State legislatures OK more pro-life bills

     

State legislators continue to send pro-life bills to supportive governors for their signatures.

Measures restricting abortion are awaiting endorsement from the governors of Florida, Kansas and Texas. All the governors -- Florida's Rick Scott, Kansas' Sam Brownback and Texas' Rick Perry -- are expected to sign the bills, and all are Republicans.

The actions add to a variety of pro-life measures already signed into law in this year's state legislative sessions.

The Florida legislature passed five pro-life bills in the late days of its session -- four Scott is expected to sign and one that voters will consider. The measures sent to Scott will, according to a May 9 article by the Florida Baptist Witness:

-- mandate ultrasounds for women seeking abortions in their first trimester, although they can decline to view the sonogram images or hear descriptions of their unborn children.

-- prohibit insurance coverage of abortions in a future state exchange established by last year's federal health-care reform law.

-- toughen limitations on underage girls seeking judicial bypasses for abortions without their parents being notified.

-- change the method of dispersing funds gained from the sale of Choose Life license plates.

The measure to go before Florida's voters in 2012 would amend the constitution to ban the use of state funds for abortions.

Bill Bunkley, the Florida Baptist Convention's legislative consultant, told the Witness legislators would accomplish nothing that would "leave a more lasting legacy in their tenure than the future babies they stood in the gap for these last few weeks. I am very proud of all of them."

In Kansas, the Senate gave final approval April 27 to legislation that will strengthen health and safety requirements for abortion clinics, according to The Wichita Eagle. Unannounced inspections would take place yearly after the measure takes effect.

In Texas, the House of Representatives provided final passage May 5 to a bill mandating that most women seeking abortions have an ultrasound at least 24 hours before the procedure and be given a verbal description of the child, the Southern Baptist TEXAN reported.

In other state actions:

-- The Minnesota House passed two pro-life measures May 6: 1) A ban on abortions after 20 weeks of gestation based on scientific evidence a baby in the womb experiences pain by that point and, 2) a prohibition on state funding of elective abortions.

-- North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue, a pro-choice Democrat, signed into law April 29 a bill which criminalizes violent acts against unborn children during crimes against their mothers.

contact: Tom Strode
Source: Baptist Press

Information Update in Embryonic Stem Cell Lawsuit

     

In the latest update regarding Sherley et al. v. Sebelius et al., the lawsuit challenging federal taxpayer funding of human embryonic stem cell research, a Motion was filed on May 18, 2011, to allow both sides to file supplemental briefs with the U.S. District Court.

This motion to provide additional information to the Court was agreed upon by both sides. A similar previous motion filed on May 9 was opposed by the Department of Justice.

The motions follow the April 29 decision by the Appeals Court to vacate the preliminary injunction issued by U.S. District Judge Lamberth in August 2010. While the Appeals Court ruling maintained the status quo regarding the flow of federal taxpayer funds for embryonic stem cell research, there are still a number of issues to be resolved, awaiting the decision of Judge Lamberth.

If the new motion is approved, both sides would be allowed to provide supplemental information in briefs due on or before June 24, 2011, and limited to 10 pages.

Contact: David Prentice
Source: National Right to Life

Pro-Abortion Judicial Nominee Goodwin Liu Blocked in Senate on near Party-Line Vote

     

The nomination of Goodwin Liu, named by President Obama to the powerful U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, was blocked in the U.S. Senate today on a near party-line vote.

Only 52 senators voted to "invoke cloture" (end debate) on the Liu [pronounced "loo"]nomination.  That was 8 votes short of the 60 that were required to advance the nomination to an up-or-down vote.

Of the 44 Republican senators who were present to vote, only one — Lisa Murkowski (Ak.) — voted in favor of advancing the Liu nomination.  Of the 52 Democrats who were present, only one — Ben Nelson (Ne.) — voted to block Liu.   The official roll call is here.

Liu, age 40, is a law professor at the University of California, Berkeley.  He has never served as a judge, but he has written and testified extensively on legal issues.

The National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) had urged pro-life senators to oppose cloture on Liu's nomination.

"Liu is strongly committed to judicial activism and to an expansive judge-made 'right' to abortion," commented NRLC Legislative Director Douglas Johnson.  "Indeed, when John Roberts was nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court, Liu published an opinion piece in which he specifically attacked Roberts as a threat to 'abortion rights.'"

NARAL Pro-Choice America conducted an extended lobbying campaign on behalf of Liu, calling him a "champion of the constitutional right to privacy."  In a press release issued after the vote, NARAL claimed to have generated 20,000 messages to senators in support of Liu's nomination.

Ed Whelan, president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, who has written extensively and critically regarding Liu's record, wrote on National Review Online on May 17, "Liu presents a volatile mix of aggressive left-wing ideology and raw inexperience.  He's the rare nominee who would threaten to make the Ninth Circuit worse than it already is."

Following today's Senate vote, Whelan noted that only one potential Liu supporter missed the vote, "so the Liu nomination appears dead."

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is one tier under the U.S. Supreme Court in the federal judicial system.  It handles appeals from federal district courts in California, Arizona, Nevada, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Alaska, and some territories.

Source: National Right to Life

DOJ Panders to Abortion Proponents with False Allegations of F.A.C.E. Violations

     

In January 2010 David Hamilton was peacefully and lawfully handing literature to women entering EMW Surgical Center, an abortion clinic in Louisville, Kentucky. Mr. Hamilton was not only interfered with illegally by clinic volunteers who locked arms to block him, he is now being prosecuted by the U.S. Department of Justice for assaulting a volunteer -- but in actuality -- the volunteer assaulted him. The "escort" attempted to forcibly block Mr. Hamilton to prevent him from sharing literature with women entering the clinic, literature that would have offered women real choices, alternatives to abortion.

Over a year after the date of the incident, rather than serving the clinic volunteer with a legal complaint for the illegal conduct, the DOJ served Mr. Hamilton with a legal complaint, alleging that he violated the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE). The DOJ used their resources, funded by the American taxpayer, to track down and serve Mr. Hamilton although he had moved to Texas permanently only two months after the assault by the "escort."

"This administration continues to increase the budget deficit by pandering to the abortion lobby, wasting taxpayer monies to hunt down and prosecute the victim rather than the perpetrator. The allegations against Mr. Hamilton are absolutely ridiculous!" states Dana Cody, President and Executive Director of Life Legal Defense Foundation.

Attorneys Michael Hirsh and Vince Heuser, of the law firm of Hirsh and Heuser, are defending Mr. Hamilton, responding to Mr. Hamilton's prosecution with motions to dismiss and to strike the complaint against him. Life Legal Defense Foundation congratulates Attorneys Hirsh and Heuser for their swift response to the DOJ's absurd actions and is proud to support the defense of Mr. Hamilton.

Contact: Vince Heuser
Source: Life Legal Defense Foundation

NARAL Video Reveals National Strategy to Shut Down Pregnancy Centers in Urban Areas

     

In a YouTube video (http://youtu.be/Tpya05pQGAQ) posted May 10th, NARAL Pro-Choice New York has revealed a national strategy to specifically target pregnancy centers in urban areas for hostile legislation intended to shut down these centers and direct women to abortion providers.

Care Net President Melinda Delahoyde said the video is a helpful tool in exposing current strategies of abortion advocacy groups. "This video reinforces the fact that legislation against pregnancy centers is part of a nationwide strategy by abortion advocacy groups aimed at shutting down the competition," Delahoyde said. "It also reveals for the first time that these legislative attacks will be focused on urban areas, the very areas where abortion providers are prevalent, support for abortion alternatives is lacking, and abortion rates are skyrocketing."

In NARAL's video, a representative from the National Institute of Reproductive Health highlights the "Urban Initiative," an effort to network local legislators across the country in order to pass legislation, such as anti-pregnancy center bills. "Our goal is to create a movement, to have each of these bills, not just an isolated victory, but really to address these crisis pregnancy centers, one urban area at a time," says Angela Hooton, the group's Interim Executive Director.

Rev. Dean Nelson, Care Net's Vice President of Underserved Outreach, said that NARAL's efforts will be met with opposition from community leaders, especially clergy. "Talk to pastors in urban areas and see if they support efforts to promote abortion and to crack down on organizations that are supporting pregnant women," said Rev. Nelson. "I was there in Baltimore when the anti-pregnancy center bill mentioned in this video was being discussed, and not a single local pastor I spoke with was in support of that bill. This so-called 'urban initiative' is an injustice toward the very women, children, and families that live in urban areas."

Currently, a majority of abortion providers are located in metropolitan areas. Many of them are in predominantly minority-populated communities, thereby contributing greatly to the disproportionate impact of abortion on minorities. Statistics show that African American and Latina women account for 27% of the female population in the U.S., yet they undergo 59% of all abortions. In many urban communities, abortion providers outnumber pregnancy centers by a ratio of five to one. Care Net is working on expanding access to pregnancy centers so that women in urban areas are empowered to carry their pregnancies to term.

Contact: Kristin Hansen
Source: Care Net

MTV Pulls Pro-Life Organization's Commercials Off the Air, Continues Partnering with Planned Parenthood

     

MTV has banned a media campaign of life-affirming, call-for-help commercials produced by Heroic Media which were scheduled to run on the network during May 2011.

MTV notified the press of their decision to pull the call-for-help commercials on May 5th, but did not inform Heroic Media until the following afternoon.

An MTV sales representative who notified Heroic Media's advertising agency of the decision indicated that MTV President, Stephen Friedman, made the decision.

According to the sales representative, MTV, "Was in the works with doing a partnership with Planned Parenthood and different opportunities for PSA's when he decided that he did not want to run Heroic Media on MTV."

Last month, MTV partnered with Planned Parenthood on a promotion called "Get Yourself Tested," which was promoted on both MTV and Planned Parenthood's websites.

Planned Parenthood reported performing 332,278 abortions in the United States in 2009. On their website, MTV has listed Planned Parenthood as an adoption referral resource. Planned Parenthood made 977 adoption referrals in 2009.

The newly 'banned' commercial, which has been running on MTV since May of 2010 is called "We Can Help" and features a young woman struggling with an unexpected pregnancy. The script follows:

Young Woman: I'm pregnant.
Adult Woman: It happens.
Young Woman: I'm afraid.
Adult Woman: That's normal.
Young Woman: I'm worried, My boyfriend's scared, my parents are mad.
Adult Woman: Get a grip people. You're not alone. We can help.

Graphics:
Text PREGNANT to 95495
877-877-9927
Logo: Heroic Media

Jeannie Kedas, Senior Vice President MTV Networks, issued the following official statement to Heroic Media seven days after giving it to the press, "Upon further review, it was hard for us to separate some of the recent tactics of the organization behind the ads themselves, so we have opted to not accept them for air at this time."

Heroic Media has asked MTV to reconsider this decision and allow Heroic Media and other organizations to make women aware of hopeful alternatives to abortion.

Heroic Media is a faith-based non-profit that reduces abortion by creating a culture of life through television, billboard and internet advertising which connect women in crisis with life-affirming pregnancy centers. In communities where Heroic Media's commercials have run consistently, abortions have dropped by as much as 20%.

To view the TV spot go to: www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfu3ZebO4HM

Contact: Bill Eisner

HB2093 passed out of the IL Senate today

HB2093 passed out of the IL Senate today and is on its way to the Governor.

 

It passed the House on April 7, 2011 with 110 yes, 0 Nays and 0 Present;  it passed out of the Senate on May 12, 2011 with 57 yes, 0 Nays and 0 Present.

This bill amends the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. Extends the list of persons required to report child abuse or neglect to include any physician, physician's assistant, registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, medical technician, certified nursing assistant, social worker, licensed professional counselor, office personnel, or volunteer of any office, clinic, or any other physical location that provides abortions, abortion counseling, abortion referrals, contraceptives, contraceptive counseling, sex education, or gynecological care and services.

We feel that the Governor will sign the bill since it passed without any opposition.  This is a victory for the pro-life movement in Illinois!

HB2093 passed out of the IL Senate today

HB2093 passed out of the IL Senate today and is on its way to the Governor.

 

It passed the House on April 7, 2011 with 110 yes, 0 Nays and 0 Present;  it passed out of the Senate on May 12, 2011 with 57 yes, 0 Nays and 0 Present.

This bill amends the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. Extends the list of persons required to report child abuse or neglect to include any physician, physician's assistant, registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, medical technician, certified nursing assistant, social worker, licensed professional counselor, office personnel, or volunteer of any office, clinic, or any other physical location that provides abortions, abortion counseling, abortion referrals, contraceptives, contraceptive counseling, sex education, or gynecological care and services.

We feel that the Governor will sign the bill since it passed without any opposition.  This is a victory for the pro-life movement in Illinois!

Ignore Misleading Figures, Planned Parenthood IS "Big Abortion"

Q&A with Randall K. O'Bannon, Ph.D.


Dr. Randall K. O'Bannon

NRL News: Let's start with this claim that abortion represents "only 3% of Planned Parenthood's services," the single most common PPFA defense. Where does this come from and is it in any sense true?

Randall K. O'Bannon, Ph.D.: If you were PPFA, above all you want people's eyes distracted from the 330,000+ abortions you perform a year. How could you minimize its prevalence and its importance to your bottom line? (This is complicated, so please bear with me.) By bundling services when it serves your purpose, and unbundling when it makes you look better. It arrives at this 3% figure by using some very strained mathematics, by counting everything given to, or done for, a given patient as a separate service. So if a young mom comes into a Planned Parenthood clinic for an abortion, she'll probably also have a pregnancy test, maybe a test for an STD, and then may receive a packet of birth control pills after her abortion. So, is that one "service" or four? Planned Parenthood counts each of these as a separate service.

Moreover, this same woman coming in for an abortion may receive three, four, or more additional services, such as an ultrasound, an antibiotic, and an Rh type and hemoglobin test, all connected to her abortion visit. When counted separately, it makes it look like abortion was only one among several other more conventional "reproductive health care" services or procedures. [See PPFA's 3/11 fact sheet on services]

PPFA offers the "3% of services" mantra day in and day out. It is accepted uncritically by the media. The figure is purposefully confusing. A much more understandable—and accurate—measure is to look at the numbers of clients, rather than the number of "services." That tells a very different story.

Outside of places like National Right to Life News and NRL News Today, you virtually never read that the percentage of PPFA's clients that receive abortions is 12%. As we shall see in a moment, that is important not only because it reveals its enormous investment in abortion, but also because abortions generate a hefty share of clinic revenue.

NRL News: So, to be clear, that means that nearly one in eight women walking through the door of a Planned Parenthood clinic receiving services has an abortion?

O'Bannon: Well, even that probably understates the abortion-related traffic to Planned Parenthood. In 2009 over 1.1 million women coming to Planned Parenthood had a pregnancy test. We don't know what percentage of those were positive. What we do know is that of the services Planned Parenthood reported that would have involved pregnant women (abortion, prenatal care, adoption referrals), 97.6% were abortion.

On the PPFA Services fact sheet, Planned Parenthood says it provided services for three million people in 2009. That would mean roughly a third were tested for pregnancy. Considering how a woman can buy a relatively inexpensive pregnancy test from her local drug or grocery store, she must have had a reason to seek out Planned Parenthood. If the availability of abortion was the reason, that would mean that abortion was pulling in even more than the 12%.

NRL News: Even so, 12% of the business being devoted to abortion would be a significant percentage, would it not?

O'Bannon: That it would be. But to reiterate, abortion certainly accounts for a great deal more than just 12% as a portion of PPFA's business, especially if you're looking at it in monetary terms.

To see how significant abortion is to Planned Parenthood's bottom line, there is no equivalency between a $15 pregnancy test or a $6 pack of condoms or $15–$50 packet of birth control pills and an abortion which runs $350–$950 for a first-trimester abortion [see www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/abortion/in-clinic-abortion-procedures-4359.asp].

Here's some very basic math. At $451 (the Guttmacher Institute's estimated average cost for a standard first-trimester surgical abortion), the 332,278 abortions Planned Parenthood performed in 2009 would represent $149.9 million—37% of the $404.9 million in clinic revenues PPFA took in for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2009 [see PPFA 2008–09 Annual Report ].

NRL News: That's a far cry from the 3% we started with.

O'Bannon: And since Planned Parenthood clinics also advertise and perform more expensive chemical abortions, like those with RU486, and later surgical abortions, which average more than $1,500 at 20 weeks, that income and that percentage are probably much higher. One thing is clear from the data we have, data that comes from Planned Parenthood itself. In spite of the spin and the deflections, Planned Parenthood certainly is "Big Abortion"– the nation's biggest performer and most aggressive promoter of abortion.

NRL News: We know we have to be 100% accurate or the 99% that is correct gets tossed away. What are some common mistakes with regard to the data?

O'Bannon: Speaking in terms of Planned Parenthood's "profits" instead of "revenues."

Another is to confuse its clinic or "health center income" with the total revenues of the organization. Planned Parenthood had total revenues of $1.1 billion in FY 2009, but only 37% of that came from clinic income. It got another $363.3 million in "government grants and contracts" and private contributions totaling $308.2 million, and another $24.5 million from other sources.

One thing people also need to do is to be specific. Don't say that 90% of Planned Parenthood's patients have abortions, because that isn't correct. What is true is that in looking at those services intrinsically connected to pregnancy—abortion, prenatal care, and adoption—97.6% of those were abortion.

NRL News: Anything else you want to say about this 3% claim that Planned Parenthood has popularized?

O'Bannon: If I may, let me briefly mention three other related issues. First, PPFA is building up its abortion business in a major way (see the editorial on page 2). This is 180 degrees away from the organization's attempt to act as if abortion is incidental to what it does.

Second—to borrow from the article I wrote that appears on page 11—a secondary Planned Parenthood tactic is to argue that increased funding will enable it to reduce the numbers of abortions, but its own organizational reports don't seem to show that.

The revenue Planned Parenthood receives in "Government Grants & Contracts" has gone from $165 million in 1998 to $363.3 million in the organization's fiscal year ending June 30, 2009. During the same time, and at roughly the same rate, abortions have more than doubled at Planned Parenthood, from 165,509 in 1998 to 332,278 in 2009. All this while abortions in the U.S., as a whole, dropped by about 25%. To say that Planned Parenthood is committed to reducing abortions is to go against decades of evidence that shows the exact opposite.

Third, to return to the original question, we've shown that PPFA is heavily invested in—and derives enormous income from—abortion. But even if abortion constituted "only" 3% of its business—which masks the truth—this organization boldly and unapologetically destroys over 300,000 innocent human lives every year, making millions in the process, and unapologetically defends its doing so.

This is not only an absolute corruption of the very notion of "health care," it is a gross abuse of our most basic human rights, something that no civilized society should tolerate, much less pay for.

Federal Judge Denies Planned Parenthood's Request for Restraining Order Against New Indiana Law

National Right to Life applauds U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt's decision to deny a request by Planned Parenthood of Indiana for a temporary restraining order against a new Indiana law that denies state-directed funding for businesses and organizations performing abortions in the state. Judge Pratt's order allows the funding cuts passed by the Indiana legislature and signed by Governor Mitch Daniels earlier this month to immediately take effect.


Judge Tanya Walton Pratt

"Planned Parenthood is the nation's largest provider and promoter of abortion," said National Right to Life President Carol Tobias.  "As Planned Parenthood's government funding increased so did the number of abortions they performed."

According to Planned Parenthood Federation of America's annual report for 2008-2009, which reported over $1 billion in revenues, the amount it received in "Government Grants & Contracts" has grown from $165 million in 1998 to $363.3 million in the organization's fiscal year ending June 30, 2009.  During the same time, and at roughly the same rate, abortions have more than doubled at Planned Parenthood, from 165,509 in 1998 to 332,278 in 2009.  With just over 1.2 million abortions performed annually nationwide, abortions done in Planned Parenthood clinics account for more than 25% of the national total.

"Using the average estimates for the cost of a first-trimester abortion ($451), Planned Parenthood clinics derived more than one-third ($149.9 million) of their reported $404.9 million in income from abortions in 2008-2009," Tobias noted.

National Right to Life Director of Education and Research Randall K. O'Bannon, Ph.D., has done extensive research and reporting on Planned Parenthood's abortion business.  His two most recent analyses can be found here:

"Planned Parenthood: More Funding, More Abortion"

"Ignore Misleading Figures, Planned Parenthood IS Big Abortion"

"While other businesses and non-profit organizations struggled during the recession, Planned Parenthood's bottom line continued to swell," Tobias added. "The bottom line is, taxpayers shouldn't be forced to underwrite Planned Parenthood and its affiliates."

Source: National Right to Life

Pro-life ‘victory’ as Indiana law cuts all Planned Parenthood funding

Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels signed into law a bill that cuts Planned Parenthood state funding and adds other restrictions on abortion.

"It's a great victory," said Glenn Tebbe, executive director of the Indiana Catholic Conference. "This is an achievement we've been working towards for a number of years."

He thought the law offers "a very good chance" to reduce the number of abortions in Indiana.

"That's probably the most important aspect," he said.

The law ends all state-directed funding for businesses that do abortions except for hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers, USA Today reports. It cuts $2 million of the $3 million the Indiana Planned Parenthood organization receives annually in government funds.

The law also makes Indiana the first state to prohibit the use of Medicaid at Planned Parenthood.

"It's good that our tax dollars don't have to support an agency that performs abortions," Tebbe told CNA on May 11.

He credited the "persistence" of pro-life groups and the pro-life community over past years which allowed them to take advantage of the opportunity to pass the legislation.

Daniels was supportive of the legislation "from the beginning," Tebbe reported.

"There wasn't a need for him to play a leadership role because there were so many other people involved for a long period of time."

Daniels, a possible Republican presidential candidate in 2012, attracted attention and some criticism because he called for a "truce" on social issues like abortion and marriage in favor of focusing on fiscal and economic issues.

Though Tebbe said he had no inside information, he thought the remark was "more a tactical matter than substantive" and was intended to address divisions within Daniels' party.

The new Indiana law has its critics.

The state's Family and Social Services Administration has voiced concern that the funding restrictions could violate Medicaid policy and endanger $4 million in federal money for family planning.

Planned Parenthood of Indiana President Betty Cockrum said the provision threatened basic health care for Indiana women and will lead to undetected cancers, untreated sexually transmitted diseases and unplanned pregnancies.

Gov. Daniels said his administration confirmed that all non-abortion services will remain "readily available" in all 92 counties of Indiana. He has also ordered the Family and Social Services Administration to ensure that Medicaid recipients receive "prompt notice" of nearby care options.

Any clinic affected by the law can resume receiving taxpayer dollars immediately by "ceasing or separating its operations that perform abortions," the governor said.

Planned Parenthood of Indiana and the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana sought a temporary restraining order against the bill. A federal judge refused to grant an emergency hold on May 11, but will take more time to consider whether the law should stand, the Indianapolis Star reports.

Indiana Right to Life characterized the new law's provisions as "the most sweeping pro-life initiatives" in the state since the 1973 Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade.

"This legislation places Indiana on the vanguard of efforts to protect the unborn, to deny public funds to businesses that profit from abortion, and to ensure that women considering abortion have full and factual information about such issues as fetal development and alternatives to abortion," said the group's president and CEO Mike Fichter.

Many of these provisions have been on Indiana pro-lifers' "to-do list," Tebbe explained.

The new law opts Indiana out of abortion coverage in any state health insurance exchanges required under the 2010 federal health care law.

While the state previously restricted abortion based on the ambiguous standard of "viability," the law now restricts abortions after 20 weeks into a pregnancy.

The law requires doctors who perform abortions to provide full information about abortion to women considering the procedure. These doctors must also maintain local hospital admitting privileges in order to streamline emergency access for any women injured during an abortion.

These features will provide more information to women considering abortion, Tebbe said, "and with that we think they are more likely to make the better choice."

Source: CNA/EWTN News

Students for Life Banquet

Young people are the key to the pro-life movement. Not only are they more pro-life than past generations, they are the most important people to reach on abortion. Here's why:

1.  Young people are the future. If they are pro-life, we will have a pro-life future.

2.  Young people are having the most abortions. 52% of abortions are obtained by women  24 years and younger.

3.  The college campus provides the most anti-life environment for these young people who are so important to the future.

Reaching college students will save lives and end abortion.  But, despite four strong years, the need far outweighs our current reach.  In order to reach more students we really need to take things to the next level. This is why we are having our first ever benefit dinner. Register here.

This May 26th, we are hosting our first Benefit Dinner as a means of expanding the support for our mission and, hence, our capacity to serve students. Not only will this be a memorable event with 250 in attendance, but it also has the potential to have a high impact on the life-saving work we are doing with pro-life college students.

Summary

Speaker: David Bereit – 40 Days for Life Founder

Cost: FREE TO ATTEND, but be prepared for an appeal for our mission

Perks: Live Music, Open Bar (guests must be 21)

Date: Thursday, May 26th: 6:30 reception – 7:30 dinner and program

Location: 1850 N Hermitage, Chicago, IL

Register here.

Hatch and Coburn lead movement to ban abortion funding in U.S. Senate

A large group of Senators, including Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), today introduced legislation, the Protect Life Act (S. 877), that would codify longstanding policy preventing taxpayer funding of abortion and apply it to the partisan health law.

"A strong majority of the American people do not believe that scarce taxpayer dollars should be used to fund abortions. This common-sense legislation would ensure that doesn't happen with respect to the highly-partisan health law," said Hatch.

"Forcing Americans to pay for abortion services with their own dollars is a grave abuse of government authority. The administration's track record of ambiguity in this area underscores the need for federal legislation clarifying, once and for all, that public funds will not be used to pay for abortion services under the new health law," Dr. Coburn said.

"This bill is a step in the right direction to ensure taxpayer dollars are not used to fund abortions. I remain committed to repealing and replacing the President's costly health spending law with commonsense solutions that we can work together and agree upon," said Blunt.

"While we will continue the important work of fighting to repeal ObamaCare, Senator Hatch's bill is a common sense piece of legislation that clearly states that no taxpayer money should be used to fund abortion as part of the new health care law," said Rubio.

"Taxpayer dollars shouldn't be used to fund a practice that millions of Americans find deeply troubling. While repealing the national health care law remains my ultimate goal, stopping federal money from financing abortions is an urgent priority," said Ayotte. "In addition to safeguarding taxpayer resources, this bill also preserves the Hyde-Weldon conscience protections for physicians who choose to not provide abortion services."

The legislation, which mirrors an amendment Hatch introduced when the Senate Finance Committee considered the health law, has also been cosponsored by Senator Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), and Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), David Vitter (R-La.), Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), John Boozeman (R-Ark.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), John Thune (R-S.D.), James Risch (R-Idaho), James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Mike Johanns (R-Neb.), and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho). Representatives Joe Pitts (R-PA) and Dan Lipinski (D-IL) have introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) allows taxpayer-funded abortions through insurance policies, the pre-existing condition insurance plans, federally qualified health centers, and health plans administered by the federal government. PPACA's various loopholes and direct appropriation of funds to new mandatory health programs mean that substantial amounts of taxpayer dollars are not subject to the annual pro-life appropriations rider, commonly known as the Hyde Amendment.

Furthermore, the health law does not fully protect health care professionals and entities who are morally opposed to abortions, and leaves them vulnerable to discrimination for refusing to perform abortions.

The Protect Life Act guarantees that no taxpayer dollars flow to cover elective abortions by applying the longstanding policy of the Hyde Amendment to the new health care law and provides protections for health care providers who are opposed to abortions. Specifically, the Protect Life Act:

 - Eliminates the Capps accounting gimmick to create real separation by requiring abortion plans to be sold separately from health care plans receiving federal dollars. This protects Americans from being forced to pay an "abortion surcharge" in order to obtain a health care plan.

 - Closes a loophole in PPACA to ensure that state laws restricting abortion or protecting conscience rights will not be preempted by federal law.

 - Restricts any federal bureaucrats or political appointees from mandating private abortion plans to cover abortion.

 - Amends PPACA to offer comprehensive and permanent pro-life protections, consistent with longstanding public laws and the bipartisan Stupak Amendment.

 - Prevents the Office of Personnel Management from contracting with or administering health plans that include abortion.

Source: Illinois Review

US indicts man for death threats against pro-life leaders

Fr. Frank Pavone / Robert P. George

A United States attorney has indicted a man who described himself as a "pro-choice terrorist" with six counts of making interstate threats against pro-life advocates such as Priests for Life director Father Frank Pavone and Princeton University law professor Robert P. George.

New York resident Theodore Shulman, 49, has plead not guilty to six counts of communicating interstate threats. The charges each carry a maximum five-year sentence and were filed in federal court in the Southern District of New York.

Shulman allegedly left a threatening voice mail message with the Calif.-based Life Legal Defense Foundation's legal director Catherine Short. He is also accused of posting threats to the Priests for Life website, the "Second Hand Smoke" blog at the First Things website and the blog "RealChoice."

The March 22 federal indictment, published by Mother Jones magazine, listed six separate incidents but redacted the names of the alleged victims.

One January 2010 threat referred to Scott Roeder, then on trial for the murder of Kansas abortionist George Tiller.

"If Roeder is acquitted, someone will respond by killing [Victim-1] of [the University] and [Victim-2] of PRIESTS FOR LIFE," the threat said.

A threat Shulman allegedly posted at another blog said that if anyone "terrorizes" Nebraska late-term abortionist LeRoy Carhart there will be "retaliation, in the form of murderous attacks against right-to-lifist Professor Robert P. George of Princeton, and his family."

The poster said he would not commit the attack himself "but someone will."

A spokesman for Priests for Life told CNA that because Fr. Pavone is involved in the case he does not feel he should talk about it until it is resolved. Prof. George could not be reached for comment.

Pro-life blogger Jill Stanek has said Shulman has made threats against her. He also allegedly threatened Troy Newman, president of the Kansas-based Operation Rescue, who praised the indictment.

"Finally, this self-called 'pro-choice terrorist,' Ted Shulman, has been indicted for several death threats against pro-life leaders, including myself," Newman said. He predicted that Shulman will likely spend "a very long time behind bars."

"I hope it sends a clear message to those who perpetrate violence against peaceful, non-violent pro-life people," he added.

The accused man is the son of feminist activist and author Alix Kates Shulman. He started a blog called "Operation Counterstrike" whose mission statement said "Right-to-lifism is murder, and ALL right-to-lifers are bloody-handed accessories. Swear it, believe it, proclaim it, and act on it."

While the blog has been closed to uninvited readers, a Feb. 10 Google cache reveals a "Prayer for Safety" in the blog sidebar asking for the protection of Princeton professor Robert P. George and Priests for Life president Fr. Frank Pavone. It asks that God keep them safe "from terror and from assassination, so long as Dr. Leroy Carhart remains safe and un-terrorized, and not one second longer."

Fr. Pavone became the first full-time director of Priests for Life in 1993. Prof. George is Princeton's McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence and co-authored "Embryo: A Defense of Human Life" which argues for the personhood of the human being from the moment of conception onward.

Source: CNA

U.S. Senate to Vote on Pro-Life Policies

U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., has introduced the Senate companion to H.R. 3, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act. S. 906 is identical to the bill approved by the U.S. House last week.

The bill, which would convert some pro-life policies — also known as riders — into law, has 22 Republican co-sponsors.

S. 906 would prohibit taxpayer subsidies for abortion and abortion insurance coverage; currently a patchwork of such policies must be approved annually. The bill also would codify conscience protections for health care workers who object to abortion and other actions.

"The passage of the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act with a strong, bipartisan majority of House members is a crucial step forward and one we hope to replicate in the Senate," Wicker said. "Our goal is to codify in a single federal act a policy that has been endorsed again and again by the Congress and which has overwhelming public support — that of withholding taxpayer funding of abortion."

TAKE ACTION
Please ask your U.S. senators to support S. 906.
Click here for Senator contact information.

Source: CitizenLink

Majority of IL congressional delegation votes to end taxpayer funding of abortions

Wednesday, the U.S. House voted to eliminate taxpayer funding of abortions, and the Illinois delegation overwhelmingly supported HR 3.

Those Republican members of the Illinois House delegation voting "Yes" to stop federal tax dollars paying for abortions were: Judy Biggert, Bob Dold, Randy Hultgren, Tim Johnson, Adam Kinzinger, Don Manzullo, Peter Roskam, Aaron Schock, John Shimkus, Bobby Schilling and Joe Walsh.

House Democrats voting "Yes" were Jerry Costello and Dan Lipinski.

Those Illinois House member voting to continue taxpayer funding of abortions were Democrats Danny Davis, Luis Gutierrez, Bobby Rush, Jan Schakowsky, Mike Quigley and Jesse Jackson Jr.

Source: Illinois Review

Johnson & Johnson's Sales of Cancer-Causing Birth Control Pills Comparable to Tobacco Industry's Corporate Greed, Says Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer

"Real hatred of women involves their exploitation through sales of cancer-causing hormonal contraceptive steroids," Karen Malec, president of the Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer.

The Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer condemns Johnson & Johnson's and its shareholders' decision to continue selling cancer-causing birth control pills to young women instead of protecting their lives and striving to reduce breast cancer rates.

On April 28, 2011, Dr. Chris Kahlenborn, a medical adviser for the Coalition, presented a resolution at a shareholder's meeting on behalf of a shareholder, Human Life International. The resolution proposed a change in J&J's policy -- that it would not discriminate in employment against breast cancer survivors, including those voicing opposition to the sale of the pill. Shareholders rejected the proposal after J&J's board sent a message saying they "did not believe the resolution is necessary."

World Health Organization scientists' research and a meta-analysis in Mayo Clinic Proceedings show the pill is associated with cancers. [1,2] Use of the pill has been linked to the deadly triple-negative breast cancer. [3]

Kahlenborn's testimony is available here.

"Over 260,000 American women will be diagnosed with breast cancer (in situ and invasive cases) this year," said Mrs. Malec. "J&J's corporate greed is comparable to that of the tobacco industry. How does J&J CEO William Weldon sleep at night?"

Contact: Karen Malec
Source: Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer

Watch Some Great Pro-Life Speeches on the House Floor

Yesterday in the debate over H.R. 3, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, several House lawmakers offered great pro-life speeches. You can watch them here.   One major component of this bill is that it would keep federal funding from going toward abortion (except in rare Medicaid cases of rape, incest and when the mother's life is in danger).

Those lawmakers who spoke up on the Floor in favor of H.R. 3 should be thanked.

In particular, Rep. Chris Smith from New Jersey spoke on the fact that when public funding for abortion is not available, children have a greater chance at survival. He mentions that in 2009, the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute released this statistic:

Approximately one fourth [25%] of women who would have Medicaid-funded abortions instead give birth when this funding is unavailable.

Doesn't that encourage you? It does me. The argument's been made that changing laws doesn't make a difference and we should work to change hearts and minds instead. Well, keeping Medicaid funding from paying for abortion apparently changes the minds (even if it's a "forced" change) of  25 percent of women who planned to have abortions on the taxpayer dime. Put another way: no Medicaid funding for abortion means more babies get a chance at life.

Even if it was just one baby, isn't that worth it?

If the senators who are up for reelection in 2012 choose to disregard innocent preborn life by killing pro-life legislation during their time in office, then one way to hold them accountable is to show their pro-abortion votes to their constituents and argue that they shouldn't be re-elected.  Pretty simple.

Contact: Ashley Horne
Source: Citizenlink

Federal indictment for 'pro-choice terrorist'

An abortion advocate jailed in New York on charges of terroristic threats against pro-life leaders has been indicted.
 
The FBI has charged 49-year-old Theodore Shulman with six counts of communicating interstate threats against pro-lifers.

"Finally, this self-called 'pro-choice terrorist,' Ted Shulman, has been indicted for several death threats against pro-life leaders, including myself, and...he will probably spend a very long time behind bars," reports Operation Rescue's Troy Newman. "I hope it sends a clear message to those who perpetrate violence against peaceful, non-violent pro-life people."

And Newman notes numerous violent incidents directed at pro-lifers nationwide, including "the death of Jim Pouillion two years ago, the throwing of rocks [and] Molotov cocktails, the crashing of windows, our office was broken into [and] assaults on pro-lifers around the country."

So the Operation Rescue president is hopeful that the latest incident will encourage federal authorities and others to start taking the issue seriously and understand that those in the movement deserve the same protection awarded to anyone else.

Contact: Charlie Butts
Source: OneNewsNow

Abortion funding ban appears stymied

Legislation to institute a government-wide ban on federal funds for abortion appears destined to advance no further despite gaining a comfortable victory in the U.S. House of Representatives May 4.

The House voted 251-175 for the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, H.R. 3, with the majority consisting of all 235 Republicans who cast votes and 16 Democrats.

The bill would serve to standardize bans on abortion funding that now exist in various federal programs and make certain the prohibition extends to all agencies. It would make those bans permanent, eliminating a system in which many of them have to be reauthorized each year. The prohibition also would apply to last year's health-care reform law, which authorizes federal subsidies for insurance plans that cover abortion. In addition, it would establish conscience clause protections for pro-life, health-care providers.

The legislation, however, faces likely defeat in the Senate, where Democrats and abortion-rights advocates maintain control. Pro-life Sen. Roger Wicker, R.-Miss., introduced his chamber's version of the bill May 5.

Even if it were to survive the Senate, President Obama appears certain to veto it. The White House released a statement May 2 saying it opposes the bill and the president would be advised to use his veto power to thwart it.

In spite of the measure's seemingly doomed future in this congressional session, the House's action marked a significant milestone in the effort to provide taxpayers with permanent protection from underwriting abortions. It marked the first time the House had voted on the proposal, and it came only after the Republicans gained the majority in the 2010 election.

"Elections have consequences," said Southern Baptist ethicist Richard Land. "The American people elected the most pro-life House since Roe v. Wade last November, and this is one of the many positive results that will defend our unborn citizens' right to exist."

Land, the president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), said children conceived by mothers in poverty "have a better chance of being born when this legislation is passed than they did before. That's good news for America and certainly good news for those children."

In a May 3 letter, Land told selected House members the ERLC finds it "unconscionable that a single taxpayer dollar be funneled to abortion." The legislation's enactment would mean "concerns on abortion funding would be significantly abated," he said.

Other pro-lifers also applauded the House action. Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, said in a written statement, "Compelling American taxpayers to hand over their hard earned dollars to pay for abortions can't be justified, especially at a time when our country is facing an economic meltdown brought on by a failure to stop the out-of-control spending in Washington."

Rep. Chris Smith, R.-N.J., the bill's chief sponsor, asked during debate: "Want to reduce abortions? End public funding.

"There is no doubt whatsoever that ending public funding for abortions saves lives."

Smith cited an estimate that the Hyde Amendment had saved the lives of more than one million unborn children since it was first enacted in 1976. The Hyde Amendment bars Medicaid and other funding through the annual Labor and Health and Human Services spending bill from paying for abortions. The Guttmacher Institute, Smith said, reported about one-fourth of women who would have used Medicaid funds for abortion have given birth instead because of Hyde.

Among its policies, the House-passed legislation would halt the Internal Revenue Service's allowance of "tax favored treatment for abortions" under itemized deductions, health savings accounts and other accounts, Smith said.

Abortion-rights organizations decried the House vote.

Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the country's leading abortion provider, "is outraged," said Cecile Richards, the organization's president. The measure would increase taxes on individuals and small businesses because it eliminates deductions for medical costs that include abortion, Planned Parenthood charged.

Smith's office said, however, the legislation would not cause taxes to be raised unless a person or business "is so committed to abortion that they would rather pay more in taxes than choose a plan that does not cover abortion."

Richards called it "a dangerous bill that goes far beyond any other proposal ever introduced in Congress to take comprehensive health care coverage away from women." She expressed confidence, however, in the willingness of the Senate and Obama to reject the measure.

The House-passed legislation includes exceptions for abortions in cases of a danger to the mother's life and pregnancy by rape or incest.

In addition to the Hyde Amendment, the bill would cover such bans currently in individual federal programs as the:

-- Helms Amendment, which bars foreign aid funds from being used for abortion as a method of family planning;

-- Smith Amendment, which prohibits federal money from paying for elective abortions as part of the health benefits program for federal employees;

-- Dornan Amendment, which bans federal funds, as well as congressionally approved local ones, from paying for elective abortions in the District of Columbia.

Rep. Dan Lipinski of Illinois is the lead Democratic cosponsor of the bill.

In addition to Lipinski, the other Democrats who voted for the ban were Reps. Jason Altmire of Pennsylvania, Dan Boren of Oklahoma, Jerry Costello of Illinois, Mark Critz of Pennsylvania, Henry Cuellar of Texas, Joe Donnelly of Indiana, Tim Holden of Pennsylvania, Marcy Kaptur of Ohio, Dale Kildee of Michigan, Jim Matheson of Utah, Mike McIntyre of North Carolina, Collin Peterson of Minnesota, Nick Rahall of West Virginia, Mike Ross of Arkansas and Heath Shuler of North Carolina.

Public opinion surveys during the last two years have shown more than 60 percent of Americans oppose federal funds for abortion or subsidies for abortion coverage.

Contact: Tom Strode
Source: Baptist Press

Justice for ND 88 Pro-Live Activists!

Today, May 5th, Michael Dvorak, St. Joseph County, Indiana prosecutor, dismissed the criminal trespass charges that he has pressed over the last two years against almost all of the pro-life protesters, known as the "ND88," the individuals arrested for trespassing when they entered upon Notre Dame's campus in peaceful and prayerful protest against the University's bestowing honors on President Barack Obama at the 2009 Commencement.  Dvorak dropped the charges as part of an agreement between the Thomas More Society and the University.

"This is a big step forward and a victory for the pro-life cause," said Tom Brejcha, president and chief counsel of the Thomas More Society and a 1965 Notre Dame graduate.  "We are appreciative of the steps that Notre Dame has taken, including successive visits by University President John Jenkins, C.S.C., and other campus leaders to the March for Life in Washington, D.C., both in 2010 and 2011, to mark the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, and the creation of new and significant pro-life initiatives on campus. Those who share pro-life convictions may differ on tactics and approaches, but they best serve their sacred cause when they work together to secure the common good for all human beings, born and unborn alike, rather than carrying on as courtroom antagonists."

Tom Dixon, South Bend, Indiana attorney and Thomas More Society special counsel, had led the defense over the last two years, during which the parties engaged in vigorous litigation, including extensive discovery proceedings.

The parties remain in profound disagreement over the 2009 Commencement, but after prayerful consideration they have decided to put their differences behind them, to cease battling in court, and rather to affirm a commitment to the fundamental proposition that each and every human life is sacred, from conception until natural death, no matter whether rich or poor, humble or exalted, wanted or "unwanted."

Moreover, both parties have pledged not to rehash the events of the past, but on the contrary, to recognize each other's pro-life efforts and to work together to find ways to increase those efforts and maximize their impact on the nation's contentious, ongoing debate over abortion policy.

Source: Thomas More Society

Abortion 'right' a high priority

According to one conservative advocate, abortion is a prominent issue on the agenda for the United Nations Commission on Population and Development (CPD).
 
Samantha Singson of the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute (C-FAM) says the battle at this year's commission -- the theme of which is "Fertility, Reproductive Health and Development" -- is once again over what is described as a woman's "right" to abortion.

"The agenda of this meeting is more about reducing fertility...than focusing on some of the other demographic problems [that] attributed to low fertility, which a lot of countries, especially in Europe, are experiencing at the moment," she explains.

So rather than dealing with the end result of a population shortage, she argues delegates seem to be more concerned with promoting an agenda worldwide.

"They seem more interested in promoting condom distribution or legalizing abortion...than putting in development policies for countries [that] are not experiencing high fertility," Singson laments.

Low fertility rates in European countries means a graying population and fewer workers, which she says obligates those countries to permit a higher level of immigration. For example, China's one-child policy, which includes forced abortion and sterilization, has led to those problems as well as a shortage of women in that country.

Contact: Charlie Butts
Source: OneNewsNow

Appeals Court Allows Federal Embryonic Stem Cell Funding to Continue

In a 2-1 decision, a federal Appeals Court has ruled that federal taxpayer funding can continue for human embryonic stem cell research. The decision vacated a preliminary injunction that had been issued by Judge Lamberth of the U.S. District Court in August 2010; that preliminary injunction had been put on hold with a temporary stay last Fall. Today's split decision by the appeals panel to vacate the preliminary injunction was made after considering arguments from both sides, given in December 2010.

The opinion on the appeal as well as the dissenting opinion are available online. (PDF)

Judge Lamberth has yet to issue a decision on the merits of the original lawsuit, so today's decision by the appeals court is only one aspect of the overall case. And according to an updated story from Nature, attorneys for Drs. Sherley & Deisher are "considering asking the Court of Appeals to reconsider the preliminary injunction's merits en banc, meaning that all 13 judges on the court would consider it."

Abortionsafety.com: New website to document safety records of abortion clinics and doctors

You've likely seen a new ad on our home page, as showcased above, with a link to AbortionSafety.com/donors.

The ad is sponsored by Secular ProLife, which plans to launch a new website called AbortionSafety.com in November.  At present the group is seeking donations from the pro-life community to help.

Kelsey Hazzard of SPL explained to me via email:

SecularProLife.org has been around for 2 years, networking and blogging and spreading our message. We feel we're finally in a position where we can directly serve women in crisis pregnancies….

A team of 9 pro-life activists – primarily students, some who've worked with SPL in the past and others who haven't – will be doing research on abortion malpractice cases…. We'll compile information from news reports, court documents, health authority rulings, etc., enlisting the help of local pro-life activists….

The website will be very user-friendly, allowing women to search by the name of the abortionist, the name of the abortion facility, and by state. Each entry will provide a narrative summary of the abortionist's misdeeds, and link to source documents…. The site will also contain a page that goes into more detail about abortion risks and alternatives.

Kelsey adds, "The underlying assumption is that if women actually knew what some of these abortionists had in their pasts, they'd have to be crazy to keep their appointment!"

Contact: Kel
Source: JillStanek.com

State of Health Insurance Abortion Coverage in the States

An overwhelming majority of Americans oppose using taxpayer money to fund abortion.  When asked specifically if they supported or opposed the use of public funds to provide coverage for abortion in health insurance plans created by Obamacare, 72% of Americans were in opposition!  Only 23% percent supported publicly funded abortion coverage in insurance plans, and 5% did not know (Quinnipiac 2009).

In an effort to reflect the will of the people, 9 state governments have passed laws (and at least 16 more have pending legislation) prohibiting the coverage of abortion in any of the state insurance exchange programs instituted by Obamacare.

Several states have gone beyond this and restricted or proposed legislation restricting abortion coverage in all health insurance plans (public and private) except through the optional purchase of a rider.

In addition, several states which have not completely restricted abortion coverage in all insurance plans have restricted it in state-funded (read: taxpayer-funded) insurance plans.

The following map will give you a clear picture of the state of abortion coverage in insurance across the states:

 =  AL (SB183, SB202 and HB 558), AR (SB113), FL (H97 and S1414), GA (SB4 and SB29), IA (HF576, HSB57, and SF38), IN (SB116), KS (HB2292, HB2377), MI (HB4143 and HB4147), (MT SB176), NE (LB22 and LB132), NJ (A3085), OH (HB79), OR (HB3600), PA (SB3), SC (H3406 and S102), TX (HB552, HB636, HB1816, HB3112, HB3419 and SB404)

 = AL (SB201, SB281 and HB557), IN (SB241), KS (HB2292, HB2377), MI (HB4143 and HB4147),  MN (Only state-funded insurance: HF201, SF103), NE (LB22), OR (HB3600), SC (H3406), TX (SB404)

Contact: Brianna Walden
Source: FRC BLog

Futile Care Theory: Baby Joseph’s Father Wants Answers

Baby Joseph is home, and apparently not as unconscious as the London hospital representative stated. From the story:

Baby Joseph napping at home in his crib on Easter Sunday is all the proof his father needs that his Ontario doctors were wrong. Only months ago, the fate of 15-month-old Joseph Maraachli was a question mark. Doctors at London Health Sciences Centre in London, Ont., sought to take the infant off life support as he battled a progressive neurological disease. But on Sunday, the round-cheeked baby was home in Windsor, resting in a cradle packed with plush toys. Now and then he opened his eyes or wriggled a little, or moved his arms beneath father Moe Maraachli's occasional touches and kisses. When Maraachli held out a finger at one point, Joseph's own stubby fingers curled around it.

Love. Comfort. Touch. These are important to every baby.

Joseph's father wants answers:

"I feel victorious," Maraachli said, smiling broadly as he stood by Joseph's crib. "I feel I won and my baby's alive." But he's also been left with questions about why he and wife Sana Nader had to go to the U.S. for help. "That's what makes me mad," he said. "Why I have to travel to St. Louis?"

That's a good and important question. Joseph clearly was not on the verge of death when the hospitals wanted him off life support and refused a tracheotomy.  The tracheotomy obviously provided him great benefit, and in fact, is apparently a normal palliative procedure in cases such as this.  Indeed, he's off of machines and home where he can die peacefully in his own time.

So, why was Joseph and the family treated so badly? Why did the family have to go the USA to obtain proper care for their baby? Will Canada Medicare pay for the procedure that so clearly should have been provided to Joseph in his home hospital?

Don't expect answers to come readily. I have noticed that when a case goes against what the futilitarians predicted, they generally hide behind closed doors–until the next time they boldly assert that wanted, efficacious treatment for a dying or profoundly disabled patient is "inappropriate." That shouldn't be allowed to happen.  The Canadian authorities should investigate.

Perhaps a good place to start to right the wrong would be a sincere apology from Joseph's doctors and the hospital administration to the family.

Contact: Wesley J. Smith

U.S. House to Vote on No Taxpayer Funding For Abortion Act!

The U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled to take up a major pro-life bill -- the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act (H.R. 3) -- on or about Wednesday, May 4, 2011.  National Right to Life urges you to promptly contact the office of your representative in the U.S. House, to urge him or her to support H.R. 3, and to oppose all amendments that may be offered by opponents of the bill.

Currently, there is a patchwork of different federal laws that restrict federal funding of abortion.  However, many of these restrictions (such as the well-known Hyde Amendment, which applies to the federal Medicaid program) expire every year -- which forces the pro-life side to re-fight the same battles in Congress, year after year.  Moreover, in a number of federal programs -- notably, some major new programs created by the massive Obama health care law in 2010 -- federal subsidies for abortion are currently permissible under law.  H.R. 3 would replace this leaky patchwork with a permanent, government-wide prohibition on federal funding of abortion and federal subsidies for health plans that cover abortion.

The No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act is sponsored by Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Congressman Dan Lipinski (D-Il.), the co-chairs of the House Pro-Life Caucus.  To see an always-current list of co-sponsors of the bill, click here.

Please contact your U.S. House member today!  (Preferably, during business hours.)  In this alert, use the link that says "Take Action!"  After you enter your zip code on the next page, you will see a suggested e-mail to your representative that you can modify as you see fit.
    
Take Action, click here