July 20, 2022
Biden HHS Threatens Legal Action Against Pharmacies that Don't Fill Abortion Pill Prescriptions
July 19, 2022
Pro-Life Flight Attendant Awarded $5.1 Million After being Fired for Criticizing Union
July 18, 2022
Wisconsin Abortionist to Open Abortion Business in Rockford, IL
Dennis Christensen screenshot from "Lake of Fire" documentary clip available here |
July 15, 2022
Federal Court Reinstates Missouri Down Syndrome Abortion Ban
New York AG Asks Google to Remove Pro-Life Pregnancy Centers from Search Results
New York Attorney General Letitia James |
July 14, 2022
Biden Considering Public Health Emergency Declaration over Abortion
photo credit: Gage Skidmore / Flickr |
“...fundamentally, the only way to change this is if we have a national law that reinstates Roe v. Wade. That’s the bottom line. Everything else would be pieces of it, and I’m trying to do that. But as president, I don’t have the authority to say that we’re going to, you know, reinstate Roe v. Wade as the law of the land. The only way we do that is through an election of the United States Congress. In the meantime, states can make those judgments. But, so, my ultimate goal is to reinstate Roe v. Wade as a national law by passing it in the United States Congress. And I’ll sign it the moment that happens.”
July 13, 2022
Federal Court Lifts Injunction Against Indiana's Dismemberment Abortion Ban
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita (R) |
July 12, 2022
Pennsylvania Legislature Approves Constitutional Amendment Barring Taxpayer Funding of Abortion
July 11, 2022
Proposed Rockford Abortion Clinic Condemned by City
July 8, 2022
Biden Signs Executive Order on Abortion
President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Friday, July 8 in response to the US Supreme Court's decision overturning Roe v. Wade.
According to a fact sheet released by the White House before Biden signed the order, it focuses on four areas:
- safeguarding access to abortion
- protecting the privacy of women who have abortions
- promoting the safety and security of abortionists and their patients
- coordinating federal efforts to protect abortion rights and abortion access
The executive order directs the HHS to protect and expand access to contraception and abortion; especially abortion-inducing drugs. It also calls for a meeting of private pro bono lawyers to represent women seeking abortions.
Biden, in a statement to the press before signing the executive order, called the Supreme Court's Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision, "terrible, extreme, and... totally wrong-headed."
The Supreme Court decision ruled that the Constitution does not take a stance on the legality of abortion, thereby returning the right to regulate the issue to the states. This allows states to protect the lives of innocent unborn children who could otherwise be wrongfully killed through the act of abortion. Such actions are not "terrible" or "extreme." They are the recognition that all humans, even the unborn, have rights that must be protected
Missouri Attorney General Plans to Sue Cities that Use Taxes to Pay for Abortion Travel
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt (R) |
Michigan Gov. Asks Insurance Companies to Illegally Cover Abortions
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) |
Michigan's 2013 Abortion Insurance Opt-Out Act prohibits insurance companies from covering abortions as a default benefit of their health insurance policies. Instead, individuals who wanted abortion coverage needed select that option as an additional "benefit" to their health insurance. Michiganders passed the law after the Affordable Care Act forced taxpayers to fund abortion through state exchanges.
The Abortion Insurance Opt-Out Act was never repealed, and no judge has issued an injunction against the law. By asking companies to expand their default plans to cover abortion, Whitmer is asking them to violate state law.
Right to Life Michigan President Barbara Listing responded,
“Governor Whitmer is treading on dangerous water by assuming that Judge Bleacher’s temporary injunction on our Michigan 1931 abortion law eliminates all pre-existing laws regulating abortion—it doesn’t. Regardless of Governor Whitmer’s inappropriate request to insurance companies, the Abortion Insurance Opt-Out law is still in place and violators of the law can be fined up to $10,000.
This plea to insurance companies encouraging them to break the law reveals Governor Whitmer’s plan to expand abortion until it’s unlimited and unregulated in Michigan."
July 7, 2022
Kentucky Judge Issues Restraining Order Blocking State Abortion Ban
July 6, 2022
IL Sen Feigenholtz Posts Image Demonizing Catholics after Dobbs Ruling
“An extremist minority of anti-choice officials have pushed anti-abortion rhetoric with the end goal of overturning Roe v. Wade. This has been their strategy for 50 years; this has always been their endgame.“Fortunately, Illinois was prepared. We passed HB40 and the Reproductive Health Act, which removed outdated laws enshrined in statute by anti-choice zealots and made Illinois a beacon for reproductive rights. As a result, Illinois is now ready to welcome those that need reproductive healthcare.”
It should go without saying that the pro-life movement strives to save lives. We do this not only by fighting against abortion; but also by creating a culture of life that supports women during pregnancy. Through her temporary profile picture and rhetoric demonizing "anti-choice zealots," Feigenholtz only encourages hateful conduct toward Catholics and pro-life advocates.
July 5, 2022
Pritzker Asks Biden to Increase Abortion Funding and Create Clinics on Federal Land
While only a portion of the governors' meeting was made available to the public, Capitol Fax received and published talking points from Governor Pritzker's office.
According to those talking points, Pritzker asked the federal government to create abortion clinics on federal land, make sure abortion pills are made available for distribution through the US postal service, create a communication network for abortion businesses to help them manage an influx of patients, and increase federal funding for abortions.
The full statement from Pritzker's office is below.
I propose that you immediately form a reproductive healthcare strike force – pulling together the best experts, federal leaders, and the states on the frontline of this fight to find every single federal rule and regulation that can enhance our ability to provide reproductive health care. Eliminate the rules that are creating barriers and create new rules that expand access. Make sure the FTC takes a hard look at whether our existing privacy regulations are sufficient to protect individuals looking for abortion care.
That’s action we can take without Congress, without the Courts – right now – and save lives.
I believe there are four essential issues that need immediate focus.
ONE. Right off the bat, we can find a way for the federal government to support doctors in EVERY state providing telehealth and mail prescriptions to patients, as well as making facilities on federal land in EVERY state available for clinicians to practice.
TWO. Those mail prescriptions are going out through the United States Postal Service, not the postal service of Alabama or Missouri. So we need to get out in front of any attempts to criminalize use of the federal postal system to deliver medication, because they will try.
THREE. We also need a centralized hub connecting patients and providers across state lines. I’m getting calls from providers up and down Illinois who are getting double and triple booked by scared patients who are grabbing every appointment they can because they’re afraid of losing all of them. There needs to be an ultra-secure navigator system for providers to communicate with each other and with patients about their options. We don’t want any appointments going to waste.
FOUR. Most importantly of all: we need federal dollars. Illinois is going to have half the country relying on us to provide abortions and reproductive health care. We fund abortions with our Medicaid dollars. But our state funds alone can’t support the demand. We need the federal government to pay for clinic upkeep, medical transport, and other associated billable items up until the abortion itself. And the federal government can provide the state with additional funding elsewhere to support our Medicaid needs.
This is a crisis and we need to treat it like one. That means acting urgently as a collective in the way this moment demands. We need to put more decision makers in a room and figure out creative ways to get to yes. I’m asking that as soon as this call ends, we work with our teams to get a concrete meeting for the coalition on the calendar. Illinois is happy to convene federal and state leaders, but I’ll go wherever it takes to get this done.
July 1, 2022
Michigan Citizens to Vote on Abortion Rights Amendment
photo credit: Mike Bowler Sr. / Flickr |
"Every individual has a fundamental right to reproductive freedom, which entails the right to make and effectuate decisions about all matters relating to pregnancy, including but not limited to prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, contraception, sterilization, abortion care, miscarriage management, and infertility care. An individual's right to reproductive freedom shall not be denied, burdened, nor infringed upon unless justified by a compelling state interest achieved by the least restrictive means. Notwithstanding the above, the state may regulate the provision of abortion care after fetal viability, provided that in no circumstance shall the state prohibit an abortion that, in the professional judgment of an attending health care professional, is medically indicated to protect the life or physical or mental health of the pregnant individual."
The amendment goes on to say that the state's interest in regulating abortion is not "compelling" if it infringes on a woman's "autonomous decision-making." With that statement, along with the idea that abortion is protected when it is determined to protect the "mental health" of the mother, it is difficult to imagine any action the state could make to regulate abortion at all.
Abortion became illegal in Michigan after the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, however, is refusing to enforce state law.
If ratified into the Michigan constitution, this amendment would nullify most or all pro-life laws. These include informed consent, parental consent, a 24-hour waiting period, a partial-birth abortion ban, born-alive infant protections, conscience protections for doctors, and more.
June 30, 2022
Nancy Pelosi Pushes Democrats to Pass WHPA, Abolish Filibuster
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) |
"While this extremist Supreme Court works to punish and control the American people, Democrats must continue our fight to expand freedom in America. Doing so is foundational to our oath of office and our fidelity to the Constitution.It is clear from how Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell stacked the Supreme Court that elections have ramifications. It is essential that we protect and expand our pro-choice Majorities in the House and Senate in November so that we can eliminate the filibuster so that we can restore women’s fundamental rights – and freedom for every American."
The filibuster prevents legislation in the US Senate from moving to a vote unless 60 Senators approve. Pelosi is hoping that her party might gain a strong enough majority in the Senate to end the filibuster, thereby allowing pro-abortion politicians to pass legislation such as the WHPA with fewer votes. This would have the side-effect of allowing future pro-life majorities to pass legislation more easily as well.
The WHPA has already failed to bypass Senate filibusters twice. This legislation would create a federal right to abortion and prevent states from enforcing a variety of pro-life laws. The restrictions it would place on states are even more strict than those placed by Roe v. Wade.
June 29, 2022
HHS Secretary Becerra Announces Policies to Strengthen Abortion
HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra photo credit: Gage Skidmore / Flickr |
- Increasing access to abortion drugs by ensuring that federally-supported programs comply with law requiring them to provide abortion drugs in cases of rape, incest, or to save the mother's life
- Ensuring privacy and nondiscrimination for abortionists and women seeking abortion
- Supporting doctors' "clinical judgment" when treating pregnant women "and reaffirming that abortion care can be appropriate to stabilize patients" under the Emergency Medical Treatment Act
- Ensuring all healthcare providers have training and resources to commit abortions or refer patients for abortion
- Directing the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) "to take every legally available step" to protect abortion and contraception. This includes "[making] clear that family planning providers are able to participate in the Medicaid program."
It is worth noting that abortion is never medically necessary to save the life of a mother. In situations where the woman's life is in jeopardy, doctors can end pregnancy via preterm delivery (which is also faster than abortion). Preterm delivery may result in a child's death, but it does not intentionally kill the child. It also gives the child a chance to live. The youngest preterm children have survived at 21 weeks gestation. As medical knowledge advances, it is likely that even younger children will survive birth.
At a news conference on Tuesday, Becerra was asked if the federal government could put abortion clinics on federal land to bypass state laws or help women travel to different states to get abortions. He responded that "every option is on the table."
Becerra's press release included an anecdote noting the extreme difference in abortion's legality throughout the midwest.
"I was at a Planned Parenthood clinic in St. Louis, Missouri, on Friday morning when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. I saw in real time the impact of this unconscionable decision. The Clinic Director had to almost immediately start turning away patients as the state’s ban went into effect. This clinic has stopped providing safe and legal abortion care. People in the room were visibly shaken, there were tears and an unshakeable sense of sadness.
After my visit to the clinic in St. Louis, I traveled across the state line to another clinic in Fairview Heights, Illinois – a state that, unlike Missouri, still had lawful abortion care. There, I visited a site that helps patients get care by providing assistance – ranging from helping patients find appointments to paying for their travel expenses –and abortion care. It was shocking that, in the United States of America, a short drive can make such a dire and draconian difference in health care outcomes. I saw restrictions that leave women and families on unequal footing and widen maternal health disparities."
June 28, 2022
Biden Calls on Congress to Codify a Right to Abortion
June 27, 2022
Pritzker Announces Plan to Call Special Session for Abortion Legislation
"To that end, I am informing the General Assembly that I will be calling them into special session in the coming weeks to more firmly protect women’s reproductive rights in Illinois and address the challenges posed by this radical Supreme Court decision. I’m grateful to have the support and partnership of House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch and Senate President Don Harmon in this effort. Together, the Democratic leadership in Illinois is committed to taking swift action to further enshrine our commitment to reproductive healthcare."
At the time of writing, it has not been announced what legislation the General Assembly will consider during the special session. The IFRL will let our readers know about pro-abortion legislation. To stay up-to-date, subscribe to our newsletter by entering your name and email in the blue box on the right side of this webpage. You will need to be on the desktop version of the website to do so. If you are on mobile, tap "view web version" near the bottom of the screen.