The U.S. House of Representatives soon may consider two measures that could cut the abortion rate in Washington, D.C., and across the nation.
Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., is looking for more co-sponsors for the Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act, which he introduced last week. The bill would keep family planning funds out of the hands of Planned Parenthood and other organizations that sell abortions. This is the third time Pence has introduced the bill, which has 122 co-sponsors.
"It is morally wrong to end an unborn human life by abortion," Pence said. "It is also morally wrong to take the taxpayer dollars of millions of pro-life Americans and use them to promote abortion at home or abroad.
"The largest abortion provider in America should not also be the largest recipient of federal funding under Title X."
Meanwhile, Reps. Chris Smith, R-N.J., and Dan Lipinski, D-Ill., — who co-chair the Pro-Life Caucus — are working to reinstate the prohibition on taxpayer funding for abortions in the District of Columbia.
Up until 2009, the Dornan Amendment, which is part of the annual Financial Services Appropriations bill, prevented any funding approved by Congress from paying for abortions in the district. In 2010, some of the pro-life language was removed.
Smith and Lipinski are calling on the House Appropriations Committee to resurrect the previous version of the Dornan Amendment.
In a letter to the committee leaders, they say: "Restoration of the Dornan Amendment is urgently needed, and doing so is consistent with the opinion of a majority of Americans. Abortion funding bans such as the Dornan Amendment also reduce the number of abortions by removing taxpayer financial support.
"Again, we urge you to expediently reinstate the Dornan Amendment in any FY11 Appropriations Act providing funds for the District of Columbia, and look forward to working with you on this and other important issues in the 112th Congress."
Contact: Jennifer Mesko
Source: CitizenLink
Publish Date: January 11, 2011
