Center for Medical Progress' lawyers turn over unedited videos to Congress

Unedited videos recorded by Center for Medical Progress' David Daleiden will be in the hands of a congressional oversight committee as soon as Thursday, the group's Chicago-based lawyers said Wednesday. The group's unedited footage of encounters with Planned Parenthood has been subpoenaed by The U.S. House's Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

The Center said it will provide the requested videos, except for those that are being restrained by court order in California's Northern District Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Thomas More Society, the Center's legal representation, says they are appealing in order to get the censured videos to Congress.

"We have respectfully contended in Federal Court, both before the Northern District of California and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, that this Order is an illegal 'prior restraint' that violates CMP’s right to free speech under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution,and its California analog," the letter says. "We have also respectfully contended that this Order cannot apply to subpoenas from law enforcement agencies or the U.S. Congress."

Click here for the originating article from Illinois Review.

National Life Chain Sunday 2015 -- October 4

On Sunday afternoon, October 4,  Life Chains will again occupy U.S. and Canadian sidewalks. There we will pray and witness on behalf of voiceless fellow citizens—the precious Preborns imperiled by surgical mutilation and abortive birth controls. Each participant will hold a Life message (sign), and www.LifeChain.net will again post the location and time of each Chain.

On October 4, let us remember the videos God produced through the Center for Medical Progress. Therein God revealed the abhorrent "face of abortion" through the deceptive and barbarous mind of Planned Parenthood. But God revealed more. To the church in America, Canada, and the other Western nations, especially, He revealed, as noted above, the horrid evil that we have shielded for decades evil that He commanded us to "expose" and "hate."

Click here for Illinois Locations.

Click here for the originating article from Christian Newswire.

Majority of U.S. Senate votes to advance Pain-Capable Child Protection Act, but Democrats block consideration

A majority of the U.S. Senate today voted to advance the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (H.R. 36), but on a near party-line vote, a minority blocked consideration of the bill.

Fifty-four (54) senators (51 Republicans and three Democrats) voted to take the bill up for debate, but 60 votes were required. The motion was opposed by 42 senators (two Republicans and 40 Democrats), with four senators absent (one Republican and three Democrats).

The bill would extend federal protections to unborn children who have reached 20 weeks fetal age (22 weeks of pregnancy), with certain exceptions, and to babies who are born alive during late abortions. The bill was developed from model legislation offered by National Right to Life in 2010,enacted thus far in 12 states. The legislation passed the U.S. House of Representatives on May 13, 242-184.

Click here for the originating article from NRL News Today.

ACTION ALERT - Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act

U.S. Senate to vote Sept. 22 on Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act!

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) will force a Senate vote on the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (H.R. 36) on Tuesday, September 22.

This legislation would extend general protection to unborn children nationwide beginning at 20 weeks fetal age, based on congressional recognition that by this point in development, if not earlier, the unborn child is capable of experiencing pain during an abortion.

The legislation is based on an NRLC-originated model bill that has been enacted in 12 states.

H.R. 36 already passed the House of Representatives on May 13, 2015, by a vote of 242-184.  H.R. 36 is nearly identical to a Senate companion bill, S. 1553, sponsored by Senator Lindsay Graham (R-SC)

Click here to take action now!

Roskam: I Will Always Stand for Life

Congressman Peter Roskam (IL-06), a member of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, released the following statement after House passage of H.R. 3134, the Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2015, and H.R. 3504, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. Roskam helped introduce the Defund Planned Parenthood Act in July following the release of multiple videos of senior Planned Parenthood officials discussing the trafficking of fetal body parts.

“We must remain vigilant in our fight to protect the most vulnerable among us—those infants and the unborn who are unable to protect themselves. The horrific Planned Parenthood practices exposed in recent weeks brings a renewed urgency to this issue. These bills are an important step forward in defense of life, and I will always stand for life.”

Roskam also spoke on the House floor in support of the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act.



Click here for the originating article from Illinois Review.

GOP Congressman Bob Dold votes against, Democrat Lipinski for defunding Planned Parenthood

Illinois Congressman Bob Dold (IL-10) split with House Republicans Friday and voted to keep sending federal taxpayer dollars to Planned Parenthood. Congressman Dan Lipinski was one of three Democrats that voted to stop sending funds to Planned Parenthood.

The 241 to 187 House vote included three Republicans voting against stripping the funding while 183 Democrats voted against it.

After undercover videos showed Planned Parenthood officials admitting that numerous affiliates sell body parts from human babies aborted in their clinics, several states launched investigations into whether the illegal practice were taking place in their jurisdictions. So far, South Carolina, Tennessee, Massachusetts, Kansas, Missouri, Indiana, Tennessee, Ohio, Georgia, Texas and Louisiana have initiated investigations in Planned Parenthood's practices.

Illinois has not moved to investigate or defund its 21 Planned Parenthood clinics.

Click here for the originating article from Illinois Review.

Pro-Lifers Feeling Betrayed by Sen. Kirk's Refusal to Defund Planned Parenthood

Life activists are putting pressure on U.S. Senator Mark Kirk and other members of Congress to end the 500 million dollar plus taxpayer subsidy to Planned Parenthood.

During a news conference in downtown Chicago, lawmakers were also encouraged to pass a bill that would ban late term abortions.



Click here for the originating article from Illinois Review.

Both Pro-Life Bills pass the U.S. House!

Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act

H.R. 3504 enacts an explicit requirement that a baby born alive during an abortion must be afforded “the same degree” of care that would apply “to any other child born alive at the same gestational age,” including transportation to a hospital.  In addition, the bill applies the existing penalties of 18 U.S.C. Sec. 1111 (the federal murder statute) to anyone who performs “an overt act that kills a child born alive.”  This would apply, for example, to an abortion clinic staff person who dissects a breathing born-alive infant in order to harvest an intact liver, or to an abortionist who ends a born-alive baby’s whimpers with a sharp blow to the skull, or by snipping the spine.  In addition, the bill would empower women who are harmed by violations of the act to sue abortionists or other persons, or organizations, who are responsible for the harm.


Defund Planned Parenthood

H.R. 3134 - A bill proposed by Congresswoman Diane Black (R-Tn.) would place a moratorium on federal funding to the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.  We strongly supported passage of Congresswoman Black's bill.

Sen. Mike Lee's Senate Speech on Planned Parenthood

U.S. Sen. Mike Lee’s eloquent speech on Planned Parenthood in the Senate last week deserves wide distribution.  Here is a short excerpt; speaking of the videos released by the Center for Medical Progress, the Senator said:

The evidence points to only one conclusion: Planned Parenthood really does these horrifying things—and makes money at it, and laughs about it over lunch.  But aside from the primary evidence, Mr. President, do you know how else we know it’s true?

Because if it were false, we would know for sure. The mainstream media—Big Abortion’s loudest shoe-banger of them all—would be thundering Planned Parenthood’s vindication from every headline, every home page, every network satellite. If the videos were false, Mr. President—if a pro-life group somehow fabricated this narrative of Planned Parenthood’s greed, barbarism, and cruelty—it would be a story.

Who are we kidding? It would be the story: a career-making scoop, with fame and Pulitzer Prizes and lucrative book deals and speaking tours awaiting the journalist who broke it. And yet, if you open a newspaper, click on the legacy media sites, and turn on the news… nothing. The major networks have gone dark on the videos over the last month. And major newspapers have scrubbed the scandal from their front pages.

Why the silence? Simple. They know it’s true, too.

Click here for the originating article from the FRC Blog.

Planned Parenthood exec says some affiliates are paid for baby body parts

The Center for Medical Progress released its 10th undercover video Tuesday, and it features conversations with several Planned Parenthood officials that are cautious about discussing baby body parts procurement, but admit that such an exchange is "valid," and from which some affiliates generate "a considerable amount of income."

The video features multiple Planned Parenthood executives: Dr. Carolyn Westhoff, Senior Medical Advisor; Dr. Vanessa Cullins, Vice President for External Medical Affairs; and Deborah VanDerhei, National Director for the Consortium of Abortion Providers (CAPS).

If it became known that the activity was going on, it would be a public relations disaster - "think New York Times headline" - one official said on the video.



Click here for the originating article from Live Action News.

Congress, courts clash in legal battle over release of undercover Planned Parenthood videos

A federal appeals court has barred a district court judge from issuing an injunction to stop the release of undercover videos by the Center for Medical Progress (CMP), the group that has exposed the Planned Parenthood scandal.

In July, Judge William Orrick issued a temporary restraining order against the release of CMP videos of a meeting organized by the National Abortion Federation. That temporary order remains in effect, but CMP won a partial victory when the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the Judge Orrick could not issue an injunction to extend the order indefinitely. The appeals court also ruled that Judge Orrick could not require CMP to disclose information about its videos to the National Abortion Federation.

In a related development, a Congressional committee moved to circumvent the restraining order on the CMP videos by issuing a subpoena for all of the undercover footage. The subpoena from the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee would force disclosure of the footage that the restraining order has blocked from public release.

Click here for the originating article from Catholic World News.

Chicago attorney says government trying to destroy videographer who exposed Planned Parenthood

Planned Parenthood supporters in positions of government power are looking to jail and financially destroy the producer of the undercover sting videos that have brought attention to the abortion giant's illegal practices, a pro-life lawyer claims.

Tom Brejcha, an attorney for the Chicago-based Thomas More Society, says anti-abortion activist and Center For Medical Progress founder David Daleiden is facing aggressive lawsuits for his undercover investigation of Planned Parenthood, and their end goal is to put him in jail and "destroy him financially."

Brejcha said that while abortion groups are pursuing aggressive lawsuits against Daleiden, President Barack Obama's Department of Justice "is waiting in the wings to pounce on David." Brejcha added that the California Attorney General's office is no friend of the right to life movement and have launched their own investigation of Daleiden and the Center for Medical Progress.

Click here for the originating article from Illinois Review.

U.S. House to vote Friday Sept. 18 on protecting born-alive infants!

On Friday, September 18, 2015, the U.S. House of Representatives will vote on a new and important pro-life bill -- the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act (H.R. 3504), sponsored by Congressman Trent Franks (R-Az.).  National Right to Life is calling for immediate enactment of this urgently needed legislation.

H.R. 3504 would enact an explicit requirement that a baby born alive during an abortion must be afforded “the same degree” of care that would apply “to any other child born alive at the same gestational age,” including transportation to a hospital.  In addition, the bill applies the existing penalties of 18 U.S.C. Sec. 1111 (the federal murder statute) to anyone who performs “an overt act that kills a child born alive.”  This would apply, for example, to an abortion clinic staff person who dissects a breathing born-alive infant in order to harvest an intact liver, or to an abortionist who ends a born-alive baby’s whimpers with a sharp blow to the skull, or by snipping the spine.  In addition, the bill would empower women who are harmed by violations of the act to sue abortionists or other persons, or organizations, who are responsible for the harm.

Click here to take action now!

ACTION ALERT - U.S. House to vote Sept. 17 or 18 on Defund Planned Parenthood Act!

The U.S. House of Representatives will vote on Sept. 17 or 18 on the Defund Planned Parenthood Act (H.R. 3134), sponsored by Rep. Diane Black (R-Tn.).  We strongly support this legislation.  The bill would place a moratorium on federal funding to all affiliates of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA), which is the nation's largest abortion provider, performing more than one-third of all of the abortions in the U.S.

Click here to send a message to your representative in the U.S. House in support of the bill.

Office Depot reverses course, offers to print copies of “A Prayer for the Conversion of Planned Parenthood”

As you recall, both a company spokesman and the company’s Assistant General Counsel said Office Depot was within its rights to refuse Maria Goldstein’s request that it run off 500 copies of “A Prayer for the Conversion of Planned Parenthood” that she intended to distribute at her parish the following Sunday. Ms. Goldstein said the company had discriminated against her based on her religious beliefs as a sincere Catholic.

But by Friday night Roland Smith, chairman and chief executive officer of Office Depot, issued a statement in which Smith wrote, “We sincerely apologize to Ms. (Maria) Goldstein for her experience and our initial reaction was not at all related to her religious beliefs. We invite her to return to Office Depot if she still wishes to print the flyer.”

However, note that Smith’s statement began by saying its initial refusal last month was based “on the fact that it contained certain words and phrases that could be construed as graphic or advocates the persecution of groups of people, which is a violation of the company’s copy and print policy. Office Depot has long maintained a policy of not allowing associates to print items that violate copyright laws, advocate persecution of any group or contain graphic material. Upon a more detailed review, we have determined that the content of Ms. Goldstein’s flyer is not a clear violation of the company’s policy.”

Click here for the originating article from NRL News Today.

Pro-Life Activist Leaders Ask for No Legislation that Funds Planned Parenthood

Over 20 national pro-life activist leaders send Speaker Boehner letter asking that no legislation will pass House that funds Planned Parenthood.

An excerpt from the letter:

"Mr. Speaker, we are looking to you and the Republican members of the House of Representatives to embrace the 'Culture of Life' by courageously voting to defund Planned Parenthood and assuring the public that Planned Parenthood will not get even one penny of taxpayer money.  This would involve not just passing a bill to defund Planned Parenthood; it would include giving Americans the assurance that no piece of legislation that funds this corrupt organization will pass the House."

Link to the full letter

Rev. Patrick, Director of the Christian Defense Coalition in Washington, D.C., states;

"We are calling upon Speaker Boehner to embrace social justice and human rights for all and give public assurances that no piece of legislation will pass the House that funds Planned Parenthood.

"Recent Planned Parenthood expose videos have revealed what we have known for years. That is, Planned Parenthood has no regard for human life and treats women as a commodity.  Speaker Boehner we do not need a pro-life President to defund Planned Parenthood but rather courageous, moral and principled Republican leadership."

Click here for the originating article from Christian Newswire.

U.S. House and Senate to consider major pro-life bills before the end of September

The majority Republican leadership of the U.S. House announced that the House will be on September 17 or 18 — on two pro-life bills.

* A bill proposed by Congresswoman Diane Black (R-Tn.) would place a moratorium on federal funding to the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. National Right to Life will strongly support passage of Congresswoman Black’s bill.

The second bill, the “Born-Aliv e Abortion Survivors Protection Act,” sponsored by Congressman Trent Franks (R-Az.), is a new proposal that would provide strong new protections for babies born alive during induced abortions — backed by stringent federal criminal penalties and civil remedies. There is substantial evidence that some abortion providers do not treat such born-alive infants as legally protected persons, and although in theory they are protected by state homicide laws, enforcement of such laws in the abortion context is rare. Longstanding concerns about the fate of infants born alive during abortions have been revived by troubling passages in the hidden-camera videos released by the Center for Medical Progress, some of which were cited by NRLC General Counsel James Bopp, Jr., during his September 9 testimony before the House Judiciary Committee. NRLC will strongly support the “Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act.”

In addition, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has indicated that he will soon — quite likely, before the end of September — force a Senate vote on the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (S. 1553). This legislation is based on a model bill originated by NRLC in 2010, which has since been enacted in 12 states. The House of Representatives passed this legislation on May 13, by a vote of 242-184. The upcoming Senate vote will be the first time that the Senate has cast a vote on limiting late abortions since 2003, when the Senate gave final approval to the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act.

Click here for the originating article from National Right to Life.

Darin LaHood wins Illinois Special Election

On September 10, 2015, IFRL-PAC and National Right to Life endorsed state Senator Darin LaHood (R) soundly won the special election to fill the remainder of the term of Rep. Aaron Schock (R), who resigned in March.

Senator LaHood, the Republican nominee, and Rob Mellon, the Democratic nominee, won the July 7, 2015, special primary election. Two Democrats and three Republicans originally vied for the seat.

Congressman-elect Darin LaHood defeated Rob Mellon (D), an Army veteran and high school teacher, with 68% of the vote.

Click here for the originating article from NRL News Today

Duckworth focuses on free birth control as major U.S. Senate issue

Monday, Duckworth, who's planning to challenge U.S. Senator Mark Kirk in 2016, sent out the following appeal Tuesday morning defending Planned Parenthood, despite nine undercover videos showing how the taxpayer-funded clinics sell aborted baby body parts for research:

With extremist Republicans threatening to shut down the government this month over Planned Parenthood funding, it’s obvious that the right-wing’s assault on women’s health isn’t going to stop anytime soon. 

Here’s their latest trick: urging the FDA to make birth control accessible without a prescription…but without preserving the Affordable Care Act’s requirement that birth control be available without a co-pay. 

Click here for the originating article from Illinois Review

Illinois Pastors call on Governor Rauner to end taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood

A group of Illinois pastors is urging fellow Illinoisans to call on Governor Rauner and state legislators to stop sending their tax dollars to Planned Parenthood with a video they released this week.

Called the "Christian Emergency League," following the lead of German pastor Diedrich Bonhoeffer that called the Nazis into account for their evil deeds, says they are stepping up because Republicans, conservative leaders and pro-life activists continue to remain silent and not hold the governor or state lawmakers accountable for continuing to send millions to Planned Parenthood, despite the revelation of clinics selling aborted baby body parts for medical research.

Despite claiming to have "no social agenda," Rauner has signed into law bills implementing a liberal social agenda. "It is evil to fund Planned Parenthood's practices,' the video says, and quoting Bonhoeffer, "Silence in the face of evil is in itself evil."



Click here for the originating article from Illinois Review