Eighth Circuit Allows Religious Liberty Suit vs. Obamacare Abortion Pill Mandate

This morning, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit handed down a unanimous decision in favor of Thomas More Society's clients, Missouri State Senator Paul Wieland and his wife Teresa, ruling that their lawsuit against Obamacare's HHS Abortion Pill Mandate may proceed to be heard on its merits. The HHS Mandate directs that - despite religious objections - all health insurance plans must cover contraception, including FDA-approved abortifacients (Plan B, Ella) as well as sterilization. The court overruled the lower court's dismissal of the case on procedural ("lack of standing to sue") grounds, sending it back to the federal district court for further proceedings on the merits of the Wielands' claims that they deserve a religious exemption from these compulsory insurance coverages.

The suit, filed back in November, 2013, contended that the HHS mandate infringed upon the Wielands' religious liberty rights under the First Amendment, because it forced them to violate their sincerely-held religious beliefs by providing health insurance coverage of abortion-inducing drugs, sterilization, and birth control to their teenage and adult daughters.

"Today's ruling is a huge victory for religious liberty," said Tom Brejcha, Thomas More Society President and Chief Counsel. "Last year, for profit business owners prevailed against the HHS mandate imposed by Obamacare when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Hobby Lobby. Now, individuals and families may also sue to win protection from the Obamacare Mandate, when they have conscientious objections based on sincerely held religious beliefs. As the case has been remanded to the federal district court where our clients' religious liberty claims will be evaluated in light of the governing Hobby Lobby precedent, we hope to prevail in the end."

Click here for the originating article from Christian Newswire

Abortionists deny risks for premature births

In June, Dr. David Grimes wrote a piece for the Huffington Post in which he states the idea that abortion impacts future pregnancies is a pipe dream of "naïve" pro-lifers. On the other hand, Bradley Mattes of Life Issues Institute says evidence shows that abortion does impact later pregnancies.

“Largely, it's because when they go in and artificially dilate the cervix [during an abortion] they have to stretch it to get their tools in and the baby out,” he explains. “The procedure damages or tears that tissue, which then affects future pregnancies. The further into pregnancy [a woman is], the more they have to artificially and quickly dilate the cervix.”  Often, he says, the cervix then becomes weak or unable to sustain a full-term pregnancy, so subsequent babies are born prematurely. “The scarring that sometimes occurs on the lining of the womb is damaged, which can also cause problems leading to preterm birth,” he adds.

More than 120 studies prove premature births can occur in future pregnancies after an induced abortion - so the question is why David Grimes and others in the pro-abortion camp deny it.

Click here for the originating article from OneNewsNow

Second Planned Parenthood senior executive haggles over baby parts prices

The Center of Medical Progress released a second video Tuesday morning in which a second Planned Parenthood official haggles with two persons pretending to be human tissue buyers.

"What would you expect for intact tissue?" the buyer asks.

"Why don't you start by telling me what you're used to paying?" says Dr. Mary Gatter, President of the Planned Parenthood Medical Directors' Council.

Dr. Gatter goes on to agree to check with other California Planned Parenthood clinics to see what prices they're getting for intact fetal tissue. She also suggests changing abortion methods on 10 to 12 week preborn baby parts in order to make sure the tissue would be intact, rather than using methods that are more "crunchy," she says.



Click here for the originating article from Illinois Review

Christian publisher wins permanent injunction against contraceptive mandate

An Illinois publishing house that specializes in Bible sales has won a permanent injunction against enforcement of the contraceptive mandate in the federal health-care program.

A federal district court ruled that Tyndale House Publishers—a privately held corporation, which donates most of its profits to religious institutions—should not be required to provide contraceptive coverage in health-care insurance for employees.

Other companies and religious institutions have won temporary injunctions against the mandate, which have halted enforcement until the cases are decided. The Tyndale House decision is a final judgment.

Click here for the originating article from Catholic World News

Warning is out over FDA-approved Essure

A medical expert believes the Food and Drug Administration needs to take precautionary action to warn women using birth control pill Essure. 

Side effects of Essure range from headaches and cramps to uterine perforation and infection in the fallopian tubes, he says. "And also tubal pregnancy," says Dr. Hager, "where in spite of the device, a pregnancy has occurred in the fallopian tube and there's the potential for that pregnancy to rupture. There've even been some deaths that have occurred."

Dr. Hager contends the FDA needs to act, at least in a precautionary manner with a "black box" warning.

FDA has finally listed possible health dangers associated with Essure. It's a shame that the FDA didn't move sooner, Hager adds, because women with long-term use of Essure had been sending in complaints for two to three years.

Click here for the originating article from OneNewsNow

White House Press Secretary evades questions about Planned Parenthood video

I didn’t expect that the White House press corps would questioned Press Secretary Josh Earnest as vigorously about the now infamous undercover Planned Parenthood video as they did on the controversial deal with Iran. But it would have been nice if they had followed up on the initial question with some of the same skepticism.

(You can see the question and answer at http://www.c-span.org/video/?327168-1/white-house-daily-briefing beginning in the 35th minute).

A reporter described what she described as a “domestic issue” that is “something that has been the topic of big debate. Some employees with Planned Parenthood were captured on video talking about fetal remain, the remains of aborted fetuses. Does the President have a reaction to this debate?”

Earnest responded, “I haven’t spoken to the President about this particular issue,” adding,  “ I will acknowledge that I have not seen the particular video.”  Earnest also evaded the question of whether President Obama thinks it “is ethical to use the remains of aborted fetuses for medical research?” Ask Planned Parenthood.

Click here for the originating article from National Right to Life

Hultgren: Planned Parenthood Discusses Aborted Body Parts over Red Wine

U.S. Representative Randy Hultgren (IL-14) today delivered a statement on the House floor deploring the actions of Planned Parenthood and its affiliates following an undercover video investigation into the organization. Hultgren called for an end to Planned Parenthood’s practice of harvesting the organs of aborted babies, supported the renewed congressional investigation into the organization, and urged Senate action on the House-passed legislation H.R. 7, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act of 2015.

Click here for the originating article from Illinois Review.

Transcript shows Planned Parenthood director told baby part buyers to contact Cook County's Stroger Hospital

Concerns about medical procedures at Chicago's publicly-funded Stroger Hospital are being raised after a mention of the hospital was found in the published transcript of a conversation that is drawing national attention this week. In the conversation a year ago in California, a high-level Planned Parenthood official discussed harvesting and selling human body parts.

While talking about possible contacts throughout the nation that may be sources for available human tissue following abortions, Planned Parenthood of America Federation's Senior Director of Medical Services, Dr. Deborah Nucatola, suggested the "buyers" check with the family planning director at Cook County's Stroger Hospital.

While there is yet any confirmation as to whether Stroger Hospital is a source for baby body parts, the Planned Parenthood medical director was correct that the family planning department director at Stroger Hospital is Ashlesha Patel, MD. Stroger Hospital's website currently lists the name and position...

Click here for the originating article from Illinois Review.

House cancels vote on breast cancer coin after conservatives revolt over Komen/Planned Parenthood ties

The House cleared a Unanimous Consent request to amend H.R. 2722 by removing all references to Susan G. Komen.

Indeed, as apparent fallout to the firestorm created yesterday by a video released by The Center for Medical Progress, which showed Planned Parenthood’s ghoulish participation in aborted baby parts trafficking, the relationship between breast cancer organization Susan G. Komen Foundation and the abortion giant was recalled by pro-life legislators with a vengeance.

According to CNN:

House Republican leaders canceled a vote on Tuesday on legislation that would have created a commemorative coin to raise money for breast cancer awareness, after some House conservatives raised concerns the coin sale funds would be used to support an abortion rights group at the center of a controversial new video.

Heritage Action, a conservative advocacy group, sent out a “key vote” alert to members.

“The bill would require the U.S. Treasury to mint coins that would funnel up to $4.75 million to Dallas-based Susan G. Komen – an organization that notoriously funds abortion giant Planned Parenthood,” the group said.

Click here for the originating article from Jill Stanek.

SB1564 the Health Care Right of Conscience Act Update - Roll Call

This bill amends the Health Care Right of Conscience Act:  provides that notwithstanding any other law, a health care facility, or any physician or health care personnel working in the facility, may refuse to permit, perform, assist in, counsel about, suggest, recommend, refer for, or participate in health care services because of a conscience-based objection.

This bill now undermines Healthcare Right of Conscience by requiring pro-life facilities to refer pro-abort services to other facilities thus violating their morals or beliefs.

Update on SB1564: Today (July 15th) 5 representatives who support SB1564 were absent so it is unlikely that the sponsor will call the bill because she will not have her votes.

However, we will not relent.  This is the roll call of the vote taken in the House on July 9, 2015 on the amendment to SB1564.

56 YEAS 52 NAYS 0 PRESENT
Y - Denotes Yea
N - Denotes Nay
NV - Denotes No Vote
E - Denotes Excused Absence

Y Acevedo N Davis,M N Kay NV Rita
Y Ammons Y Davis,W Y Kifowit N Sandack
N Andersson NV DeLuca Y Lang N Scherer
Y Andrade N Demmer NV Leitch Y Sente
N Anthony Y Drury Y Lilly Y Sims
Y Arroyo Y Dunkin Y Manley Y Smiddy
N Batinick N Durkin Y Martwick N Sommer
N Beiser Y Evans N Mautino N Sosnowski
N Bellock Y Feigenholtz NV Mayfield Y Soto
N Bennett Y Fine Y McAsey N Stewart
N Bourne Y Flowers N McAuliffe N Sullivan
N Bradley Y Ford N McDermed Y Tabares
N Brady N Fortner N McSweeney NV Thapedi
N Breen NV Franks E Meier N Tryon
N Brown N Frese N Mitchell,B Y Turner
N Bryant Y Gabel Y Mitchell,C N Unes
Y Burke,Daniel Y Golar Y Moeller N Verschoore
Y Burke,Kelly Y Gordon-Booth N Moffitt Y Wallace
N Butler Y Guzzardi E Morrison Y Walsh
N Cabello N Hammond Y Moylan N Wehrli
Y Cassidy N Harris,David Y Mussman Y Welch
N Cavaletto Y Harris,Greg Y Nekritz N Wheeler,Barbara
Y Chapa LaVia N Hays N Phelps N Wheeler,Keith
N Cloonen Y Hernandez E Phillips Y Williams
Y Conroy N Hoffman E Poe Y Willis
N Costello Y Hurley N Pritchard N Winger
Y Crespo N Ives Y Reaves-Harris Y Yingling
Y Currie Y Jackson N Reis Y Zalewski
Y D'Amico N Jesiel Y Riley Y Mr. Speaker
N Davidsmeyer

The purpose of the amendment was to change the effective date to June of 2016 so that the bill would require 60 votes instead of 71.  The sponsor needed at least one more yea than the nays to pass the amendment.  You can see that she did have enough yeas to pass the amendment but did not receive 60 votes for the amendment.  This suggests that she may not have 60 votes to pass the bill.  However we must continue to contact representatives.  If your representative voted "no" (N) or "no vote" (NV) please contact them and thank them for their vote.  We need to let them know that we are grateful for their vote against the amendment and also, ask them to also vote no on SB1564.

Follow this link for more information on this and other legislation:
http://ifrl-blog.blogspot.com/p/legislation.html

Alveda King: Advancing Reproductive Lies - Women Do Regret Abortion

Alveda King: Advancing Reproductive Lies - Women Do Regret Abortion (And Don't Know That Their Babies' Body Parts are Being Sold by Planned Parenthood)

In a recent report, Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health just disrespected hundreds of thousands of women, including Black women like me by saying that our testimonies of our regret over our abortions are likely unfounded. In their report, they say that over 95 percent of women who have had an abortion think they made the right decision according to their new study. Released by the University of California, San Francisco think tank Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health, and using 667 women who participated in the group's Turnaway survey, the report found that while a quarter of the women expressed some negativity about their abortions, "Results from this study suggest that claims that many women experience abortion decision regret are likely unfounded."

While I am writing this blog, there is a news flash from Priests for Life working with Mark Crutcher at Life Dynamics, Operation Rescue, and others with startling evidence that Planned Parenthood is involved in a massive cover up over selling body parts and remains of aborted babies. It's all lining up. The dots are actually being connected. Remember my Three Headed Monster report? There is so much that is hidden. It's time to tell the truth.

Click here for the full press release on Christian Newswire.

30-month undercover investigation exposes Planned Parenthood’s trafficking of baby parts

The pro-life undercover group Center for Medical Progress today began revealing findings of a deep undercover investigation:

The Human Capital project is a 30-month-long investigative journalism study… documenting how Planned Parenthood sells the body parts of aborted babies. Citizen journalists at CMP spent two-and-a-half years logging thousands of research hours to painstakingly gather hundreds of hours of undercover footage, dozens of eye-witness testimonies, and nearly two hundred pages of primary source documents.

The investigation included attending five top abortion industry conventions – with undercover video cameras.

CMP investigators found Planned Parenthood is involved in buying and selling aborted baby body parts, which is a federal felony – and while attempting to retrieve those body parts intact sometimes commits partial birth abortions, which is also a federal felony offense and illegal in several states as well.



Click here for the origniating article from Jill Stanek.

Obama administration makes another proposal for mandated contraceptive coverage by religious employers

The Obama administration has released a new proposal to resolve a conflict with religious institutions that object in principle to the mandated coverage of contraceptives in the "Obamacare" health-insurance program.

The new policy would allow qualified religious institutions to opt out of the contraceptive coverage. Female employees at these organizations would then receive contraceptive coverage directly from insurers, without any direct payment by the employer. However, the new proposal still requires the religious institutions to notify the Department of Health and Human Services that they are opting out, thus triggering the coverage for their employees. To date, religious institutions have objected to that provision, saying that it requires them, in effect, to take an action that provides the objectionable coverage.

Following up on a Supreme Court ruling that privately owned corporations must be allowed to uphold the religious principles of their owners, the Obama administration has also offered an opt-out provision for corporations. The proposed rules would apply only to corporations held by no more than five owners, and not traded on public exchanges.

Click here for the originating article from CatholicCulture.org

Pro-abortion NGOs: Right to Abortion Above Girls’ Right to Life

Asia-based NGOs hosted a meeting in New Delhi to discuss the impact of efforts to reduce sex selective abortion on access to abortion. The discussion led by Asia Safe Abortion Partnership (ASAP) and Creating Resources for Empowerment in Action (CREA) centered not on saving the lives of girls who are identified in the womb and targeted for abortion but rather on “the serious barriers this is creating for women’s right to safe abortion.”

One of the major complaints was the drop in availability of abortion-inducing drugs, despite the fact that a large quality of the drugs is manufactured in India and China.

The sex selection vs. access to abortion discussion included remarks by Suchitra Dalvies, which focused on women who seek sex selection abortion “..when it comes to this issue of sex selection we routinely hold meetings and discussions without bringing in the perspective of the women who are seeking or obtaining sex determination and selection.”

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

Post-abortion woman tells her story of regret

She was 18 when she became pregnant by her 22-year-old boyfriend. She remembers:  ...the stress, the grief, and the fear I felt when I looked down at that little plus sign.

She explains how she was afraid to tell her parents about her pregnancy: I felt trapped. We were both raised in Catholic upper middle class families.… A secret abortion was the only option we could imagine. We felt it was a better option than facing our parents’ disappointed faces….

Too many teenagers are afraid to face their parents when they become pregnant. This is common in religious families, where the pressure on the pregnant minor to guard her secret can be extreme. Parents need to talk to their children about pregnancy and let them know that they can come to them if it happens. Christian family should not assume that their children will never make mistakes.

Click here for the originating article from Live Action News.

Millennials not apathetic about abortion

Students for Life of America (SLA) circulated the petition among students asking the Senate to pass a 20-week ban. Kristin Hawkins, president of Students for Life, says during her visit to Capitol Hill last month she delivered the petition with 1,300 signatures from students on 25 campuses.

Hawkins, Kristan (Students for Life)"There is that misconception out there that young people are extremely liberal when it comes to abortion, that they tolerate abortion when in fact they don't," she states. "A National Journal poll this semester showed that 52 percent of millennials are in favor of banning abortions in the second trimester. That's 13 weeks."

"For college students in the midst of exams, club meetings, work, and other obligations, taking the time to check out [our] display and sign their name was a testament to the recognition of the exceptional horror of abortion, especially this late in pregnancy," says the pro-life leader.

Click here for the originating article from OneNewsNow.

Competing abortion bills on Capitol Hill

Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives are waging a political war on a current law, the Hyde Amendment, that bans use of tax dollars for abortion.

But Mary Harned, staff counsel for Americans United for Life, warns that pro-abortion lawmakers are introducing a bill to prohibit the Hyde Amendment.

"The bill would permit federal Medicaid dollars to be used to pay for abortions for women on public assistance," Harned tells OneNewsNow.

Click here for the originating article from OneNewsNow.

Amazing Computer Animation Shows In Utero Development of Human Face

On its webpage The BBC offers some absolutely amazing examples of science developed with laypeople in mind. But replete with spectacular graphics, its series on “Inside the Human Body” may be the most fascinating of all.

Although it first appeared over four years ago, it wasn’t until later that most of here in the states become aware of a YouTube video of one segment—a time-lapse of the development of the human face in utero.

According to the New Scientist, the animation “is based on human embryo scans captured between 1 and 3 months after conception, the period during which a face develops.” I’ve attached a link here.



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

Health Care Right of Conscience Act - UPDATE

SB1564 = Health Care Right of Conscience Act

Sponsor: Senator Biss.

UPDATE - On the Illinois House Floor today an amendment to SB1564 was called for a vote. The amendment changed the effective date of the bill to June 2016. The purpose of the amendment was to lower the required number of votes to pass the bill from 71 to 60. The amendment passed by a vote of 56 yes, 52 no, and 10 not voting. Usually amendments pass with higher numbers by the sponsor’s peers so this vote sends a troubling message to the sponsor. Although the amendment passed it was immediately announced that several fiscal notes had been requested and therefore SB1564 was placed back on second reading to address the fiscal notes.

This bill amends the Health Care Right of Conscience Act:  provides that notwithstanding any other law, a health care facility, or any physician or health care personnel working in the facility, may refuse to permit, perform, assist in, counsel about, suggest, recommend, refer for, or participate in health care services because of a conscience-based objection.  

This bill now undermines Healthcare Right of Conscience by requiring pro-life facilities to refer pro-abort services to other facilities thus violating their morals or beliefs.

From the bill text:

Amends the Health Care Right of Conscience Act. Makes changes in the Section concerning findings and policy. Defines "access to care and information protocols" and "material information". Provides that notwithstanding any other law, a health care facility, or any physician or health care personnel working in the facility, may refuse to permit, perform, assist in, counsel about, suggest, recommend, refer for, or participate in health care services because of a conscience-based objection only if the refusal occurs in accordance with written access to care and information protocols designed to ensure that (1) the patient receives material information in a timely fashion; and (2) the refusal will not impair the patient's health by causing delay of or inability to access the refused health care service. Provides that nothing in the Act shall be construed to prevent a health care facility from requiring that physicians or health care personnel working in the facility comply with access to care and information protocols.

This amendment requires a written referral to a facility that will complete the refused services including abortion, contraceptives and family planning.

From the bill text:

...a written document that contains the names of and contact information for health care facilities, physicians, or health care personnel that may provide the patient the particular form of health care service refused...

"Health care" is defined as any phase of patient care, including but not limited to, testing; diagnosis; prognosis; ancillary research; instructions; family planning, counselling, referrals, or any other advice in connection with the use or procurement of contraceptives and sterilization or abortion procedures; medication; or surgery or other care or treatment rendered by a physician or physicians, nurses, paraprofessionals or health care facility, intended for the physical, emotional, and mental well-being of persons...

Although an amendment has been added to bill, the Federation for Right to Life still opposes this bill.

Click here for more information on this bill.

Click here for the full bill text.

ACTION ALERT SB1564 - Health Care Right of Conscience Act

The House is back in session today.  They will be voting on a budget tomorrow in the House and all of the members will need to be present for that vote.  That means the sponsor may have the votes she needs to pass her bill.

NOW IS THE TIME FOR ACTION

Contact your Representative, urge them to vote NO on SB1564.

This bill amends the Health Care Right of Conscience Act, it bill now undermines Healthcare Right of Conscience by requiring pro-life facilities to refer pro-abort services to other facilities thus violating their morals or beliefs.

From the bill text:

Amends the Health Care Right of Conscience Act. Makes changes in the Section concerning findings and policy. Defines "access to care and information protocols" and "material information". Provides that notwithstanding any other law, a health care facility, or any physician or health care personnel working in the facility, may refuse to permit, perform, assist in, counsel about, suggest, recommend, refer for, or participate in health care services because of a conscience-based objection only if the refusal occurs in accordance with written access to care and information protocols designed to ensure that (1) the patient receives material information in a timely fashion; and (2) the refusal will not impair the patient's health by causing delay of or inability to access the refused health care service. Provides that nothing in the Act shall be construed to prevent a health care facility from requiring that physicians or health care personnel working in the facility comply with access to care and information protocols.

This amendment requires a written referral to a facility that will complete the refused services including abortion, contraceptives and family planning.

From the bill text:

...a written document that contains the names of and contact information for health care facilities, physicians, or health care personnel that may provide the patient the particular form of health care service refused...

"Health care" is defined as any phase of patient care, including but not limited to, testing; diagnosis; prognosis; ancillary research; instructions; family planning, counselling, referrals, or any other advice in connection with the use or procurement of contraceptives and sterilization or abortion procedures; medication; or surgery or other care or treatment rendered by a physician or physicians, nurses, paraprofessionals or health care facility, intended for the physical, emotional, and mental well-being of persons...

AGAIN, THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW!

Contact your Representative, urge them to vote NO on SB1564.

Click here to find your Representative's contact information.

Click here for more information on this bill.