Vision 2020 - Week 2: Rep. Michael J. Madigan and Rep. Sara Feigenholtz

The Illinois Federation for Right to Life is proud to partner with Vision 2020 in prayer for our Illinois legislators.  Please remember to pray each week in  support of those who fight for life and for a change of heart for those who oppose life.

CALLING ALL PRAYER WARRIORS

- Join us in praying for our state legislators

We would like to invite you to join us in praying for our state legislators.  We will send out information about a couple different state representatives each week for you to pray over.  

Consider sharing this information with your ministry partners, your church family, on your website and/or your Facebook page.  

We know that prayer changes things.  And we know that NOTHING is impossible with God. So let's join our hearts and voices together and petition heaven on behalf of the great state of Illinois!

Petitioning Heaven

Vision 2020 would like to invite you to join us in praying for our state legislators.  We will send out information about a couple different state representatives each week for you to pray over.  

Consider sharing this information with your ministry partners, your church family, on your website and/or your Facebook page.  

We know that prayer changes things.  And we know that NOTHING is impossible with God. So let's join our hearts and voices together and petition heaven on behalf of the great state of Illinois!

Rep. Michael J. Madigan
22nd District

Speaker of the House

Rep. Sara Feigenholtz
12th District
Sponsor for HB 40 

(Taxpayer Funding of Abortion)

And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith."Matthew 21:22

Ingenious device allow researchers to “read the minds” of complete locked-in syndrome patients who say they are happy

Kerstin Wirth, who has been completely paralyzed by ALS

‘Locked-in syndrome’ is a rare neurological disorder characterized by complete paralysis of voluntary muscles in all parts of the body except for those that control up and down eye movement. Patients can communicate by using simple blinking systems.

But complete locked-in syndrome [CLIS] patients–as was the case in a study the results of which were just published– have lost eye movement as well

In a groundbreaking experiment reported in the journal PLOS Biology, four complete locked-in patients “told doctors they are ‘happy’ using an astonishing new brain computer interface which deciphers their thoughts,” according to Daily Telegraph Science Editor Sarah Knapton. Although incapable of even moving their eyes, they “were able to respond with ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answers to spoken questions.”

Click here for more from National Right to Life.

Price and Mnuchin approved by Senate Finance Committee minus any participation by Democrats

Pro-life Senator Orrin Hatch

Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee decided to boycott confirmation hearings for HHS Secretary Rep. Tom Price and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin.

Earlier, both were endorsed without a dissenting vote by the committee. A change of strategy on the part of petulant Democrats? Actually, no.

According to the Washington Post, “The Republicans voted to temporarily suspend committee rules requiring at least one Democrat present to conduct business.”

Pro-life Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) is the committee chair and among the most amiable members of the Senate. Confrontational he is not.

But after Tuesday, he’d had enough. In a statement, Sen. Hatch said

“We took some unprecedented actions today due to the unprecedented obstruction on the part of our colleagues. As I noted earlier, the Senate Finance Committee has traditionally been able to function in even the most divisive political environments. Personally, as longtime member of this committee, I have been proud of that distinction. And, in my time as both Ranking Member and Chairman of this committee, I have bent over backwards to preserve its unique status as one of the few places where Republicans and Democrats not only work together, but achieve results. That all changed yesterday. Republicans on this committee showed up to do our jobs. Yesterday, rather than accept anything less than their desired outcome, our Democrat colleagues chose to cower in the hallway and hold a press conference. Now, I get that my colleagues think these nominees are controversial. I get that they don’t want to see them confirmed. We’ve all been in that situation. It comes part and parcel with the job of being a Senator. And, this is hardly the first time a nominee deemed to be controversial has come before this committee.”

Click here for more from National Right to Life.

Planned Parenthood caught on video: ‘We only do ultrasounds’ for abortion

Two new investigative videos from Live Action show Planned Parenthood uses its ultrasound technology for abortions, but not for women who want to continue their pregnancies and check the health of their babies.

Only three of the 68 Planned Parenthood centers visited by Live Action investigators were able to provide women with an ultrasound for a purpose other than abortion. This is because, in its employees' own words, Planned Parenthood only does ultrasounds "not related to prenatal care."

Video #1 Ultrasounds for Killing, Not Care, at Planned Parenthood



Video #2 Planned Parenthood Managers: Ultrasounds for Abortions, Not Health Care.



Click here for more from LifeSiteNews.com

National Right to Life Committee Commends President Trump For His Selection of Judge Neil Gorsuch as Successor to Justice Scalia

Judge Neil Gorsuch

The National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the federation of 50 state right-to-life affiliates, commended President Donald Trump for his selection of Judge Neil Gorsuch to fill the U.S. Supreme Court seat vacated by the February 2016 death of Justice Antonin Scalia.

“All too often, our efforts to protect unborn children and other vulnerable humans have been overridden by judges who believe they have a right to impose their own policy preferences,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “We are heartened that Judge Gorsuch appears to share Justice Scalia’s view that federal judges are constrained to enforce the text and original intent of constitutional provisions, and on all other matters should defer to democratically elected lawmakers.”

As a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit since 2006, Gorsuch has not reviewed any state or federal abortion laws. However, he showed support for conscience rights in two cases involving Obamacare mandates. He dissented from a ruling hostile to Utah’s attempts to curb funding for Planned Parenthood (Planned Parenthood Association of Utah v. Herbert). Gorsuch’s 2006 book The Future of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia argued against the legalization of assisted suicide, and defended the idea that “human life is fundamentally and inherently valuable, and that the intentional taking of human life by private persons is always wrong.”

“Pro-life legislators and activists nationwide can have high confidence that as a Supreme Court justice, Neil Gorsuch will not join those who have nullified past efforts to protect the lives of unborn children and other vulnerable humans,” said Douglas D. Johnson, Senior Policy Advisor for National Right to Life.

Eric Metaxas blasts media at March for Life: ‘You want to see the women of America? Here they are.’

 Eric Metaxas blasted the mainstream media at the March for Life for its bias against the pro-life movement, punctuating his brief address with the question: “ABC News, are you covering this?”

“The media in America has not told the other side of the story, that women have been the victims of abortion and that abortion hurts women,” Metaxas told the hundreds of thousands of people gathered at the Washington Mall for the 44th annual March for Life.

Click here for more from LifeSiteNews.com

Congressman to March for Life: Trump presidency ‘is the turning point for the right-to-life movement’

After a week of pro-life political victories that would have been unthinkable under the Obama administration, the House of Representatives is ready to go after Planned Parenthood, Chris Smith told the March for Life.

“This is the turning point for the right-to-life movement,” declared the New Jersey Republican Congressman, who is co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Pro-Life Caucus.

Click here for more from LifeSiteNews.com

“Life is winning again in America” VP Pence tells March for Life

By all accounts, attendance was huge. Certainly the atmosphere was optimistic, even celebratory. How could it not be with all that has taken place these last two and a half months, in addition to the stirring speeches from pro-life counselor to President Donald Trump and pro-life Vice President Mike Pence?

Between Facebook, various Hashtags, news accounts, and tweets, one conclusion would be hard to miss. For whatever reason (and we named a half- dozen possibilities earlier in the week), there’s been much more media attention paid to the March for Life, which first began the year after the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision was dropped on an unsuspecting public.

Could be a pang or two of guilt over the seemingly endless stream of flattering stories about last Saturday’s pro-abortion, anti-Donald Trump “Women’s March.” Might be that, as Mr. Pence concluded today, “Life is winning again in America.”

Click here for more from National Right to Life.

Trump and Pence lend support to Friday's March for Life

For the first time in its 44-year history, the National March for Life was attended by a vice-president. VP Mike Pence and presidential adviser Kellyanne Conway addressed the marchers Friday at noon in Washington D.C.

Thursday evening, Pence met with pro-life leaders in his office and tweeted out a photo of the meeting, saying he was "honored" to meet with them. Within the first few days of being sworn into office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning U.S. tax dollars being sent to other countries to fund abortions.

Friday morning, President Trump lent his support to Pence and the March for Life via Twitter:

Click here for more from Illinois Review.

VIDEO: Illinois Congressman Participates in Washington DC March for Life

Illinois Congressman Randy Hultgren participated in the 2017 March for Life in Washington, D.C.



Click here for more from Illinois Review.

Speaker Paul Ryan: ‘We will not stop fighting until every life is protected under the law’

House Speaker Paul Ryan

House Speaker Paul Ryan vowed to the hundreds of thousands of pro-lifers at Friday’s March for Life that the Republican-controlled government will be doing its utmost to continue defending unborn human life and ensuring they’re protected under the law.

In a short statement addressed to participants, Ryan expressed the unified support of the House, Senate, and White House, for the March and the pro-life cause as a whole.

Click here for more from LifeSiteNews.com

Vision 2020 - Ending Abortion in Illinois by 2020

The Illinois Federation for Right to Life is proud to partner with Vision 2020 in prayer for our Illinois legislators.  Please remember to pray each week in  support of those who fight for life and for a change of heart for those who oppose life.

CALLING ALL PRAYER WARRIORS

- Join us in praying for our state legislators

Petitioning Heaven

Vision 2020 would like to invite you to join us in praying for our state legislators.  We will send out information about a couple different state representatives each week for you to pray over.  

Consider sharing this information with your ministry partners, your church family, on your website and/or your Facebook page.  

We know that prayer changes things.  And we know that NOTHING is impossible with God. So let's join our hearts and voices together and petition heaven on behalf of the great state of Illinois!

Senator Daniel Biss

9th District

Senate Sponsor for SB1564

Rep. Robyn Gabel

18th District

House Sponsor of SB1564

O God, hear my prayer; give ear to the words of my mouth.  Psalm 54:2

VIDEO: President Trump calls out mainstream media for failing to cover March for Life

President Trump on an ABC Interview

During a Wednesday night interview with ABC, President Trump called out the media for covering a pro-abortion march but ignoring the March for Life.

ABC's David Muir asked Trump if he "could hear the voices from the women’s march here in Washington?"  "I couldn’t hear them, but the crowds were large," Trump responded. "You’re gonna have a large crowd on Friday, too, which is mostly pro-life people. You’re gonna have a lot of people coming on Friday, and I will say this, and I didn’t realize this, but I was told, you will have a very large crowd of people. I don’t know – as large or larger – some people say it’s gonna be larger. Pro-life people. And they say the press doesn’t cover them."

Video: On #POTUSonABC @realDonaldTrump scolded @DavidMuir about media’s record of not covering #MarchforLife #TTT pic.twitter.com/Zhtd5qRLSg

— Brent Baker (@BrentHBaker) January 26, 2017

Click here for more from LifeSiteNews.com

How IL Congress members voted on ending taxpayer funding of abortion

Congressman Darin LaHood argued to end taxpayer
 funding of abortion

A measure that would end taxpayer funding of abortion passed the U.S. House Tuesday afternoon with a 238 to 183 vote. All of Illinois' delegation voted along party lines, except Congressman Dan Lipinski (IL-3), one of three Democrats that supported the bill.

Six members of the Illinois delegation - five Republicans and one Democrat - signed onto H.R. 7, the "No Taxpayer for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act of 2017," as co-sponsors: Democrat Dan Lipinski and Republicans Rodney Davis, Randy Hultgren, Mike Bost, Peter Roskam and Darin LaHood.

On the House Floor, Rep. LaHood said, “57 million innocent lives have been lost to abortion since 1973. Even more disheartening, taxpayer dollars are currently funding them, despite the fact that polls show that 60% of Americans believe that abortions should not be directly paid for with these dollars. I am proud to cosponsor and vote for this measure to permanently prevent taxpayer dollars from being spent on aborting unborn children. It’s time to make this life-saving amendment permanent and government-wide. If signed by the President, this measure would do just that.”



Click here for more from Illinois Review.

Sasse Reintroduces Born-Alive Legislation

U.S. Senator Ben Sasse

U.S. Senator Ben Sasse reintroduced the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act.

"Every baby deserves care and the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act is a rare opportunity to find common ground and protect newborns. We all know that every little boy and girl deserves a fighting chance and, if you've ever held a newborn or just walked past a NICU, you know this has nothing to do with your politics and everything to do with your heart. I'm grateful that the House passed this legislation last Congress and I look forward to working with my Senate colleagues to put this on the President's desk this Congress."

Background:

Sasse"s bill, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, would protect newborns that survive abortions by requiring appropriate care and admission to a hospital.

The legislation requires that, when an abortion results in the live birth of an infant, health care practitioners must exercise the same degree of professional skill and care to protect the newborn as would be offered to any other child born alive at the same gestational age. It also requires that the living child, after appropriate care has been given, be immediately transported and admitted to a hospital.

Currently federal law does not adequately protect a born child who survives an abortion.

Click here for more from Christian Newswire.

Young Pro-Life Activists Refuse to Let President Trump Forget His Promise

Pro-Life Activists participate in a 'Memorial Die-in'
outside the White House, photo by Alex Wong of Getty Images

On January 27, at 9:30 a.m. young activists from across the nation led by Fr. Terry Gensemer of CEC For Life, Star Parker of Urbancure and Rev. Pat Mahoney of the Christian Defense Coalition will hold President Donald Trump accountable for his repeated promise to defund Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion chain.

WHAT: Annual DC Memorial Die-In
WHEN: Friday, January 27th at 9:30 AM
WHERE: The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW

During this 2017 DC Memorial Die-In, a hundred young people will peacefully demonstrate their stance against abortion and federal abortion funding by "dying" on the ground directly in front of the White House.

They will lie on the ground in a fetal position, covering themselves in red cloth, while others hold signs reading, "They are lying down in a fetal position, identifying themselves with the preborn…."

Click here for more from Christian Newswire.

VIDEO: Undercover video shows Planned Parenthoods nationwide deny women prenatal care

A new Live Action investigation debunks Planned Parenthood's oft-repeated claim that it provides prenatal care to pregnant women. Undercover videos and phone calls show that Planned Parenthood regularly turns away pregnant women seeking options other than abortion, which is the focus of their business.

The pro-life group called and visited 97 Planned Parenthood facilities that are part of all 41 regional Planned Parenthood affiliates across the United States where undercover recording is legal. Ninety-two out of 97 turned away women seeking prenatal care. Planned Parenthood workers admitted to investigators that the name "Planned Parenthood" is "deceptive" and "deceiving." A Planned Parenthood worker in Albuquerque, New Mexico even admitted that the local CareNet would be a better place for a woman seeking prenatal care to go.



Click here for more from LifeSiteNews.com

Trump White House promises ‘heavy Administration presence’ at March for Life

President Trump spokesman Sean Spicer

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told reporters today that President Trump will not ignore the upcoming March for Life in Washington.

“I think it’s no secret that the President has campaigned as a pro-life President. It’s something that is very important to him, as evidence by the Mexico City Policy reinstatement he issued yesterday,” Spicer said. “Obviously we’re going to have heavy administration presence there,” he added.

Click here for more from LifeSiteNews.com

Trump promises to sign new ban on taxpayer-funded abortions

Pro-Life President Donald Trump

President Trump will sign the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, which passed the House today, if the legislation makes it to his desk.

“The Administration strongly supports H.R. 7,” the White House said in a statement today. “If the President were presented with H.R. 7 in its present form, he would sign the bill.”

Click here for more from LifeSiteNews.com

Trump to announce Supreme Court nominee “sometime next week”

Pro-life President Donald Trump

You likely recall on January 11, at pro-life President Donald Trump’s first formal press conference following his election, he told reporters, “I’ll be making the decision on who we will put for justice of the United States Supreme Court, a replacement for the great, great justice Scalia, that will probably be within two weeks of the 20th. I’ll be making that decision, and it’ll be a decision which I very strongly believe in.”

Today, ahead of a meeting with Senate leaders to discuss the vacancy, Trump told reporters, “We will pick a truly great Supreme Court justice.” Asked about a timetable, the President said, “Probably making my decision this week, we’ll be announcing next week.”

Leonard Leo, one of Trump’s advisers on the Supreme Court pick and Executive Vice President of the Federalist Society, told the Associated Press’s Julie Pace, “The president wants to move as quickly as he can.”

USA Today reported, “The [Senate] Judiciary Committee eventually will conduct hearings on Trump’s nominee, most likely in March.”

Click here for more from National Right to Life.