Congress is back in session after a long recess. The March for Life just happened. And with the election coming up, it's a good time to remind folks who in Congress has done more than just say that they are pro-life. To see whether or not your lawmakers have voted for pro-life bills, check out National Right to Life Committee's (NRLC) excellent scorecards. Or take a look at CitizenLink's scorecard, which we publish jointly with the Family Research Council. (Ours is a compilation of more than just pro-life votes.)
But in case you don't want to sift through years of votes, here's a also look at the major players behind the pro-life bills currently awaiting consideration in the House and the Senate. Most of the sponsors are stalwarts, and you should know their names. You'll also notice most of these guys are House Members; the Senate has barely a handful of pro-lifers.
•Rep. Trent Franks (R-Arizona). Recently introduced the District of Columbia Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (bill not yet posted), provides that no abortions can be performed in D.C. if the preborn baby is over 20 weeks gestation. NRLC has a nice press release about it here. Franks is also responsible for the Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act (PRENDA) (H.R. 3541). PRENDA would impose criminal penalties on doctors who perform abortions when they know the abortion is being sought because of the baby's race or gender. The bill has 70 cosponsors and received a hearing in early December in the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution.
•Rep. John Fleming (R-Louisiana). Introduced the Abortion Non-Discrimination Act (H.R. 361), which bans any federal, state or local government from using federal funds to discriminate against a health care entity (doctor, hospital, health insurance provider, etc.) that refuses to participate in abortion. It also provides a way for health care entities to pursue redress if the government discriminates against them. It's been sitting in the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health since Fleming introduced it last January. I wouldn't be surprised if we see more movement on this bill soon, given the recent freedom-of-conscience violations we've seen here, here, and here.
•Rep. Chris Smith (R-New Jersey). Introduced the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act (H.R. 3). No federal taxpayer dollars may be used for abortions, in any program, anywhere. And nobody gets at tax deduction for having an abortion, either. The bill passed the House last May. Smith is probably the biggest die-hard pro-lifer I've seen in the House, and a likeable guy. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi) introduced the companion bill to Smith's legislation (S.906) and it awaits consideration in the Senate Committee on Finance.
•Rep. Mike Pence (R-Indiana). One of the better-known and respected pro-life activists in Congress. Pence's Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act (H.R. 217) would cut off federal funding to the country's abortion providers (the largest being Planned Parenthood, which annually receives hundreds of millions in federal, state and local money. The bill has 178 cosponsors and awaits consideration in the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health.
•Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio). Introduced the Ultrasound Informed Consent Act (bill not yet posted), requiring abortion providers to perform an ultrasound and provide a medical description of the image before a woman gives consent for an abortion. Yet another bill on the list for the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
Contact: Ashley Horne
Source: CitizenLink
