Many state governments have announced stay-at-home mandates and declared that all non-essential businesses will remain closed to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. Different states seem to have different stances on whether abortion clinics are considered "essential," but the pro-abortion state of Illinois will apparently allow clinics to remain open during the pandemic.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Planned Parenthood of Illinois, rather than closing its doors like most other businesses in the state have been forced to do, will instead be consolidating its abortion services to six locations.

“Planned Parenthood of Illinois is taking all necessary precautions to keep our staff and patients healthy and well,” said Planned Parenthood of Illinois Chief Medical Officer Dr. Amy Whitaker. “This temporary consolidation of services is just one part of that. Patients will still need family planning services and abortion care during this time, and we are committed to providing it.”

Planned Parenthood has asked patients to reschedule "non-essential appointments," but it's apparent that the abortion giant will still continue to profit from elective abortions despite the danger they might cause by spreading the coronavirus.

Louisiana is one state which has declared elective abortion to be a non-essential service. State officials are threatening legal action against abortion clinics which have remained open. Louisiana Right to Life Executive Director Benjamin Clapper issued this statement to emphasize the risk to the public these clinics were taking by keeping their doors open:

“Louisiana abortion facilities are endangering the public safety by remaining open during the coronavirus pandemic. With full parking lots and small buildings, it seems probable that these abortion facilities are aiding in the spread of the coronavirus. Abortion is an elective procedure, and postponing abortion, as directed by the Department of Health, would not threaten the physical health of women at these abortion facilities. Pregnancy is not a disease.

“If the delay requires a woman to forgo an abortion due to the pregnancy extending beyond the current legal limit when the unborn child has developed to 20 weeks, then there are public and private agencies that can assist with support both for adoption and parenting. Even in these situations, the safety of the woman has not been jeopardized.

“In infrequent cases where there may be a medical emergency that might threaten the physical life of the mother, hospitals would be the appropriate location to handle those situations, even in these chaotic times, since abortion facilities are not equipped to handle medical emergencies. These abortion facilities are only performing elective procedures. 

“The priority for every medical professional during this time of crisis should be stemming the tide of the coronavirus. By remaining open for business, the abortion industry has prioritized its profits over the health and safety of women and all Louisianians.”

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Ambulance Keeps Sirens Off as it Transports Hemorrhaging Woman from Planned Parenthood

Credit: Operation Rescue

Emergency personnel valued Planned Parenthood's reputation over the safety of their patient on March 6 when they transported a hemorrhaging woman from a Riverside, California Planned Parenthood clinic without turning on their ambulance's sirens.

Pro-lifers participating in 40 Days for Life recorded the incident.

There is no reason to risk the life of a patient experiencing complications after an abortion taking measures designed to save Planned Parenthood's reputation. In emergency situations, medical personnel should value every second by turning on their sirens and ensuring that patients receive medical care as quickly as possible.



According to Operation Rescue, the Riverside Planned Parenthood of California is also responsible for a patient's death in 2007.

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Abortion Advocates Push for Lifted Abortion Restrictions During Coronavirus Pandemic

Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

The abortion industry is fighting for increased access to abortion through telemedicine by arguing that the FDA should lift its Risk Evaluation Mitigation Strategy (REMS) safety requirements for abortion pills.

Under REMS, abortion pills can only be distributed by qualified clinicians at approved hospitals and clinics. If the restrictions were lifted, non-doctors would be able to sell abortion pills online directly to consumers or ship them to pharmacies.

Self-managed abortions using the abortion pill regimen can be risky since no medical professional is present to intervene if complications arise, which isn't uncommon. In 8% of self-managed abortion cases documented by a TelAbortion study, women sought follow-up care at a medical facility. That number is probably smaller than what would occur in an uncontrolled environment as well since not all women would have the advice of a trained study clinician vetted by an organization trying to prove that telemedical abortion is safe.

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Google Employee Files $5 Million Countersuit Against Pro-Life Advocate He Assaulted on Video

Screenshot of Quinn Chasan from Gribbin's video

Micheal Gribbin sued Head of Customer Analytics for Google Cloud Quinn Chasan last year for allegedly assaulting him outside a Planned Parenthood clinic. Gribbin even recorded video evidence of the event. Now, Chasan has filed a $5 million countersuit for battery, violation of D.C. “hate crime” laws, and causing “severe and extreme pain, emotional distress, and mental anguish.”

On August 31, Gribbin was writing pro-life messages with chalk on a sidewalk outside a Planned Parenthood clinic. Chasan stole Gribbin's chalk and proceeded to walk away and insult Gribbin while he followed; recording their conversation on his phone. A physical altercation followed; a recording of which Gribbin released to the public.


“This is absurd. Michael Gribbin is a victim, not an assailant. There is no way his actions after before, during, or after the assault caused Chasan $5 million in damages,” said Catholic University of America professor Dr. Michael New according to Life Site News. “Furthermore, any negative consequences incurred by Chasan are the direct result of his own misconduct. It is my hope that the judge dismisses Chasan’s countersuit as frivolous.”

Failure to convict Chasan of assault could result in pro-abortion advocates feeling empowered to physically attack pro-life activists in the future.

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Utah Legislators Pass Law that would Ban Most Abortions if Roe v. Wade is Overturned

On March 9, Utah's House joined the Senate in approving a "trigger" bill which would ban most abortions (with exceptions for cases of rape and incest) if Roe v. Wade is overturned. The bill is currently awaiting the approval of Republican Gov. Gary Herbert.

There are currently 8 other states with "trigger laws" in place to outlaw abortion immediately if Roe v. Wade is overturned. Because they don't take effect unless the court reverses the landmark decision, they cannot be challenged in court.

Votes for the "trigger bill" were along party lines in both houses: 22-5 in the Senate and 51-21 in the House.

A bill requiring that abortion facilities bury or cremate the remains of aborted children is also awaiting the Utah governor's signature.

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"Final Pro-Life Democrat" at the National Level Dan Lipinski Loses Illinois Primary to Pro-Abortion Candidate

Dan Lipinski
Credit: American Life League / Flickr

Dan Lipinski, whom many are calling the last pro-life Democrat at the national level, lost the primary race for Illinois representative district three to progressive businesswoman Marie Newman during Tuesday's election.

Newman had a 48.2% to 45.8% majority over Lipinski, despite the actions of several pro-life organizations rallying behind him, including heavy spending from the Susan B. Anthony List and grassroots efforts from Students for Life.

Lipinski's record is mixed on abortion-related issues, with his recent vote in favor of the pro-abortion Equal Rights Amendment confusing many, but his opponent campaigned heavily against the pro-life stances Lipinski did take to persuade Democratic voters to reject the incumbent.

It is also argued that the low voter-turnout created by the coronavirus epidemic negatively impacted Lipinski's base more so than his opponent's since campaign events had to be canceled in key areas and older voters may have been more likely to stay home. “Irish Catholics? The 19th Ward? That’s our base,” campaign spokesman Phil Davidson said. “The opportunity just vaporized.”

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Kentucky House Passes First Step to Declaring the State Constitution Doesn't Grant a Right to Abortion

Last Tuesday, the Kentucky House of Representatives voted 67-21 to put a referendum on the ballot about a constitutional amendment which would declare that abortion isn't a right Kentucky's constitution.

The amendment proposed in House Bill 67 states, “To protect human life, nothing in this Constitution shall be construed to secure or protect a right to abortion or require the funding of abortion.”

The proposed amendment will need to pass the Kentucky senate with a three-fifths majority to be put on the ballot for voters in a referendum.

The House also passed House Bill 451, which would grant the Attorney General additional power to regulate abortion facilities if it became law.

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Biden Confirms Complete Flip on Public Abortion Funding

During Sunday night's Democratic presidential primary debate, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders challenged former Vice-President Joe Biden on his record in support of the Hyde Amendment, after which Biden confirmed that his stance on the public funding of abortion has shifted completely since his time in the senate.

“Right now, a woman’s right to control her own body is under massive assault, unprecedented assault,” Sanders said, to which Biden agreed.

“Joe, you have in the past on more than one occasion, voted for the Hyde Amendment,” Bernie continued, “which says that a woman, low-income woman, could not use Medicaid funding for an abortion. Is that still your view or have you modified it?”

Biden responded that this was “not my view,” and further downplayed his earlier support of the Hyde Amendment as if being associated with it was poisonous to his candidacy by saying “by the way, everybody who’s been in the Congress voted for the Hyde Amendment at one point or another, because it was locked in other bills.”

Biden further elaborated on his position: “if we’re going to have public funding for all healthcare along the line, there is no way you could allow for there to be a requirement that you have Hyde Amendment.”

Later in the debate, Biden even copied one of Sanders's campaign promises by saying that he would “send immediately to the desk of the United States Congress (...), a codification of Roe v Wade amended by Casey. Because I think it is a woman’s right to choose. I think it’s a woman’s opportunity to be able to make that decision.”

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Doctors Without Borders Collaborates to Make Instructional DIY Abortion Video

Doctors Without Borders is known most often as
Médecins Sans Frontières outside of the United States.
Credit: Richard Roche / Flickr

Doctors Without Borders, a charitable organization in which medical professionals volunteer to provide health care to people areas struck with disasters such as endemic disease or war, recently surprised many by collaborating with HowToUseAbortionPill.org  to make an instructional video about how to complete at-home abortions using the abortion pill regimen without medical supervision.

Manisha Kumar, head of a task force for "safe abortion care" at Doctors Without Borders, said this to Vice: “This course doesn’t use the phrase ‘self-managed abortion,’ but it intentionally uses non-technical, simple language as much as possible because we want everyone to understand the basics about how a medication abortion or an abortion with pills works. I don’t think there should be any secrecy there.”

There are fears among pro-lifers that the reputation of Doctors Without Borders will cause more women to complete at-home abortion procedures without medical supervision.

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Only Missouri Abortion Clinic Now Referring All Patients to Illinois for Abortions

Planned Parenthood "mega-clinic" in Fairview Heights

Operation Rescue made an undercover call to Missouri's only remaining abortion facility, an unlicensed Planned Parenthood clinic in St. Louis in on-and-off legal battles with the state, and learned that the facility is currently referring all callers seeking abortions to Illinois; a strange move considering only 3 abortions occurred in the clinic last month.

The referrals are also in clear contrast with what Yamelsie Rodriguez, CEO of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri, told NPR earlier this month. Then, she suggested that patients were contacting the St. Louis Clinic and then choosing to go to Illinois because they did not want to deal with Missouri's required 72-hour waiting period. "When they are weighing their options, the majority of patients are clearly seeing that abortion access is so unmanageable that they're choosing to cross state lines," Rodriguez said. Operation Rescue's call proves this to be a false statement designed to get political points. Read the transcript below:

Caller: I need to get an abortion appointment in St. Louis.

RHSPP: Our St. Louis, Missouri, location doesn’t have any availability at this time.  We do have available appointments at the Illinois location.

Caller: I’m not really able to travel out of state.  Isn’t there some way you can fit me into the schedule?

RHSPP: We don’t have any op — procedures available at that location at all.

Caller: Oh, like, even though it says online that you offer abortions?

RHSPP: Yes, at this time, the St. Louis, Missouri, location does not have any availability for those services.

Caller: So there’s just no way? Like, you don’t just have a half-hour or an hour that I could get an abortion in St. Louis right now?

RHSPP: No.

Caller: Ok, well, that stinks, because I can’t go out of state. Um, like if I — Is there a way I could pay extra and get the abortion in St. Louis?

RHSPP: No, ma’am.

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6th U.S. Court of Appeals Hears Case Regarding Ohio's Down Syndrome Discriminatory Abortion Ban

In 2017, Ohio passed its Down Syndrome Non-Discrimination Act, which prohibits the abortion of unborn children purely on the basis of a diagnosis with Down syndrome. It was quickly challenged by pro-abortion forces in the state, and abortion clinics were granted a preliminary injunction against the law's enforcement. Ohio challenged the law, but a three-judge panel ruled in favor of abortionists. Ohio appealed, and the 6th U.S. Court of Appeals had its first hearings last Wednesday.

An attorney arguing on behalf of the abortion clinic Preterm-Cleveland argued that the Down Syndrome Non-Discrimination Act was "an absolute ban" on the abortion of unborn children with Down Syndrome, but judges argued against her claim. Judge Raymond Kethledge said that the law "is not a ban" and does not place an undue burden on women seeking an abortion because “It doesn’t regulate the woman at all directly,” since it only regulates doctors who are commit abortions they know are solely based on a Down Syndrome diagnosis.

U.S. Circuit Judge Jeffrey Sutton agreed, saying it was not a terrible idea” to pass laws prohibiting discriminatory selective abortions based on beliefs parents might hold against their child's characteristics.

The federal Department of Justice was also represented at the hearing last Wednesday to defend the Ohio law. “Nothing in Ohio’s law creates a substantial obstacle to women obtaining an abortion,” the Justice Department wrote in an amicus brief, “and nothing in the Constitution or Supreme Court precedent requires States to authorize medical providers to participate in abortions the providers know are based on Down syndrome.”

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Born-Alive Protection Bills Pass Wyoming House and Senate + Alabama House

Abortion-survivor protection bills are making progress in more states, even if their federal counterpart failed to overcome a Senate filibuster.

Wyoming's Senate and House of Representatives approved legislation that would require doctors to provide care for children who survive an attempted abortion with the same degree of skill and diligence as they would for any other child born alive at the same gestational age. Since the House voted in favor of the bill on Wednesday, the bill will be sent to pro-life Governor Mark Gordon's desk.

A similar bill also passed the Alabama House of Representatives on Tuesday in an overwhelming 66-18 vote. It will soon move on to the senate.

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White House Officials Say Pelosi Tried to Include Abortion Funding in Coronavirus Stimulus Bill

Credit: Gage Skidmore / Flickr

Several White House officials told the Daily Caller Thursday that Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi attempted to include a provision that would provide federal funding for abortion while circumventing the Hyde Amendment.

The provision in question would mandate up to $1 billion to reimburse "laboratory claims" which White House officials say would provide federal taxpayer dollars to abortion clinics while going around the Hyde Amendment, which normally blocks all federal funding to abortion clinics.

“A new mandatory funding stream that does not have Hyde protections would be unprecedented,” a White House official told the Daily Caller. “Under the guise of protecting people, Speaker Pelosi is working to make sure taxpayer dollars are spent covering abortion — which is not only backwards, but goes against historical norms.”

Politico later confirmed that the Hyde Amendment provision was causing deadlock on the stimulus bill, and the pro-abortion language was eventually removed. It is still planned to go to the House floor as a separate bill, however.

Afterward, pro-abortion politicians hit the media circuit, telling the country that pro-life politicians were slowing down the government's coronavirus response by arguing about pro-life issues during a crisis.

House Dems are trying to force an amendment to the Coronavirus relief bill that would make taxpayers fund abortions. @AOC just claimed pro-lifers are holding it up.

Children are relatively unaffected by Coronavirus, but abortion activists are still trying to kill them. pic.twitter.com/7J3dBlDN9l

— Lila Rose (@LilaGraceRose) March 12, 2020

Click here to read more. 

Abortionists Argue for Increased Telemedicine Abortions During Coronavirus Pandemic

Credit: jeshoots.com / Pexels

Several abortionists have taken to Twitter and used the panic surrounding the coronavirus to argue for increased access to abortion drugs over the internet.

"#COVID2019 is a good time to remind you that Self-Managed abortion is safe, avoids in person appointments, and will be necessary to address the increased incidence of unintended pregnancies that will result from self-quarantine," wrote Dr. Dustin Costescu.

The claim that women will become pregnant while they quarantine themselves for contracting the coronavirus is a bit strange, but the OBGYN and “sexual medicine specialist” at McMaster University had more to say.

Pregnant patients with low risk of ectopic pregnancy and with reasonable certainty of their last period being within 8 weeks can safely use mifepristone followed by misoprostol with over 95% probability of successful completion without medical intervention.

— Dr. Dustin Costescu (@BirthControlDoc) March 10, 2020

He touted that 95% of at-home abortions using abortion pills are successfully completed without the need for medical intervention. He immediately conflicted with that statement, however; by saying that systems need to be in place to respond to women who experience complications during their at-home abortions.

Having an abortion with a physician present would be far safer than having one at home, since medical intervention would be much faster in those scenarios, even assuming that women follow the process correctly.

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College Student Shares Story of Teacher Helping Her Balance School and Motherhood

Abortion advocates often argue that it is best for women in college to seek abortions if they want to be successful in school. A student and her professor at Lander University in South Carolina are proving that it's possible for women to be both good mothers and successful students at the same time.

Sarah Thompson shared photos of her professor on her Instagram page, who was teaching class while holding her son. Dr. Josie Ryan volunteered to do this so Thompson's arms would be free to write notes.

“She knows I worked and continued school at USC while pregnant this past semester,” Thompson wrote. “I started her class the week before I had my son in August and started attending her class again the week after I had him. She knew I’d be overwhelmed so literally begged me to bring Isaiah to class and even showed me where the breastfeeding room in the health center was at Lander University.”

View this post on Instagram

“This is my Math professor Dr. Josie Ryan with my son; she’s amazing. She knows I worked and continued school at USC while pregnant this past semester. I started her class the week before I had my son in August and started attending her class again the week after I had him. She knew I’d be overwhelmed so literally begged me to bring Isaiah to class and even showed me where the breastfeeding room in the health center was at Lander University. It’s so reassuring to know there are professors out there like this. Not only is she an amazing person, she’s also one of the best math professors I’ve ever had. She’s brilliant really, wacky and the best kind of nerdy.. the kind I can relate to lol. But hey! Maybe the world needs more of these teachers! Hopefully this post will encourage other educators or moms or pregnant/working women who are students to ask for help. She’s encouraged me constantly and I’ve brought him to our Real Analysis class multiple times now. He’ll cut the cheese and make the class giggle from time to time but we still get down to some serious math in there. I am in a perfect world when I am learning math in college with my baby right next to me or in my teachers arms. She taught like this; holding him the whole first class I brought him to.” Credit: Sarah Thompson

A post shared by Oregon Right to Life (@oregonrighttolife) on Mar 9, 2020 at 7:10pm PDT

Thompson hopes that her story will inspire other women struggling with the commitments of school, work, and parenthood to seek the help of others willing to take the extra step to make sure they succeed.

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Minnesota State Legislators Propose Bill Banning Taxpayer-Funded Abortion

Minnesota state legislators in both the House and the Senate proposed bills Wednesday to prohibit the use of state tax dollars to fund abortions.

Rep. Marion O’Neill (R-Maple Lake) and Sen. Carrie Ruud (R-Breezy Point) wrote the bills which, if passed, would challenge a 1995 state Supreme Court ruling which requires Medicaid funding of abortion for pregnant women who receive state assistance.

According to 2017 statistics from the Minnesota Department of Human Services, the state of Minnesota paid $1.06 million to facilitate abortions that year. 2018 statistics from the Minnesota Department of Health suggest nearly half of the abortions in the state were funded using taxpayer dollars.

A ban on taxpayer-funded abortions was passed by legislators in 2011 and 2017 as well, but it was vetoed both times by then-Gov. Mark Dayton.

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Ohio Senate Passes Telemedicine Abortion Ban

The Ohio Senate passed Senate Bill 260 on Wednesday. If passed by both houses and signed into law, this bill would ban the use of telemedicine as a method of providing abortion drugs directly to women seeking abortions.

The purpose of this bill is to prevent women from attempting to complete at-home abortions without the supervision of a medical professional by using drugs ordered over the phone or the internet. People who attempt telemedicine abortions will most often be given the abortion pill regimen of Mifepristone and Misoprostol. The former starves an unborn child by interrupting the flow of nutrients from a mother to her child, while the latter induces labor to remove the deceased child from the mother's womb.

Many, including Ohio Right to Life Vice President Stephanie Ranade Krider, argue that using telemedicine to promote at-home abortions is dangerous for women, and doctors should be present throughout the process.

“As the proportion of chemically-induced abortion continues to increase, greater care – not less – ought to be exercised in ensuring women’s safety. While it is too late for the unborn baby on whom the effects of this drug will be almost certainly fatal, using telemedicine to dispense dangerous, abortion-inducing drugs, as Planned Parenthood is already doing in Ohio, shows the abortion industry’s lack of regard for the danger it poses their patients. It is unacceptable to compromise patient safety for the convenience of the industry.”

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Protesters and Politicians Call for PornHub Shutdown After Site Promotes Videos of Trafficking Victims

Credit: Michael Coghlan / Flickr

Protestors gathered outside the Montreal Headquarters of MindGeek, the parent company of PornHub, to call for the porn site's shutdown. Over the past year, PornHub has been responsible for the promotion of videos depicting the rapes of "verified models" who turned out to be underage victims of human trafficking.

Most recently, it came to light that a 15-year-old girl who had gone missing was shown being raped in 58 separate videos. This girl, like many other victims of human trafficking, was forced into abortion by her captors.

Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) wrote a letter to Attorney General William Barr on March 9 calling for an investigation of the company for its enabling of disgusting abuse.

“The foremost duty of the Department of Justice is to ensure the safety of the American people, especially the most vulnerable among us,” Sasse wrote. “Pornhub must not escape scrutiny. I therefore request that the Department open an investigation into Pornhub and its parent entity MindGeek Holding SARL for their involvement in this disturbing pipeline of exploiting children and other victims and survivors of sex trafficking.”

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Sanders Releases Expansive Pro-Abortion "Reproductive Health Plan"

Credit: Gage Skidmore / Flickr

On March 7, Vermont Senator and Democratic Presidential Candidate Bernie Sanders released his campaign's pro-abortion plan to significantly increase government spending and access to abortion on a global scale.

The plan, titled “Reproductive Health Care and Justice for All,” takes a variety of steps to normalize, legalize, and distribute abortion services as far as possible. The plan includes codifying Roe v. Wade into law, making birth control and abortion taxpayer-funded under medicare for all, limiting states' abilities to pass pro-life legislation, and repealing the Hyde and Helms amendments.

His plan would go as far as to ban abstinence-only sex education, prevent pro-life pregnancy centers from receiving Title X funding, and restore US funding to the United Nations Population Fund, a colonialist fund designed to make the western problem of abortion an issue in less-developed nations.

These are by far the most radical pro-abortion ideas a strong presidential candidate has ever expressed, and pro-life advocates need to be aware of the growing support for ideas like this.

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New Noise Ordinance in Spokane, Washington is Designed to Limit Protests at Planned Parenthood

The city council of Spokane, Washington approved a measure 6-1 designed to limit protesting outside a local Planned Parenthood clinic. It strengthens currently-existing laws that make it illegal to “willfully or recklessly interfere with access to or from a health care facility” by “making noise that unreasonably disturbs the peace within the facility.” Law enforcement will be able to enforce increasingly harsh penalties for repeat offenders of the new ordinance; which is expected to be signed by the city mayor.

One group, which calls itself The Church at Planned Parenthood, is especially targeted by the rule. The organization regularly holds worship services and prayer vigils outside Planned Parenthood and is likely to bear the brunt of any new laws to limit their peaceful presence.

“We really feel like they just don’t like us there, not that we’re disrupting. So we feel unfairly treated,” Pastor Ken Peters told KREM-TV.

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Mississippi House Judiciary Committee Approves Bill to Ban Discriminatory Abortions Based on Sex, Race, or Fetal Anomaly

On March 3, the Mississippi House Judiciary B Committee approved the Life Equality Act of 2020. The bill, titled House Bill 1295, would ban abortions based on sex, race, or fetal anomalies. The bill will move on to debate in the full House.

“It is the intent of the Mississippi Legislature … to prohibit the practice of nontherapeutic or elective abortion for the purpose of terminating the life of an unborn human being because of that human being’s race, sex, or the presence or presumed presence of a genetic abnormality,” the bill reads.

“The inherent right against discrimination on the basis of race, sex, or genetic abnormality is protected in federal and state laws,” the bill also notes, stating, “Notwithstanding these protections, unborn human beings are often discriminated against and deprived of life.”

Physicians who perform abortions that fall under these conditions could be charged with a felony, have their medical license suspended or revoked, and face up to 10 years in prison. According to CNA, there is an exception for medical emergencies; which seems strange since the medical emergency would be the abortionist's reasoning for performing the abortion and not the discriminatory reasons listed in the bill.

Regardless, emergency deliveries via c-section or induced labor are often more effective than abortion during medical emergencies. Because both methods of removing a child from a mother's womb are faster than abortion, the mother can be treated for her medical issue more quickly. The child may die afterward, but they can still be given a chance at life and a doctor is not intentionally killing them.

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Connecticut Considers Plan to Give $2 Million to Planned Parenthood

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont

In his proposed budget, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont would give Planned Parenthood of Southern New England $2.1 million in state funding. The goal of this increased funding would be to replace Title X funding that Planned Parenthood opted out from after the Trump administration made new rules for Title X recipients to follow. Under the rules, recipients can no longer perform, recommend or refer patients to abortions. They also cannot co-locate with organizations that do perform abortions.

The Connecticut funding increase was debated at a March 5 public hearing held by the Human Services Committee. There, Blawie, who has worked at a Title X funded clinic in New Haven, Connecticut, was one of the citizens who spoke against the funding increase:

“...If more money is truly needed, Planned Parenthood could comply with Title X or else leverage the brand recognition and extensive fundraising network at its fingertips. Strong financial resources that are the envy of most non-profits. This is deep-pocketed political advocacy masquerading as health care. The state of CT faces billion-dollar deficits for the next several years. There’s an old saying that a budget is the skeleton of government, stripped of all ideology and rhetoric. What exactly are we spending money on? With our state drowning in red ink and so many crucial needs still unmet this proposal would constitute a flagrant misuse of scarce resources.”

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Tik Tok Video Shows Girl Celebrating During Surgical Abortion

A video in which a young woman celebrates during her second abortion went viral this week. Titled  “Abortion Time! Take 2,” the video shows the young woman cradling her early pregnancy bump before smiling, laughing, and dancing in a Planned Parenthood abortion clinic where she is shown undergoing an ultrasound-guided vacuum aspiration abortion. She smiled at the camera while her legs were suspended in stirrups as she laid in a bed.

The video has been viewed millions of times and has sparked controversy about what kind of content should be allowed on a social media platform clearly aimed at younger audiences. This kind of edgy, mature content designed to upset pro-life advocates should not have a place on a platform with a large middle-school-aged userbase.



This is not the only instance of edgy pro-abortion content on the platform, either. Tik Tok has allowed a variety of videos showcasing edgy abortion humor on its platform, including a video of a girl pretending to do a gender reveal for her unborn child before announcing that she had an abortion.

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UK Website Exposed for Illegally Shipping Abortion Pills Overseas Without Prescriptions

Carole Novielli, a writer at Live Action News, wrote an investigative article detailing her experience exchanging messages with a customer service representative at SafeAbortionRX, a UK website which ships abortion pills to the United States. In her conversation with a representative who went by "Casey," she learned that the website was even willing to illegally ship abortion drugs to Americans who don't have prescriptions.

“Our products are prescription drugs and we strictly DO NOT dispense them without a healthcare professional’s advice slip or prescription,” their prescription policy states. It showed room for exceptions lower down the page, however: “If you feel that the medication is an urgent necessity for you and do not have a prescription, please contact our healthcare experts on the live chat or support team.”

SafeAbortionRX was willing to sell Carole abortion kits including the abortion pill regimen Mifepristone and Misoprostol. The first of these pills starves an unborn child by reducing the transfer of nutrients from a mother's body to her child. The second induces labor to remove the deceased child from the mother's womb. The website recommends minimal clinical supervision during the abortion process, but women who access these drugs via the internet without prescriptions can easily attempt to carry out abortions on their own, possibly hurting themselves in the process.

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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer Accused of Threatening Pro-Life Supreme Court Justices

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY)
Outside the Supreme Court

"I want to tell you, Gorsuch! I want to tell you, Kavanaugh! You have released the whirlwind, and you will pay the price! You won’t know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions."

That's what Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer yelled outside the Supreme Court at a pro-choice rally on Wednesday. It's an emotionally charged statement that has been interpreted by some as a threat of violence against pro-life Supreme Court Justices if they don't interpret the law in the way that Chuck Schumer would like. Chief Justice John Roberts responded with what many are calling a "rare rebuke."

“Justices know that criticism comes with the territory, but threatening statements of this sort from the highest levels of government are not only inappropriate, they are dangerous,” Roberts said. “All members of the court will continue to do their job, without fear or favor, from whatever quarter.”

Did Senate Democrat leader Schumer just threaten two conservative justices? Where is the media?

“I want to tell you Justice Kavanaugh and Justice Gorsuch: You have unleashed a whirlwind, and you will pay the price”pic.twitter.com/MellytNNp5

— Mark Meadows (@RepMarkMeadows) March 4, 2020

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell criticized the New York Senator openly on the Senate Floor Thursday:

"...The Democratic Leader traveled to the workplace of two judges, and in front of a crowd of activists, he told those judges “you will pay the price” and “you won’t know what hit you.” 

If any American had these words shouted at them from a sidewalk outside their office, they would hear those threats as personal. And most likely they would hear them as threatening or inciting violence."

Senator McConnell went on to reference the shooting against Congressional Republicans at a baseball field in Alexandria, Virginia back in 2017; implying that Schumer's comments could lead to more deadly violence.

Sen. Schumer responded to Sen. McConnell's criticisms by giving a half-apology. "I shouldn't have used the words I did, but in no way was I making a threat. I never, never would do such a thing and Leader McConnell knows that. And Republicans who are busy manufacturing outrage over these comments know that too."

He justified his statement by saying he was passionate about the subject matter of the Supreme Court case, which he claimed was a woman's constitutional right to choose. This is false. The Louisiana law being debated in the Supreme Court does not limit a woman's right to have an abortion. It simply requires abortionists to maintain admitting privileges at a nearby hospital in case there are complications- making abortion clinics consistent with other outpatient surgical facilities in the state of Louisiana.

Regardless, Sen. Schumer said, "My point was that there would be political consequences for President Trump and Senate Republicans if the Supreme Court with the newly confirmed justices stripped away a woman's right to choose."

Pro-life groups such as Operation Rescue, a pro-life group that highlights the danger of abortion by publicizing 911 calls made after abortions, have called for Sen. Schumer's resignation, but it seems unlikely at this point.

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Movieguide Apologizes after Pro-Life Film "Unplanned" was Scrubbed from Hallmark Awards Show. Show will be Reissued.

The film Unplanned tells the story of Abby Johnson, a former director at Planned Parenthood who eventually became a pro-life advocate. Unplanned was nominated for a Movieguide award in the categories of "best film for mature audiences" and the "Faith and Freedom Award." A Movieguide award show was aired on the Hallmark Channel on February 24, but all references to Unplanned were completely edited out of the show. Lead actress Ashley Bratcher took notice and targeted a flurry of social media posts at Hallmark. Now, Hallmark has directed Movieguide to re-edit the video of the award show so it can be aired once again including the pro-life film.

“We have scheduled the MOVIEGUIDE® Awards to re-air on Hallmark Drama on Monday, March 9th at 10 PM.,” Movieguide founder and publisher Ted Baehr told LifeSiteNews. “It will also be available on the TV Everywhere app. All telecasts will include mentions of the film, ‘Unplanned’ and its lead actress, Ashley Bratcher. We at Crown Media [Hallmark] extend our sincere apologies to Ashley.”

Baehr also told LifeSiteNews that he advocated for Unplanned's nomination to the award show, but in the end, it was up to Movieguide videographer Jeremy Carroll to edit the three-and-a-half-hour ceremony down to a 42-minute version for television. Before Hallmark directed Movieguide to re-edit the show, he defended Carroll's decisions. “I’m not going to go to my editor…and tell him he shouldn’t have cut it,” Baehr said. “I’m sure he cut it for good reasons, and I’m sure he’d make the right decisions and I trust my editors.”

Baehr has since called and apologized to Ashley Bratcher personally.

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Supreme Court Hears Arguments Regarding Louisiana's “Unsafe Abortion Protection Act”

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court began hearing arguments in June Medical Services, LLC v. Russo. The case is a challenge to Louisiana’s “Unsafe Abortion Protection Act,” which helps women receive care during the medical complications which may occur during an abortion procedure by requiring abortionists to maintain admitting privileges at a nearby hospital.

The law was passed to create consistency between abortion clinics and other outpatient surgical centers, which were already required to maintain admitting privileges with hospitals. Abortionists argue that imposing consistent regulations on their business is unfair, however, because it puts an undue burden on women seeking abortions. The interesting thing about that argument is that no independent women are challenging the law; only abortionists are. This is a law designed to protect women from medical complications which can occur during a surgical procedure by ensuring they can be swiftly admitted to a hospital by an abortionist when necessary. The law does not place any burden on women who seek abortions. It only places a burden on abortionists who don't seek admitting privileges to nearby hospitals.

Justice Samuel Alito made a point of emphasizing this fact. “You think that if the plaintiff actually has interests that are directly contrary to those individuals on whose behalf the plaintiff is claiming to sue, nevertheless that plaintiff can have standing?” he said during arguments.

National Right to Life President Carol Tobias gave this statement outside the Supreme Court:

"...Hospital admitting privileges are called 'privileges' for a reason. A doctor must meet certain requirements established by the hospital before he or she is allowed to practice there. Those privileges are usually given to doctors based on credentials and performance. 

If the abortion industry is really worried about women, they should want an admitting privileges requirement, in order to reassure women that they are getting good care. If admitting privileges are not required, the door is open for all substandard doctors to start performing abortions in LA."

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