Biden Budget Request Removes Hyde Amendment Protections

photo credit: Gage Skidmore / Flickr

On Friday, May 28, President Joe Biden submitted his final budget request to Congress for the 2022 fiscal year. His proposal removes 45-year-old Hyde Amendment language from the federal budget, allowing even more federal tax dollars to fund abortions.

The Hyde Amendment is language that has been attached to all budget bills since 1976. The language bans federal funds from being used to pay for elective abortions except in cases of rape, incest, or when the life of the mother is at risk.

“By eliminating the Hyde Amendment from his proposed budget, President Biden has once again shown his allegiance to the extremism of pro-abortion groups and their allies,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life.

“The Hyde Amendment has proven to be the greatest domestic abortion-reduction measure ever enacted by Congress,” said Jennifer Popik, J.D., legislative director of National Right to Life. “The Hyde Amendment is widely recognized as having saved over two million American lives since it was first adopted in 1976.”

Click here to read more.

Chicago OB/GYN Writes Column In Support of Parental Notification

In an opinion piece for the Chicago Sun-Times, obstetrician and gynecologist Robert Lawler voiced his support for Illinois's Parental Notice of Abortion Act.

The Chicago doctor wrote about a time when he cared for a 14-year old patient who had a botched abortion. The girl developed a severe infection since the abortion clinic had left some body parts of the aborted child inside of her. Lawler performed surgery and removed the remaining body parts, and onlooking doctors cried upon seeing Lawler remove body parts belonging to the deceased baby.

The abortion clinic never returned Lawler's calls asking for information about the botched abortion.

Lawler pointed out that the 14-year old patient he helped might have died if her mother was not made aware of the abortion.

"The Illinois Parental Notification Act is a necessary protection for minor girls," he wrote.

"Keeping the Parental Notice requirement intact in no way affects the ability of a woman in Illinois — of any age — to obtain an abortion, at any point in her pregnancy. To repeal the current law would be reckless and irresponsible. Illinois lawmakers need to understand they will be putting young girls at risk and driving a wedge between parents and children at a time when they may need them the most."

Click here to read Dr. Lawler's article.

URGENT! Call Your Legislators to Protect Parental Notification!

As the spring legislative session comes to a close, pro-abortion legislators are working to push through a bill repealing Illinois's Parental Notice of Abortion Act. Pro-abortion legislators will have until the end of Memorial Day—the final day of this session—to call bills to a vote.

Pro-life advocates need to call their legislators and tell them to VOTE NO and save parental notification!

The Parental Notice of Abortion Act requires abortion businesses to contact a minor girl's parents if she schedules an abortion. The legislation does not require girls to obtain their parents' consent to have an abortion — it merely requires abortion businesses to notify parents or guardians. The law even allows young girls to get a judicial bypass to avoid notifying their parents altogether. Somehow, even this one pro-life protection in Illinois is too much for the abortion lobby.

Parental Notification is important because it allows parents to be involved in the life-changing decision of abortion. Additionally, it protects girls by serving as a warning sign for sex trafficking. Young girls who are trafficked and forced into abortion can be saved by parental notification laws. If parents aren't made aware of the situation, they can't help.

Please call your legislators and tell them not to repeal the Parental Notice of Abortion Act!

To find your legislators and their phone numbers, visit the Illinois State Board of Elections website here and type your address. Please call your state senator and representative to protect parental notification!

Iowa Legislature Approves Amendment Declaring its Constitution Contains No Right to Abortion

Iowa State Capitol
photo credit: Dan Brekke / Flickr

On May 19, the Iowa Senate followed the Iowa House in approving a constitutional amendment declaring that the Iowa constitution does not contain a right to abortion.

The House voted 54-38 and the Senate voted 30-18 to pass the "Protect Life Amendment". The amendment, if approved again by the 2023-2024 legislature, Iowa voters will have the opportunity to vote on the constitutional amendment.

This amendment is a response to a 2018 decision by the Iowa Supreme Court, which (similarly to the infamous Roe v. Wade decision of 1973) declared that the state constitution included an implied right to abortion.

“I’m proud that the Protect Life Amendment is one step closer to being on the ballot,” Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said. “This is an important step forward in defending the unborn and upholding the dignity of all human life.”

Click here to read more.

Alabama Gov. Signs Born-Alive Protection Bill

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R)

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) on May 25 signed into law a bill protecting babies born alive after an attempted abortion.

The legislation says that if an infant is born alive after an attempted abortion, a doctor, “shall exercise the same degree of professional skill, care, and diligence to preserve the life and health of the child as a reasonably diligent and conscientious physician would render to any other child born alive at any other location in this state at the same gestational age.”

The House passed the born-alive protection bill by a vote of 75-12, and the Senate passed it by a vote of 31-0.

According to National Right to Life, Alabama is the 36th state to enact a law protecting babies born alive during an attempted abortion.

Click here to read more.

Lebanon, Ohio Passes Ordinance Outlawing Abortion

photo credit: Paul's World Tour / Flickr

On May 25, the city of Lebanon, Ohio became the first city in Ohio to ban abortion within its city limits.

The city council voted 6-0 in favor to pass an ordinance outlawing abortion and declaring abortion pills to be contraband. The one council member who opposed the ordinance retired just hours before the vote.

The pro-life ordinance took effect immediately, and it reads, “It shall be unlawful for any person to procure or perform an abortion of any type and at any stage of pregnancy in the city of Lebanon, Ohio” and “It shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly aid or abet an abortion that occurs in the city of Lebanon, Ohio.”

The ordinance defines abortion as “the act of using or prescribing an instrument, a drug, a medicine, or any other substance, device, or means with the intent to cause the death of an unborn child of a woman known to be pregnant.” It includes exceptions for procedures attempted with the intent of saving the child or mother's life.

Those who violate the ordinance can be found guilty of a first-degree misdemeanor. This can lead to six months in jail or $1,000 in fines. The language of the ordinance states that “Under no circumstance may the mother of the unborn child that has been aborted, or the pregnant woman who seeks to abort her unborn child, be subject to prosecution or penalty under this section.”

Over the past several months, more and more cities have passed "sanctuary city for the unborn" ordinances. Lebanon, Ohio is now the 29th city in the nation to pass an enforceable ordinance banning abortion.

Click here to read more.

Congresswoman Nearly Run Over While Praying at Abortion Business

Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-IN)

Capitol Police are now investigating a May 15 incident in which Indiana Rep. Jackie Walorski (R) was nearly run over by an Antifa activist while participating in a prayer event outside an abortion clinic.

Real News Michiana (RNM) recently obtained and released security camera footage of the event. In the video, you can see the vehicle swerve across a bike lane and onto the shoulder of the road where Rep. Walorski and another man were walking. Seemingly in an act of intimidation, the vehicle stopped abruptly before hitting them.

Walroski released a statement on the event:

“On Saturday, May 15th, I joined a group of pro-life Hoosiers in prayer while they gathered peacefully near a South Bend abortion clinic. As I was leaving, a vehicle traveling quickly down Lincoln Way West swerved toward the group and came to an abrupt stop just a few feet away from me. Given the recent increase in threats against members of Congress, the U.S. Capitol Police are investigating this incident.

“I stand with my fellow pro-life Hoosiers who work to defend the most vulnerable among us, the unborn. They will not be silenced or intimidated by threats or acts of violence from radical activists. As Americans, we can debate and disagree on fundamental issues, but it is absolutely unacceptable to endanger the lives of others.”

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy shared the clip in a tweet and voiced his support for Walorski, writing, "Absolutely sickening. While @RepWalorski and other pro-life Americans were praying together in defense of the unborn, an unhinged leftist nearly ran them over with his car. Conservatives will not be intimidated in expressing our right to free speech and in support of life!"

RNM identified the driver as Antifa activist Michael Case and found a Facebook comment in which he posted "Jackie needs to learn to stay out of the street." RNM also uncovered another video of him threatening pro-life activists.

Click here to read more.

Biden Administration Announces Plans to Review Abortion Pill Regulations

Unsurprisingly, the Biden administration has announced that safety regulations governing the distribution of abortion pills are being reviewed.

In April, the FDA announced that, for the remaining duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, it would not be enforcing Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) regulations limiting mail distribution of abortion pills. While initially this change was advertised as temporary, many pro-lifers were suspicious; doubting whether the Biden administration would ever bring them back. Now, the FDA has proven their suspicions to be warranted.

REMS protocol requires abortion pills to be distributed in-person by a certified prescriber in a medical setting. By doing so, doctors can describe the process of the abortion pill regimen and perform an ultrasound to verify the unborn child's gestational age and check for pregnancy conditions. If the unborn child has passed a certain gestational age, or if a pregnant woman has a condition such as ectopic pregnancy, taking the abortion pill regimen can cause hemorrhaging and death.

Under REMS guidelines, abortion pill manufacturers are not required to report any adverse reactions except for death. If the protocol is removed, there will be even less data to track abortion pill complications. There are no federal laws that require abortion businesses to track complications.

Click here to read more.

Planned Parenthood Gives up Medicaid Funding Lawsuit Against Texas

photo credit: American Life League / Flickr

On May 13, Planned Parenthood gave up on its lawsuit against the state of Texas over Medicaid funding. 

In December 2016, Texas blocked state Medicaid funds from going to Planned Parenthood abortion clinics in the state. Planned Parenthood sued the state in response. A federal judge ruled against Texas's attempt to block funds in 2017, but the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned that ruling in 2019. The court said that Texas could legally remove Planned Parenthood from the state's Medicaid program.

The Texas Medicaid rule blocking Planned Parenthood from receiving funds was set to take effect on February 4, 2021. The day before, however, the abortion business sued the state once again, claiming that Medicaid patients needed more than 30 days to find a new health care provider. As a result, a federal judge blocked the Texas rule once again. Now, Planned Parenthood has seemingly given up on its legal action.

Texas initially made its decision to remove Planned Parenthood from Medicaid funding after the Center for Medical Progress (CMP) released a series of videos exposing the abortion business for selling body parts harvested from unborn children. David Daleiden, who led the CMP team, tweeted on May 13,

"This morning, @PPGulfCoast DISMISSED their federal lawsuit against their disqualification from Texas Medicaid due to their wrongdoing found on my undercover videos.

Planned Parenthood SURRENDERED today because their sale of baby body parts is indefensible."

It could very well be that Planned Parenthood dropped the lawsuit because it expects the Biden administration to issue new rules granting it access to a significant amount of taxpayer funding.

Click here to read more.

Kansas Supreme Court Upholds Law Banning "Wrongful Birth" Lawsuits

Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt

In a 5-2 decision made on April 30, the Supreme Court of Kansas upheld a 2013 law banning "wrongful birth" lawsuits against doctors.

The law bans parents from filing lawsuits against doctors who did not inform them that the child has been diagnosed with a condition—such as Down syndrome—or the potential "risks" or "burdens" of having a child with a condition. Parents who file such lawsuits argue that they would have considered abortion if doctors had provided them with this information.

Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt, who fought against legalizing "wrongful birth" lawsuits, applauded the Kansas Supreme Court's decision.

“The birth of a child should be cause for celebration, not for the law to award damages because the child was ‘wrongfully’ born,” he told the Associated Press.

Kansas pro-lifers were surprised at the court's decision, as they had ruled in favor of pro-abortion advocates as recently as 2019. In that year, the court ruled 6-1 that abortion was a protected right in the state's constitution.

Click here to read more.

Pastor Jon Jones: Repealing Parental Notification would Cause "a major divide in the family structure.”

photo credit: Justin Brockie / Flickr

Pastor Jon Jones, who also spoke on behalf of Parents for the Protection of Girls at a news conference last week, went on WMAY's morning radio program to talk about his opposition to legislation repealing the Parental Notification of Abortion Act.

He again referenced a March 2021 poll by the Tarrance Group showing that 72% of Illinois voters support parental notification.

“I am an African American pastor in the Tinley Park area and amongst African Americans, the percentage is even higher,” Jones told WMAY. “76% of minority men and 74% of minority women support this [parental notification] law.”

He went on to argue that repealing parental notification would damage the family structure.

“Now you have adults and people of influence in your life saying ‘hey, don’t talk to your parents, just go ahead and take care of that,’” Jones said. “That causes a major divide in the family structure.”

When teachers or counselors specifically encourage young girls to avoid talking with their parents about important decisions such as abortion, that undermines their familial relationships. Parents should have the right to know if their daughter is planning to have an abortion because they can provide wisdom and emotional support throughout the process.

Click here to read more.

New Idaho Law Defunds Abortion Businesses and Bans them From Teaching Sex-Ed in Public Schools

Idaho Gov. Brad Little (R)

On Monday, May 10, Idaho Gov. Brad Little (R) signed the "No Public Funds for Abortion Act" (HB 220). This law prevents state tax dollars from funding abortion businesses or any initiatives that promote abortion. Additionally, the law bans abortion businesses from contracting with public schools to teach sex education to children.

One effect of this legislation is that Idaho public universities will no longer be allowed to give abortion pills to students. According to LiveAction, abortion pills were available at Boise State University, the University of Idaho, and Idaho State University.

Illinois pro-lifers might recognize that sex education taught by abortion businesses is not far from becoming a reality in our state. HB 1736, known as the REACH Act, would mandate that all schools in Illinois teach sex education in grades k-12. Planned Parenthood has heavily advocated for the bill, indicating that it likely plans to contract with schools to use its pro-abortion sex education materials.

As Illinois's spring legislative session comes to a close, it will become more difficult for pro-abortion advocates to get the REACH act passed, but we should continue to watch this legislation regardless. Illinois legislators have crammed controversial bills through the General Assembly before, and we need to keep them accountable.

Regarding the pro-life Idaho legislation, sponsor Bruce Skaug (R) said, “It’s going to save some children from abortion. I have no doubt about that.” Planned Parenthood-taught sex education would likely have the opposite effect.

Click here to read more.

SB 109 Passes Illinois House of Representatives

photo credit: Keith Ewing / Flickr

In the afternoon of Wednesday, May 19, SB 109 passed the Illinois House of Representatives by a vote of 65-48. It will soon be sent to Gov. Pritzker's desk for a signature.

SB 109 would amend the Health Care Surrogate Act to no longer require a witness to sign the Practitioner Order for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) form, which is used when a patient is deciding what kind of treatments they would approve when they are unable to make decisions. Additionally, SB 109 would allow a national POLST form to be used instead of the Illinois POLST form. That form similarly does not require a signature from a witness.

Proponents of this legislation argue that because some patients don't have anyone to sign as a witness for them, the current law should be amended. This reasoning is faulty because the majority of patients do have others available to be witnesses for them. Furthermore, the current requirement does not require that the signing witness be close to the patient. The witness can be anyone.

Witness signatures on POLST forms provide valuable protection that should not be taken away.

Texas Gov. Signs Heartbeat Bill

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott
photo credit: Gage Skidmore / Flickr

On Wednesday, May 19, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signed into law SB 8, a bill banning most abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected.

SB 8 requires doctors to first search for a fetal heartbeat before they abort a child. This can be detected as early as six weeks into an unborn child's development. If the abortionist does detect a heartbeat, SB 8 bans any attempted abortions on that child for reasons other than a medical emergency.

Uniquely, this law will not be directly enforced by the Texas government. Instead, SB 8 provides private citizens the ability to take civil action against abortion businesses.

SB 8 is set to take effect on Sept. 1, 2021.

Alexis McGill Johnson, executive director and CEO of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, tweeted her response on Wednesday:

“And they've included a dangerous provision that allows ANYONE from any state to sue an abortion provider and others who help someone get care?? Absolutely not. Access to abortion has never been more at risk — and we're going to fight back like hell.”

Click here to read more.

National Right to Life: Title X Change Would Allow Taxpayer Funding of Abortion

National Right to Life Committee President Carol Tobias

National Right to Life submitted a letter to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra on Monday opposing a proposed rule change for Title X funding. The change would eliminate rules set during the Trump administration that barred Title X grant recipients from providing abortion, referring patients to abortion businesses, or co-locating with organizations that provide abortion.

“The proposed rule would allow the creation of an accounting gimmick that enable Title X funds to support abortion services. Providing Title X dollars to abortion facilities frees up other money that can be used to promote and provide abortion,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “The use of taxpayer funds to support abortion services and facilities is clearly prohibited by the law.” 

Tobias added, “The proposed rule change would also require abortion counseling—contrary to conscience protection laws.”

Click here to read more.

Planned Parenthood Sues Lubbock, Texas over Sanctuary City Ordinance

After a public election on May 1, the city of Lubbock, Texas became the largest sanctuary city for the unborn in the United States. During that election, the citizens of Lubbock passed an ordinance banning abortion within the city limits. On Monday Planned Parenthood responded by filing a lawsuit against the city.

The ACLU attempted to file a similar lawsuit against seven other sanctuary cities for the unborn in February of 2020, but the pro-abortion organization eventually chose to drop the suit. The ordinances remain in effect today.

Because of this history, Texas Right to life is confident that the Planned Parenthood lawsuit will fail as well. Texas Right to Life's Director of Media and Communications responded to the news:

“Unsurprisingly, Planned Parenthood, which profits off the death of preborn children, is throwing a hodgepodge of complaints at the court and seeing what they can get to stick. In passing the ordinance, Lubbockites acted within their constitutional rights to self-governance and within the scope of current U.S. Supreme Court abortion jurisprudence. The ordinance language is solid and was carefully drafted in expectation of the abortion industry filing a lawsuit.”

Click here to read more.

US Supreme Court Announces it will Review Mississippi Abortion Law

photo credit: Wally Gobetz / Flickr

On Monday, the Supreme Court of the United States announced that it will review Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization; a case concerning a Mississippi law that bans abortion after 15 weeks gestation. Arguments will be heard this fall, and a decision is expected in the summer of 2022.

“We applaud the U.S. Supreme Court for examining the Mississippi law,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life (NRLC). “We know more today about the life of a child in the womb than we did fifty years ago. The medical advances made in our knowledge of unborn children and their care and treatment are astonishing. Today, viability is not a characteristic of the baby but of how advanced our technology has become.”

Mississippi's 2018 "Gestational Age Act" prohibits abortion after 15 weeks gestation. Jackson's Women's Health Organization, the only abortion business in Mississippi, responded to the legislation by filing a lawsuit against the state. The federal district court struck down the law, and the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the lower court's ruling. Those courts reasoned that the law was unconstitutional because it restricted abortion before viability, but now the Supreme Court has the opportunity to revisit that ruling.

A Supreme Court Ruling on this case has the potential to reconsider Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. The former legalized abortion throughout the United States, while the latter set viability as the standard for when abortion can be restricted.

“But there is, of course, precedent in the Court’s jurisprudence for prohibiting abortions before viability,” said Jennifer Popik, J.D., federal legislative director for NRLC. “The 2003 Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act banned a particular abortion procedure that was used both before and after what is considered viability. It was found to be constitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2007.”

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker also responded to the news by posting on his Facebook page:

"I'm alarmed that the Supreme Court is taking up this radical case that restricts a woman's right to choose. Thanks to the tireless work of advocates, I was proud to sign landmark legislation here in Illinois to enshrine reproductive rights into law.

No matter what happens on the federal level, the Reproductive Health Act protects Illinois women and their fundamental right to make their own healthcare decisions. And we will stand strong with women across the country and continue to fight with you for your right to choose." 

Click here to read more.

Montana Gov. Signs Law Banning Title X Funds from Going to Abortion Businesses

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte (R)

On Thursday, May 13, Montana Governor Greg Gianforte signed HB 620 into law; banning taxpayer funds in the state from going to Title X programs that include abortion. Funds will be rerouted to other health care facilities that don't abort children.

The law was passed unanimously by the Montana Senate, and it passed the Montana House of Representatives in a 30-20 vote.

HB 620 creates a policy very similar to former President Donald Trump's "Protect Life" Title X rule, which barred Title X recipients from committing abortions, referring patients to abortion providers, or co-locating with organizations that offer abortion. Planned Parenthood walked away from millions of dollars in taxpayer funding when the rule took effect.

Click here to read more.

HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra Denies Existence of Partial-Birth Abortion Ban

HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra

In a hearing with the House Energy & Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Health Wednesday, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra denied the existence of any law prohibiting partial-birth abortions.

Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.), Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Tx.), and Rep. John Joyce, MD (R-Pa.) each questioned Becerra on whether he believes partial-birth abortions are illegal.

Here is an excerpt from the transcript of Wednesday's hearing:

Rep. Bilirakis: Do you agree that partial-birth abortion is illegal, sir?

Sec. Becerra: Congressman, thank you for the question and, here, as I said in response to some of those questions during my confirmation hearing, we will continue to make sure we follow the law. Again, with due respect, there is no medical term like partial-birth abortion and so I would probably have to ask you what you mean by that– to describe what is allowed by the law.

…

Sec. Becerra: Which law are we talking about, sir?

Rep. Bilirakis: The law concerning partial-birth abortion.

Sec. Becerra: Well, again, as I said, there is no law that deals specifically with the term partial-birth abortion…

Becerra should know better since he personally voted against the 2003 Partial-Birth Ban Abortion Act. The law passed and was later upheld by the Supreme Court in 2007.

The Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act describes partial-birth abortions as follows:

"…an abortion in which a physician deliberately and intentionally vaginally delivers a living, unborn child’s body until either the entire baby’s head is outside the body of the mother, or any part of the baby’s trunk past the navel is outside the body of the mother and only the head remains inside the womb, for the purpose of performing an overt act (usually the puncturing of the back of the child’s skull and removing the baby’s brains) that the person knows will kill the partially delivered infant, performs this act, and then completes delivery of the dead infant."

FACT: Partial-birth abortion has been illegal since 2003.

FACT: In 2007, the Supreme Court upheld the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act.

Now pro-abortion @SecBecerra, head of Health of Human Services, is claiming the law doesn't exist.

This is wild. https://t.co/YchH55R0Kw

— Lila Rose (@LilaGraceRose) May 13, 2021

Becerra's answer is worrying, as it suggests that the HHS will not acknowledge or enforce this basic pro-life protection.

Click here to read more.

African American Father and Pastor Urges Illinois Legislators to Keep Parental Notification

Pastor Jon Jones
screen capture from Vimeo

At a recent press conference, African American parent and pastor Jon Jones of Christian Life Center's Tinley Park Campus voiced his concerns about Illinois legislation that would repeal Illinois's Parental Notification of Abortion Act.

Pastor Jones referenced a Tarrance Group poll conducted in March 2021, which asked, “If a minor under age 18 is seeking an abortion, do you think the law should require her parent or guardian to be notified before the procedure?” 72% of the 600 respondents, including 58% of pro-choice respondents and 76% of minority respondents, said that they supported such a law.

Click here to watch the video of Pastor Jon's comments if it does not appear, or read his comments below.

"I am the father of a teenage girl... I love my daughter and I care very deeply about what goes on in her life. If she were to get pregnant and consider an abortion, I would want to know so my wife and I could help her deal with the unexpected situation. Because we love her, we feel it is our duty to protect and guide her. We're a family, and we deal with matters together. The state should not seek to interfere with our relationship.

Current law requiring that a parent or an adult family member be notified when a minor girl is seeking an abortion to us just makes common sense... I understand not every child comes from a family like ours, and the needs of those children must be met; as they are in this law with the provided exemptions to notification, but it is also important to weigh the needs of loving families and ensure the government not do more to denigrate them.

When our state laws ensure children can't make their own decision for accessing the tanning beds, tattoos, and tobacco, it seems unfathomable that the law would allow a minor to make a decision to access abortion without any adult guidance. We know the potential severe physical and emotional consequences associated with abortion. We cannot leave our children to face them alone. I urge you [legislators] to keep the current law in place. Thank you."

Click here to read more.