| NOW DC rally protesting Stupak amendment fo shizzle fizzles Randall Terry and Andrew Beacham have posted video of the fizzled NOW rally yesterday. This was the perfect venue for Terry's antics, and I have to say he cracked me up, even while destroying my favorite song of all time... Click here for the video. Twitter works both ways. It gets word out to the right people... and to the wrong people. Such was the case this morning when I stumbled upon a tweet by National Organization for Women promoting a rally today in downtown DC to protest the House's passage of the Stupak/Pitts Amendment. The plan was to march around the Senate and House office buildings to scare senators. Click to enlarge...  I thought of the perfect person to relay this piece of information: Randall Terry. Here was the perfect niche for him. Terry quickly assembled a small group to dog the feminist pro-aborts.  The screen shot, above, is of pro-lifers mixing it up - holding signs of aborted babies - with pro-aborts.  Terry reported back that the DC police broke up the rally because NOW didn't have a permit. Whoops. LOL. DC law requires assemblages greater than 19 to file for a permit. I suppose it would have been doubly embarrassing had not the NOW gang fulfilled DC's definition of an assembly - which it barely did with 30 on hand. Contact: Jill Stanek Source: jillstanek.com Publish Date: November 10, 2009 Link to this article. Send this article to a friend. |
November 10, 2009
NOW DC rally protesting Stupak amendment fo shizzle fizzles
Baby RB Father Surrenders
Baby RB Father Surrenders Big headlines over here in the UK today: The fight to save the life of Baby RB has ended with the father's acquiescence to removing life support. From the story: A baby at the centre of a "right to life" court battle will be allowed to die after his father today withdrew his case. Doctors and the one-year-old child's mother had gone to the High Court for permission to switch off his life support. The father backed down on the seventh day of an emotionally-charged High Court hearing. In a moving statement the judge, Mr Justice McFarlane, paid tribute to the parents' care for the boy, recognising the "immense stress" they had suffered at the cost of their relationship. In one moment, he said, all their hopes and dreams for their baby had been dashed and replaced by a "a life characterised by worry, stress, exhaustion, confusion and no doubt great sadness". The judge had faced the formidable task of deciding whether the chronically disabled child, known only as RB,should be allowed to live or die in peace after withdrawal of his ventilation. "Be allowed to die in peace" rather than live with disabilities. Kind of sums it all up in a nutshell, doesn't it? Contact: Wesley J. Smith Source: Secondhand Smoke Publish Date: November 10, 2009 Link to this article. Send this article to a friend. |
Obama lays down gauntlet: Opposes Stupak Amendment
Obama lays down gauntlet: Opposes Stupak Amendment Well, that didn't take long. It was only yesterday that pro-abort groups like Planned Parenthood and EMILY's List began pushing Barack Obama to dump the Stupak/Pitts Amendment from the socialized healthcare bill. Last Night during an interview with ABC's Jake Tapper, Obama responded: President Obama said today that Congress needs to change abortion-related language in the health care bill passed by the House of Representatives this weekend. "I laid out a very simple principle, which is this is a health care bill, not an abortion bill," Obama said. "And we're not looking to change what is the principle that has been in place for a very long time, which is federal dollars are not used to subsidize abortions."... Saying the bill cannot change the status quo regarding the ban on federally funded abortions, the president said, "There are strong feelings on both sides" about an amendment passed Saturday and added to the legislation, "and what that tells me is that there needs to be some more work before we get to the point where we're not changing the status quo."... And then in a display showing he either 1) thinks we're idiots; 2) thinks he's god; or 3) is wildly delusional, Obama continued: Obama told... Tapper that he was confident that the final legislation will ensure that "neither side feels that it's being betrayed." "I want to make sure that the provision that emerges meets that test - that we are not in some way sneaking in funding for abortions, but, on the other hand, that we're not restricting women's insurance choices," he said. National Right to Life's Doug Johnson responded: The only thing that will prevent the health care bill from being "an abortion bill" is precisely the Stupak-Pitts Amendment, as the House recognized by a 46-vote margin. The phoniness of Obama's claim that he has been trying to preserve the "status quo" on abortion policy should be evident to any observer by now. false, healthcare, stupak, abortion.gif In reality, the White House and top Democratic congressional leaders have been working hard to create a national federal government health plan that would fund abortion on demand, just as Obama promised Planned Parenthood. According to Politifact.com on November 7, the claim that Stupak/Pitts "changes the status quo" is FALSE. Contact: Jill Stanek Source: jillstanek.com Publish Date: November 9, 2009 Link to this article. Send this article to a friend. |
UK Down Syndrome Pregnancies Rise Sharply - 92% End In Abortion
UK Down Syndrome Pregnancies Rise Sharply - 92% End In Abortion LONDON - The number of Down syndrome pregnancies in the UK has nearly doubled over the past 20 years, whereas the number of Down syndrome births has slightly declined, with the vast majority of such pregnancies ending in abortion, according to a study published Oct. 26 in the British Medical Journal. University of London researchers found the number of confirmed prenatal or postnatal diagnoses of Down syndrome increased by 71 percent between 1989 and 2008, from 1075 to 1843. However, live births of babies with Down syndrome fell about 1 per cent, from 752 to 743 over the time period. Though the proportion of mothers diagnosed with a Down syndrome baby who decided to abort their child remained constant at 92 percent, the increased numbers of babies being diagnosed with the syndrome means the actual number of abortions rose sharply. Dr. Joan Morris and Dr. Eva Alberman analyzed data from the U.K.'s National Down Syndrome Cytogenetic Register, which includes approximately 93 percent of all diagnoses of Down syndrome in England and Wales. The research pointed to maternal age playing a large part in the increased number of Down syndrome pregnancies. The trend toward later motherhood has resulted in a higher risk of having a child with Down syndrome, with the research estimating that the risk for a 40-year-old mother is 16 times that for a 25-year-old mother. With many women delaying motherhood until their thirties and forties, most are encouraged by the medical profession to undergo screening for Down syndrome, usually with the intention of abortion if the test reveals the condition. The initial screening test consists of an ultrasound scan and blood tests, but these tests are by no means accurate or conclusive. If Down syndrome is suspected, an amniocentesis, which uses a needle to extract fluid from the womb for analysis, is carried out. This test carries a roughly 1 in 100 chance of injuring the child in the womb with a consequent miscarriage. Official figures for 2008 from the UK's Office of National Statistics show that nearly half of all births in England and Wales were to women aged over 30, compared to just 28 per cent in 1986. Professor Morris said, "What we're seeing here is a steep rise in pregnancies with Down syndrome but that is being offset by improvements in screening. It was thought that these improvements would lead to a decrease in the number of births with Down's Syndrome. However due to increases in maternal age this has not occurred." "In the absence of such screening, numbers of live births with Down syndrome would have increased by 48 per cent, since couples are starting families at an older age," she said. The researchers noted a sharp increase in the proportion of Down syndrome pregnancies in women under the age of 37 being detected by screening, rising from three percent to 43 percent within the time frame of the study, while the figure for women over 37 remained constant at around 70 percent. "The proportion of antenatal diagnoses has increased most strikingly in younger women, whereas that in older women has stayed relatively constant. This trend suggests that, even with future improvements in screening, a large number of births with Down syndrome are still likely, and that monitoring of the numbers of babies born with Down syndrome is essential to ensure adequate provision for their needs," the study reported. Contact: Thaddeus M. Baklinski Source: LifeSiteNews.com Publish Date: November 9, 2009 Link to this article. xSend this article to a friend. |
NEWS SHORTS FOR TUESDAY
| NEWS SHORTS FOR TUESDAY (Referral to Web sites not produced by The Illinois Federation for Right to LIfe is for informational purposes only and does not necessarily constitute an endorsement of the sites' content.) Planned Parenthood Says It Will Expand Lot In Aurora  Planned Parenthood's parking lot, quite possibly Aurora's most controversial parking lot, will be expanding by 11 spaces. Aldermen voted 7 to 3 Tuesday to follow the Planning and Development Committee's recommendation of 11 new spaces, 16 fewer than the clinic said it needed to increase security for its employees and clients. A dozen abortion opponents, many who claim to spend several hours outside the clinic praying for and counseling the couples and women headed inside, argued they have caused no violence at the site since it opened two years ago and posed no threat. Click here for the full article. Deal Cut In Aurora Planned Parenthood Protests Suit  AURORA -- Tonight, the City Council will have a chance to bring a two-year legal battle between the city and anti-abortion protesters to a close. In August of 2007, local group Fox Valley Families Against Planned Parenthood filed suit in federal court, charging the city with infringing on the First Amendment rights of protesters rallying in front of Planned Parenthood's clinic on East New York Street. Since then, the two sides have been hammering out an agreement that would regulate protests there, and still preserve the rights of those protesting. According to attorneys from both sides, a settlement was reached last week, and presented to Judge Virginia Kendall on Monday morning. Peter Breen of the Thomas More Society, representing the protesters, said Kendall "strongly recommended" the council approve the agreement. Click here for the full article. Chicago Tribune Examines Long Debate Over Illinois Law On Parental Notification For Abortion  The Chicago Tribune on Sunday examined the "long and complicated" history of Illinois' more than 30-year debate over parental notification for minors seeking abortions. Most recently, a Cook County Circuit Court judge blocked enforcement of a 1995 law that was set to take effect last week. The American Civil Liberties Union has questioned whether the law violates state constitutional protections on privacy and gender equality. Illinois' first attempt at parental involvement, a provision of the Illinois Abortion Law of 1975, would have required unmarried minors to obtain consent of one parent prior to an abortion, unless a doctor certified that the procedure was "necessary to preserve the life or health of the mother." Courts ruled the provision unconstitutional because the state lacked the authority to give "absolute veto power" to parents. Click here for the full article. Pro-Abort HuffPo Writer Rips NARAL and PP for Pro-Life Victory in Health Bill PP points finger at U.S. Bishops, calls pro-life stance "unconscionable power play"   In a piece published on the Huffington Post website on Monday, one prominent pro-abortion writer has issued a stinging criticism of Planned Parenthood and NARAL following the pro-life amendment victory in the health care bill on Saturday, complaining that the abortion leaders have been more faithful to the Democratic Party than their pro-abortion ideals. "Let's be clear about this," wrote Jane Hamsher, the founder and publisher of the blog FireDogLake. "The only reason that we are in [this] position ... is because Planned Parenthood and NARAL have allowed it to happen." Click here for the full article. Man Confesses to Shooting Kansas Abortion Provider  Wichita, Kansas - The man accused of shooting a Kansas abortion provider has confessed to the killing to The Associated Press, saying he has no regrets. In a telephone call from jail Monday, Scott Roeder told the AP: "Because of the fact pre-born children's lives were in imminent danger, this was the action I chose." The 51-year-old Kansas City man is charged with first-degree murder and aggravated assault in the May 31 shooting of Dr. George Tiller at the abortion provider's Wichita church. Click here for the full article. Spanish pro-life leader says abortion still a concern in Spain  Zaragoza, Spain - Speaking at the fourth International Pro-Life Congress which began on November 6, president of the Spanish Federation of Pro-Life Associations Alicia Latorre noted that abortion is the "gravest problem that Spain is facing" and charged, "We will nto rest until there are no abortions." During the Congress's first press conference, Latorre said, "The debate on abortion is not over; it is an issue of critical importance today." "There is no room for reproaching or criticizing anybody because lives that have been lost cannot be regained. Rather, positive ideas for the future that involve society in supporting pregnant women ought to be put forth." Attributing the slight decrease in the number of abortions in Spain in 2008 to the work of pro-life organizations, Torres added, "We will not rest until there are no abortions." Click here for the full article. |
November 9, 2009
Pro-life organizations celebrate Stupak amendment, warn of existing risks on health care bill
Pro-life organizations celebrate Stupak amendment, warn of existing risks on health care bill
This morning, top pro-life organizations across the U.S. praised the inclusion of strong pro-life provisions on the health care bill via the Stupak-Pitts amendment, but warned that Obama's health care project still poses significant threats to life and family issues, especially in the version discussed in the Senate.
The Stupak-Pitts Amendment, which was given the opportunity to be taken to a vote after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi realized she did not have sufficient votes to pass the bill, removed two major pro-abortion components from H.R. 3962: The prohibition of the "public option" from paying for abortion, except to save the life of the mother, or in cases of rape or incest; and by permanently prohibiting the use of the new federal premium subsidies to purchase private insurance plans that cover abortion.
The Stupak-Pitts Amendment passed by a margin of 240-194, while the health care bill passed later on Saturday night by 220-215.
The National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) Legislative Director Douglas Johnson said that "the Obama White House and top congressional Democratic leaders spent months concealing and misrepresenting provisions that would directly fund abortions through a government plan, and subsidize premiums for private abortion plans. Today's bipartisan House vote is a sharp blow to the White House's pro-abortion smuggling operation."
Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser said on Saturday that, "the House of Representatives made a principled and politically sound decision to continue our nation's longstanding policy of protecting taxpayers' conscience in the area of abortion funding. We urge the Senate to follow suit."
Family Research Council President Tony Perkins described the amendment's passage as "a huge pro-life victory for women, their unborn children, and families. We applaud this House vote which prohibits the abortion industry from further profiting from taxpayers by using government funds to pay for the gruesome act of abortion. I congratulate the bipartisan coalition that for months has worked to ensure that abortion is not covered in the bill."
Operation Rescue President Troy Newman also said on Sunday that "the voices of 71% of the American people who oppose taxpayer funded abortions were heard loud and clear. We thank each one who took the time to raise their voices in opposition to the Obama-Pelosi- Carhart effort to force taxpayers to fund the shedding of innocent blood through abortion."
While Dr. Charmaine Yoest, President and CEO of Americans United for Life said: "the passage of this amendment is a victory for the pro-life Americans across this country who have flooded Congress this week with the message that abortion does not belong in health care. The bipartisan effort that led to its passage, under the leadership of Congressmen Bart Stupak and Joe Pitts, is a step toward a future where both political parties defend Life."
Nevertheless, the pro-life organizations highlighted that the threats against the right to life still exist.
In fact, NRLC's leadership warned that "the White House and pro- abortion congressional Democratic leaders will keep trying to enact government funding of abortion, and will keep trying to conceal their true intentions, so there is a long battle ahead."
"We will remain vigilant, and shift our efforts to the Senate to ensure that these same pro-life protections are added to the Senate bill, said the Susan B. Anthony List.
FRC's Perkins also warned that: "unfortunately, H.R. 3962 is a seriously flawed piece of legislation. The Speaker's bill still allows rationing of health care for seniors, raises health costs for families, mandates that families purchase under threat of fines and penalties, encourages counseling for assisted suicide in some states, does not offer broad conscience protections for health care workers and seeks to insert the federal government into all aspects of citizen's lives. Speaker Pelosi is using the guise of health care reform to push her version of social engineering onto American taxpayers. Additionally, the legislation would place a crushing debt on both current and future generations."
Concerned Women of America said that "the bill still contains objectionable provisions that will ration and deny health care and pay for coercive 'end of life planning'."
"There is still a long way to go to prevent government subsidized health care from paying for abortions. Now the ball is in the Senate's court, and we pray that the common sense displayed in the House on the matter of abortion funding will also prevail in the Senate," Operation Rescue's statement said.
Dr. Yoest warned too that "one victory however does not mean the battle is won."
"We are deeply concerned by the rhetoric we heard today from Democratic leadership indicating an intention to subvert the bipartisan pro-life majority. We will remain vigilant in watching the final language of the Senate bill to ensure that pro-life protections remain in the final health care reform bill."
The only dissenting voice came from the pro-Obama "Catholics United," whose executive director, Chris Korzen said that "the bishops' stamp of approval means that this bill is unambiguously pro-life, and we will vigorously oppose those who suggest otherwise."
However, a staff member of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) currently working on the Hill to prevent health care from including an abortion mandate, quickly dismissed Korzen's claim.
Speaking for background to CNA, the USCCB staff member said that "there is stamp no of approval from the bishops whatsoever. Someone here has been either extremely naive or extremely partisan."
The bill will now be debated and voted upon in the Senate.
Source: CNA
Publish Date: November 8, 2009
Link to this article.
Send this article to a friend.
This morning, top pro-life organizations across the U.S. praised the inclusion of strong pro-life provisions on the health care bill via the Stupak-Pitts amendment, but warned that Obama's health care project still poses significant threats to life and family issues, especially in the version discussed in the Senate.
The Stupak-Pitts Amendment, which was given the opportunity to be taken to a vote after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi realized she did not have sufficient votes to pass the bill, removed two major pro-abortion components from H.R. 3962: The prohibition of the "public option" from paying for abortion, except to save the life of the mother, or in cases of rape or incest; and by permanently prohibiting the use of the new federal premium subsidies to purchase private insurance plans that cover abortion.
The Stupak-Pitts Amendment passed by a margin of 240-194, while the health care bill passed later on Saturday night by 220-215.
The National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) Legislative Director Douglas Johnson said that "the Obama White House and top congressional Democratic leaders spent months concealing and misrepresenting provisions that would directly fund abortions through a government plan, and subsidize premiums for private abortion plans. Today's bipartisan House vote is a sharp blow to the White House's pro-abortion smuggling operation."
Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser said on Saturday that, "the House of Representatives made a principled and politically sound decision to continue our nation's longstanding policy of protecting taxpayers' conscience in the area of abortion funding. We urge the Senate to follow suit."
Family Research Council President Tony Perkins described the amendment's passage as "a huge pro-life victory for women, their unborn children, and families. We applaud this House vote which prohibits the abortion industry from further profiting from taxpayers by using government funds to pay for the gruesome act of abortion. I congratulate the bipartisan coalition that for months has worked to ensure that abortion is not covered in the bill."
Operation Rescue President Troy Newman also said on Sunday that "the voices of 71% of the American people who oppose taxpayer funded abortions were heard loud and clear. We thank each one who took the time to raise their voices in opposition to the Obama-Pelosi- Carhart effort to force taxpayers to fund the shedding of innocent blood through abortion."
While Dr. Charmaine Yoest, President and CEO of Americans United for Life said: "the passage of this amendment is a victory for the pro-life Americans across this country who have flooded Congress this week with the message that abortion does not belong in health care. The bipartisan effort that led to its passage, under the leadership of Congressmen Bart Stupak and Joe Pitts, is a step toward a future where both political parties defend Life."
Nevertheless, the pro-life organizations highlighted that the threats against the right to life still exist.
In fact, NRLC's leadership warned that "the White House and pro- abortion congressional Democratic leaders will keep trying to enact government funding of abortion, and will keep trying to conceal their true intentions, so there is a long battle ahead."
"We will remain vigilant, and shift our efforts to the Senate to ensure that these same pro-life protections are added to the Senate bill, said the Susan B. Anthony List.
FRC's Perkins also warned that: "unfortunately, H.R. 3962 is a seriously flawed piece of legislation. The Speaker's bill still allows rationing of health care for seniors, raises health costs for families, mandates that families purchase under threat of fines and penalties, encourages counseling for assisted suicide in some states, does not offer broad conscience protections for health care workers and seeks to insert the federal government into all aspects of citizen's lives. Speaker Pelosi is using the guise of health care reform to push her version of social engineering onto American taxpayers. Additionally, the legislation would place a crushing debt on both current and future generations."
Concerned Women of America said that "the bill still contains objectionable provisions that will ration and deny health care and pay for coercive 'end of life planning'."
"There is still a long way to go to prevent government subsidized health care from paying for abortions. Now the ball is in the Senate's court, and we pray that the common sense displayed in the House on the matter of abortion funding will also prevail in the Senate," Operation Rescue's statement said.
Dr. Yoest warned too that "one victory however does not mean the battle is won."
"We are deeply concerned by the rhetoric we heard today from Democratic leadership indicating an intention to subvert the bipartisan pro-life majority. We will remain vigilant in watching the final language of the Senate bill to ensure that pro-life protections remain in the final health care reform bill."
The only dissenting voice came from the pro-Obama "Catholics United," whose executive director, Chris Korzen said that "the bishops' stamp of approval means that this bill is unambiguously pro-life, and we will vigorously oppose those who suggest otherwise."
However, a staff member of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) currently working on the Hill to prevent health care from including an abortion mandate, quickly dismissed Korzen's claim.
Speaking for background to CNA, the USCCB staff member said that "there is stamp no of approval from the bishops whatsoever. Someone here has been either extremely naive or extremely partisan."
The bill will now be debated and voted upon in the Senate.
Source: CNA
Publish Date: November 8, 2009
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Send this article to a friend.
House Abortion Vote 'Disrupts the Obama Administration's Pro-Abortion Smuggling Operation,' But Further Battles Ahead
House Abortion Vote 'Disrupts the Obama Administration's Pro-Abortion Smuggling Operation,' But Further Battles Ahead
The National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the federation of right-to-life organizations in the 50 states, issued the following statement regarding today's actions in the House of Representatives on the health care restructuring legislation, H.R. 3962.
The House adopted the NRLC-backed Stupak-Pitts Amendment, 240-194. The Stupak-Pitts Amendment removed two major pro-abortion components from H.R. 3962. Specifically: (1) the amendment would permanently prohibit the new federal government insurance program, the "public option," from paying for abortion, except to save the life of the mother, or in cases of rape or incest; and (2) the amendment would permanently prohibit the use of the new federal premium subsidies ("affordability credits") to purchase private insurance plans that cover abortion (except to save the life of the mother, or in cases of rape or incest). The amendment was sponsored by Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mi.) and Joe Pitts (R-Pa.). It was supported by 176 Republicans and 64 Democrats. It was opposed by 194 Democrats. One Republican withheld his support by voting "present."
NRLC Legislative Director Douglas Johnson said: "The Obama White House and top congressional Democratic leaders spent months concealing and misrepresenting provisions that would directly fund abortions through a government plan, and subsidize premiums for private abortion plans. Today's bipartisan House vote is a sharp blow to the White House's pro-abortion smuggling operation. But we know that the White House and pro-abortion congressional Democratic leaders will keep trying to enact government funding of abortion, and will keep trying to conceal their true intentions, so there is a long battle ahead."
The Associated Press reported, "Abortion rights advocates called the measure the biggest setback to women's reproductive rights in decades."
In addition to working hard to remove abortion subsidies from the bill, NRLC has sought to educate lawmakers and the public about components of H.R. 3962 that could result in rationing or discriminatory denial of lifesaving medical care. A letter sent by NRLC to the House late today, summarizing objectionable elements of the amended bill, is posted here. The letter states: "We will continue to work to correct provisions that we find objectionable in this area, both in the health care legislation that will come before the Senate, and in any conference committee on health care legislation. We reserve the right to score the roll call vote on the conference report, or on any Senate-passed bill, if these concerns are not adequately resolved."
An archive of NRLC letters to Congress and other documents regarding the abortion-related components of the legislation are posted here.
Contact: Derrick Jones
Source: NRLC
Publish Date: November 7, 2009
Link to this article.
Send this article to a friend.
The National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the federation of right-to-life organizations in the 50 states, issued the following statement regarding today's actions in the House of Representatives on the health care restructuring legislation, H.R. 3962.
The House adopted the NRLC-backed Stupak-Pitts Amendment, 240-194. The Stupak-Pitts Amendment removed two major pro-abortion components from H.R. 3962. Specifically: (1) the amendment would permanently prohibit the new federal government insurance program, the "public option," from paying for abortion, except to save the life of the mother, or in cases of rape or incest; and (2) the amendment would permanently prohibit the use of the new federal premium subsidies ("affordability credits") to purchase private insurance plans that cover abortion (except to save the life of the mother, or in cases of rape or incest). The amendment was sponsored by Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mi.) and Joe Pitts (R-Pa.). It was supported by 176 Republicans and 64 Democrats. It was opposed by 194 Democrats. One Republican withheld his support by voting "present."
NRLC Legislative Director Douglas Johnson said: "The Obama White House and top congressional Democratic leaders spent months concealing and misrepresenting provisions that would directly fund abortions through a government plan, and subsidize premiums for private abortion plans. Today's bipartisan House vote is a sharp blow to the White House's pro-abortion smuggling operation. But we know that the White House and pro-abortion congressional Democratic leaders will keep trying to enact government funding of abortion, and will keep trying to conceal their true intentions, so there is a long battle ahead."
The Associated Press reported, "Abortion rights advocates called the measure the biggest setback to women's reproductive rights in decades."
In addition to working hard to remove abortion subsidies from the bill, NRLC has sought to educate lawmakers and the public about components of H.R. 3962 that could result in rationing or discriminatory denial of lifesaving medical care. A letter sent by NRLC to the House late today, summarizing objectionable elements of the amended bill, is posted here. The letter states: "We will continue to work to correct provisions that we find objectionable in this area, both in the health care legislation that will come before the Senate, and in any conference committee on health care legislation. We reserve the right to score the roll call vote on the conference report, or on any Senate-passed bill, if these concerns are not adequately resolved."
An archive of NRLC letters to Congress and other documents regarding the abortion-related components of the legislation are posted here.
Contact: Derrick Jones
Source: NRLC
Publish Date: November 7, 2009
Link to this article.
Send this article to a friend.
Abortion business announces its own 'termination'
Abortion business announces its own 'termination'
'That is not just a coincidence. God works in mysterious ways'
Map of the campaign locations for the fall 2009 "40 Days for Life"
Thousands of pro-life activists and ordinary citizens tired of the abortion industry's advance across the United States are celebrating a huge victory that apparently has come about at least partly because of the 40 Days for Life campaign, an organized series of protests.
Officials with the organization announced today that, with a brief legal notice in a newspaper, a Pensacola, Fla., abortion business announced it is closing.
The clinic, the Community Health Center of Pensacola, has been the site of three "40 Days for Life" prayer vigils.
Its notice in the local newspaper confirmed, "As of October 30, 2009, The Community Health Center of Pensacola will be terminating its practice."
"There had been an abortion clinic in that location for 25 years," said David Bereit, national director of 40 Days for Life.
"People have prayed there that abortions would cease, and it was during the fall 40 Days for Life campaign – the peaceful, prayerful presence of faithful Christians – that it was finally announced that this facility, where untold numbers of unborn children perished, was closing," he said.
"That is not just a coincidence. God works in mysterious ways, and this is indeed an answer to prayer!"
He said it was the fifth closure of an abortion business that has been the site of a 40 Days for Life vigil.
WND also reported in 2006 on a series of abortion business closures that were due to a series of cases in which they were caught violating standard health facility rules and regulations.
Officials said the Pensacola business was facing a choice between closing its doors or paying a $413,000 state fine for an expired laboratory license.
State officials told WEAR-TV in Pensacola the business owners did not pay the fine.
"This fall's campaign has been the most incredibly blessed 40 Days for Life effort yet," Bereit said.
It was the fifth such organized program in which volunteers meet and pray outside of an abortion business around the clock for 40 days.
The most recent campaign ran from Sept. 23 through Nov. 1 in 212 communities in 45 American states, five Canadian provinces and one location in Denmark.
"There have been 571 lives spared from abortion that we know of this fall," Bereit said. "There have been eight abortion industry employers who have left their jobs. And two abortion centers have announced their closings. It's been a most eventful 40 days."
In addition to the Florida business, a Planned Parenthood branch in Kalispell, Mont., announced it was closing.
A video describes the biblical foundations for the work:
Click here for the video.
The organization said more than 200,000 people have taken part and more than 4,000 churches have contributed to 40 Days for Life projects.
Contact: Bob Unruh
Source: WorldNetDaily
Publish Date: November 7, 2009
Link to this article.
Send this article to a friend.
'That is not just a coincidence. God works in mysterious ways'
Map of the campaign locations for the fall 2009 "40 Days for Life"
Thousands of pro-life activists and ordinary citizens tired of the abortion industry's advance across the United States are celebrating a huge victory that apparently has come about at least partly because of the 40 Days for Life campaign, an organized series of protests.
Officials with the organization announced today that, with a brief legal notice in a newspaper, a Pensacola, Fla., abortion business announced it is closing.
The clinic, the Community Health Center of Pensacola, has been the site of three "40 Days for Life" prayer vigils.
Its notice in the local newspaper confirmed, "As of October 30, 2009, The Community Health Center of Pensacola will be terminating its practice."
"There had been an abortion clinic in that location for 25 years," said David Bereit, national director of 40 Days for Life.
"People have prayed there that abortions would cease, and it was during the fall 40 Days for Life campaign – the peaceful, prayerful presence of faithful Christians – that it was finally announced that this facility, where untold numbers of unborn children perished, was closing," he said.
"That is not just a coincidence. God works in mysterious ways, and this is indeed an answer to prayer!"
He said it was the fifth closure of an abortion business that has been the site of a 40 Days for Life vigil.
WND also reported in 2006 on a series of abortion business closures that were due to a series of cases in which they were caught violating standard health facility rules and regulations.
Officials said the Pensacola business was facing a choice between closing its doors or paying a $413,000 state fine for an expired laboratory license.
State officials told WEAR-TV in Pensacola the business owners did not pay the fine.
"This fall's campaign has been the most incredibly blessed 40 Days for Life effort yet," Bereit said.
It was the fifth such organized program in which volunteers meet and pray outside of an abortion business around the clock for 40 days.
The most recent campaign ran from Sept. 23 through Nov. 1 in 212 communities in 45 American states, five Canadian provinces and one location in Denmark.
"There have been 571 lives spared from abortion that we know of this fall," Bereit said. "There have been eight abortion industry employers who have left their jobs. And two abortion centers have announced their closings. It's been a most eventful 40 days."
In addition to the Florida business, a Planned Parenthood branch in Kalispell, Mont., announced it was closing.
A video describes the biblical foundations for the work:
Click here for the video.
The organization said more than 200,000 people have taken part and more than 4,000 churches have contributed to 40 Days for Life projects.
Contact: Bob Unruh
Source: WorldNetDaily
Publish Date: November 7, 2009
Link to this article.
Send this article to a friend.
Courts deem pro-life groups lack standing
Courts deem pro-life groups lack standing
Pro-life groups will continue to fight against implementation of federal funding of human embryo research.
The Christian Medical Association is one of several groups that filed suit to stop the destruction of tiny human beings, even for scientific purposes. Despite the number of plaintiffs, the court found that each of them lacked standing. The stored embryos are categorized with the plaintiffs because, under the law, "embryos are not 'persons.'"
Gene Rudd (Christian Medical Association)Spokesman for the CMA, Dr. Gene Rudd, tells OneNewsNow a federal court threw out the lawsuit. He says, "The court used a legal concept of standing to say to us, 'You know you really shouldn't be concerned about this. You have no reason bringing this to court, so buzz off.'"
Rudd says that was the basic message, but argues that the medical community does have standing when science wants to take the most basic of human life and destroy it.
"It's not only a moral and ethical problem," he explains, "it's also a legal problem because we have a law in the land that says that federal money will not be used in any way to bring the destruction of embryos, but yet this policy directly contradicts that."
The mentioned policy is called the Hyde Amendment.
Contact: Charlie Butts
Source: OneNewsNow
Publish Date: November 8, 2009
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Pro-life groups will continue to fight against implementation of federal funding of human embryo research.
The Christian Medical Association is one of several groups that filed suit to stop the destruction of tiny human beings, even for scientific purposes. Despite the number of plaintiffs, the court found that each of them lacked standing. The stored embryos are categorized with the plaintiffs because, under the law, "embryos are not 'persons.'"
Gene Rudd (Christian Medical Association)Spokesman for the CMA, Dr. Gene Rudd, tells OneNewsNow a federal court threw out the lawsuit. He says, "The court used a legal concept of standing to say to us, 'You know you really shouldn't be concerned about this. You have no reason bringing this to court, so buzz off.'"
Rudd says that was the basic message, but argues that the medical community does have standing when science wants to take the most basic of human life and destroy it.
"It's not only a moral and ethical problem," he explains, "it's also a legal problem because we have a law in the land that says that federal money will not be used in any way to bring the destruction of embryos, but yet this policy directly contradicts that."
The mentioned policy is called the Hyde Amendment.
Contact: Charlie Butts
Source: OneNewsNow
Publish Date: November 8, 2009
Link to this article.
Send this article to a friend.
Abortion proponents attack Planned Parenthood, NARAL
Abortion proponents attack Planned Parenthood, NARAL
Of course pro-aborts have ample reason to see red following the House's passage of the Stupak/Pitts pro-life amendment to the socialized healthcare bill. Duck, because they're shooting wildly at each other.
My first indication was this on Twitter...
Then, ooh la la, came this headline in the Huffington Post...
Get out the popcorn...
... Stupak wrote a letter signed by 19 Democrats saying they would do just what they're doing right now - holding the bill hostage. And what did NARAL and Planned Parenthood do? Well, they released a lot of statements echoing the President's contention that the bill contained no abortion funding. But that was never Stupak's objection....
[H]elping the Democrats stay in power by giving them the Official Good Gyno Seal of Approval is what NARAL and Planned Parenthood do....
nancy keenan, photo, barack obama, healthcare, abortion, stupak.jpg
Could they whip the pro-choice women to block the rule if they want to? Of course they could. Yank their endorsements and they could cause havoc within the Democratic Party. But they won't, because Nancy Keenan [pictured right, with Obama] and Cecile Richards value their own personal position in the veal pen pecking order WAY too much to take that risk. For them, what's good for the Democratic Party is good for choice, even when the party abandons them....
But let's be clear about this. The only reason that we are in [this] position... is because Planned Parenthood and NARAL have allowed it to happen. They collect millions of dollars in revenue each year. They've exacted no price... and focused instead on anti-choice Republicans who are only empowered by their ire. They have no scalps. There is no price for crossing Planned Parenthood and NARAL. It isn't a fight that the Democrats want to spend "political capital" on, and these groups insure that they don't have to.
Forget about the fact that more Americans are now anti-choice than pro-choice for the first time since Gallup has been polling the issue. More and more Democrats in Congress each year are anti-choice. It's acceptable now....
The national Planned Parenthood organization listed $126 million in assets in 2007. Cecile Richards made $385,163. The state chapters whose employees put their lives on the line so women can have the right to choose deserve support and protection within the Democratic party that she is not providing.
NARAL paid Nancy Keenan $145,538 from the Foundation in 2007, which listed total assets of $4,119,329.
If they really cared about going after Stupak or Kaptur as a lesson to the rest, they most certainly have the resources to do it....
One can only imagine what would happen if pro-choice supporters started calling them. In short, Stupak and his fellow anti-abortion demagogues within the Democratic Party only get away with this because NARAL and Planned Parenthood let them....
Contact: Jill Stanek
Source: jillstanek.com
Publish Date: November 9, 2009
Link to this article.
Send this article to a friend.
Of course pro-aborts have ample reason to see red following the House's passage of the Stupak/Pitts pro-life amendment to the socialized healthcare bill. Duck, because they're shooting wildly at each other.
My first indication was this on Twitter...
Then, ooh la la, came this headline in the Huffington Post...
Get out the popcorn...
... Stupak wrote a letter signed by 19 Democrats saying they would do just what they're doing right now - holding the bill hostage. And what did NARAL and Planned Parenthood do? Well, they released a lot of statements echoing the President's contention that the bill contained no abortion funding. But that was never Stupak's objection....
[H]elping the Democrats stay in power by giving them the Official Good Gyno Seal of Approval is what NARAL and Planned Parenthood do....
nancy keenan, photo, barack obama, healthcare, abortion, stupak.jpg
Could they whip the pro-choice women to block the rule if they want to? Of course they could. Yank their endorsements and they could cause havoc within the Democratic Party. But they won't, because Nancy Keenan [pictured right, with Obama] and Cecile Richards value their own personal position in the veal pen pecking order WAY too much to take that risk. For them, what's good for the Democratic Party is good for choice, even when the party abandons them....
But let's be clear about this. The only reason that we are in [this] position... is because Planned Parenthood and NARAL have allowed it to happen. They collect millions of dollars in revenue each year. They've exacted no price... and focused instead on anti-choice Republicans who are only empowered by their ire. They have no scalps. There is no price for crossing Planned Parenthood and NARAL. It isn't a fight that the Democrats want to spend "political capital" on, and these groups insure that they don't have to.
Forget about the fact that more Americans are now anti-choice than pro-choice for the first time since Gallup has been polling the issue. More and more Democrats in Congress each year are anti-choice. It's acceptable now....
The national Planned Parenthood organization listed $126 million in assets in 2007. Cecile Richards made $385,163. The state chapters whose employees put their lives on the line so women can have the right to choose deserve support and protection within the Democratic party that she is not providing.
NARAL paid Nancy Keenan $145,538 from the Foundation in 2007, which listed total assets of $4,119,329.
If they really cared about going after Stupak or Kaptur as a lesson to the rest, they most certainly have the resources to do it....
One can only imagine what would happen if pro-choice supporters started calling them. In short, Stupak and his fellow anti-abortion demagogues within the Democratic Party only get away with this because NARAL and Planned Parenthood let them....
Contact: Jill Stanek
Source: jillstanek.com
Publish Date: November 9, 2009
Link to this article.
Send this article to a friend.
"Do we live in a theocracy?": Pro-Abortion Reaction to Stupak Amendment is Fierce
"Do we live in a theocracy?": Pro-Abortion Reaction to Stupak Amendment is Fierce
Abortion supporters are furious over the House's passage of the health care reform bill HR 3962 with the pro-life Stupak-Pitts amendment, which would continue to ban the funding of most abortions by the government.
Planned Parenthood said that the bill with the pro-life amendment "would leave women worse off after health care reform than they are today" and promised further effort so that women "do not become second-class citizens in a newly reformed health care system in the United States."
The amendment passed late on Saturday, November 7th, with 176 Republicans and 64 Democrats supporting the amendment and 194 Democrats voting against it. The amendment prohibits the funding of abortion by the new federal government insurance program - the "public option" - and also prohibits the use of new federal subsidies to purchase an insurance program that covers abortion.
Such prohibitions, which align with long-standing federal policy against funding abortions, have made pro-abortionists livid.
Nancy Keenan, of NARAL Pro-Choice America, said that they would hold accountable those lawmakers who voted for the amendment, including 64 Democrats, as folding "to the most extreme fringe of the anti-choice movement."
She continued: "In short, the fight is not over. That's why we will continue to mobilize our activists and work with our allies in Congress to remove this dangerous provision from the health-care bill and stop additional attacks as the process moves to the Senate."
Keenan's language has been echoed by other pro-abortion activists; Frances Kissling averred that the answer to the Stupak-Pitts amendment was to "overturn Hyde now."
The famous Hyde amendment prohibits federal funding of abortion through its inclusion in the annual appropriations bill.
She continued to say that the worst disaster for the pro-abortion movement since 1973 was the enactment of "the Hyde Amendment and [the pro-abortion movement's] lack of a total, uncompromising commitment to overturning it. If nothing else happens as a result of this defeat, complete and total dedication to overturning Hyde must be the centerpiece, indeed the single objective of our movement."
Such militant language was mirrored by legislators who saw the Stupak-Pitts amendment simply as a tactical retreat designed to get the bill through the House, and who suggested that the amendment would have a short lifespan. "I feel certain it will come out of the bill before it comes back from committee," pro-abortion California Democrat Lynn Woolsey told The Hill. "I will insist that it come out."
Despite such declarations of war, however, perhaps the most noticeable element of pro-abortion commentary was anger at the U.S. bishops for backing the amendment.
According to one columnist, "one thing is clear: The US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) apparently is running the US government, aided by a cadre of 'faith-based advocacy groups,' the House Democratic leadership, the White House and members of the Senate."
"Do we live in a theocracy?" she asked.
She continued: "I want to know ... why are the Bishops running the country? And have you had enough yet of Democrats that you elect selling you down the river? Are you angry enough?
"What are we going to do about it?"
In a similar vein, Jon O'Brien of "Catholics for Choice" warned how medical care in the U.S. would turn into a nightmare if the bishops got their way. "Just imagine for a moment what healthcare will look like when the bishops are finished," he said. "There will be nothing that doesn't meet the myriad litmus tests prescribed by a small group of men who don't represent American Catholics, let alone the America populace."
However, despite the anger of pro-abortion groups at the passage of the pro-life amendment, many pro-life groups are suggesting that the bill is still far from being solidly pro-life.
"Unfortunately, H.R. 3962 is a seriously flawed piece of legislation," said Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council. "The Speaker's bill still allows rationing of health care for seniors, raises health costs for families, mandates that families purchase under threat of fines and penalties, encourages counseling for assisted suicide in some states, does not offer broad conscience protections for health care workers and seeks to insert the federal government into all aspects of citizen's lives."
Pro-life leaders are warning that the battle over healthcare is still far from over and that ensuring that the Stupak-Pitts amendment stays in the bill is just one of the many upcoming key fights over the legislation.
Contact: James Tillman
Source: LifeSiteNews.com
Publish Date: November 9, 2009
Link to this article.
Send this article to a friend.
Abortion supporters are furious over the House's passage of the health care reform bill HR 3962 with the pro-life Stupak-Pitts amendment, which would continue to ban the funding of most abortions by the government.
Planned Parenthood said that the bill with the pro-life amendment "would leave women worse off after health care reform than they are today" and promised further effort so that women "do not become second-class citizens in a newly reformed health care system in the United States."
The amendment passed late on Saturday, November 7th, with 176 Republicans and 64 Democrats supporting the amendment and 194 Democrats voting against it. The amendment prohibits the funding of abortion by the new federal government insurance program - the "public option" - and also prohibits the use of new federal subsidies to purchase an insurance program that covers abortion.
Such prohibitions, which align with long-standing federal policy against funding abortions, have made pro-abortionists livid.
Nancy Keenan, of NARAL Pro-Choice America, said that they would hold accountable those lawmakers who voted for the amendment, including 64 Democrats, as folding "to the most extreme fringe of the anti-choice movement."
She continued: "In short, the fight is not over. That's why we will continue to mobilize our activists and work with our allies in Congress to remove this dangerous provision from the health-care bill and stop additional attacks as the process moves to the Senate."
Keenan's language has been echoed by other pro-abortion activists; Frances Kissling averred that the answer to the Stupak-Pitts amendment was to "overturn Hyde now."
The famous Hyde amendment prohibits federal funding of abortion through its inclusion in the annual appropriations bill.
She continued to say that the worst disaster for the pro-abortion movement since 1973 was the enactment of "the Hyde Amendment and [the pro-abortion movement's] lack of a total, uncompromising commitment to overturning it. If nothing else happens as a result of this defeat, complete and total dedication to overturning Hyde must be the centerpiece, indeed the single objective of our movement."
Such militant language was mirrored by legislators who saw the Stupak-Pitts amendment simply as a tactical retreat designed to get the bill through the House, and who suggested that the amendment would have a short lifespan. "I feel certain it will come out of the bill before it comes back from committee," pro-abortion California Democrat Lynn Woolsey told The Hill. "I will insist that it come out."
Despite such declarations of war, however, perhaps the most noticeable element of pro-abortion commentary was anger at the U.S. bishops for backing the amendment.
According to one columnist, "one thing is clear: The US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) apparently is running the US government, aided by a cadre of 'faith-based advocacy groups,' the House Democratic leadership, the White House and members of the Senate."
"Do we live in a theocracy?" she asked.
She continued: "I want to know ... why are the Bishops running the country? And have you had enough yet of Democrats that you elect selling you down the river? Are you angry enough?
"What are we going to do about it?"
In a similar vein, Jon O'Brien of "Catholics for Choice" warned how medical care in the U.S. would turn into a nightmare if the bishops got their way. "Just imagine for a moment what healthcare will look like when the bishops are finished," he said. "There will be nothing that doesn't meet the myriad litmus tests prescribed by a small group of men who don't represent American Catholics, let alone the America populace."
However, despite the anger of pro-abortion groups at the passage of the pro-life amendment, many pro-life groups are suggesting that the bill is still far from being solidly pro-life.
"Unfortunately, H.R. 3962 is a seriously flawed piece of legislation," said Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council. "The Speaker's bill still allows rationing of health care for seniors, raises health costs for families, mandates that families purchase under threat of fines and penalties, encourages counseling for assisted suicide in some states, does not offer broad conscience protections for health care workers and seeks to insert the federal government into all aspects of citizen's lives."
Pro-life leaders are warning that the battle over healthcare is still far from over and that ensuring that the Stupak-Pitts amendment stays in the bill is just one of the many upcoming key fights over the legislation.
Contact: James Tillman
Source: LifeSiteNews.com
Publish Date: November 9, 2009
Link to this article.
Send this article to a friend.
NEWS SHORTS FOR MONDAY
NEWS SHORTS FOR MONDAY
(Referral to Web sites not produced by The Illinois Federation for Right to LIfe is for informational purposes only and does not necessarily constitute an endorsement of the sites' content.)
Judge Dismisses five count lawsuit Against Aurora Planned Parenthood Clinic
DuPage County Circuit Judge Neal Cerne dismissed all five counts of a lawsuit against Planned Parenthood and the City of Aurora Friday morning, but gave anti-abortion protesters leave to plead their case again next month. The suit, filed last February by Fox Valley Families Against Planned Parenthood and several local protesters, alleges numerous violations of city zoning and building code during the approval of Planned Parenthood's clinic at 3051 E. New York Street, and calls for the building's demolition. The case centers around a zoning law that opponents say required Planned Parenthood to obtain a special use permit to operate a non-profit medical clinic. City officials disagree with this assertion.
Click here for the full article.
Obamacare: Ireland Pays Surgeons To Do Nothing as Operations Canceled
As we move forward toward centralized bureaucratic health care control, it is worth noting the problems in countries that already have it. Ireland is apparently paying surgeons to do nothing, while surgeries are canceled because the department is over budged, and the lines grow ever longer. From the story:
Three Irish surgeons have revealed that they are being paid a whopping $350,000 to do nothing. The three orthopedic consultants at Letterkenny General HospitalCounty Donegal have revealed that the Irish Health Service is paying them to "sit around doing nothing" while operating theaters are empty. Senior consultant and team leader, Peter O'Rourke said he is "frustrated and depressed" about the current working climate in Letterkenny General Hospital. The surgeon claims there is little or no work for his team in the busy hospital despite massive waiting lists for essential knee and hip surgeries known as elective surgeries. The health service has put such surgeries on hold until next year as the "elective" budget has overrun by $3.3 million.
Click here for the full article.
Planned Parenthood Lowers Price of Birth Control By Half
Stores, restaurants, and organizations all over America have been lowering their prices due to the economy. Planned Parenthood is no exception. Recently, Planned Parenthood lowered the price of its birth control pills to $12, which is half the price of what they were. "On average, our normal birth control prices are about $5 less than at most pharmacies, and now we have our half-price pill option," Liz Carroll, Vice President of Patient Services for Planned Parenthood of Indiana, said. The idea to offer half-price pills started a month and a half ago due to the situation of the economy. According to a press release written by PPIN Media Spokesperson Kate Shepherd, health care should not be put on the back burner during these tough economic times.
Click here for the full article.
Prenatal Gadgets May Communicate With Fetus
For the first half of her pregnancy, Suzanne Ling played classical music for her unborn child whenever she drove her car. She had heard about "the Mozart effect" from a friend, who swore that classical music soothed her baby both pre- and post-delivery. Around week 20, Ling discovered BabyPlus, an egg-shaped device that she wore around her growing abdomen. The device played 16 audio lessons of heartbeatlike tones and promised to teach a fetus to recognize patterns and differentiate sounds. After baby Alexander was born, Ling was certain that he was especially engaged, aware and smart.
Click here for the full article.
House ObamaCare Bill D.O.A. In Senate
The glow from a health care triumph faded quickly for President Barack Obama on Sunday as Democrats realized the bill they fought so hard to pass in the House has nowhere to go in the Senate. Speaking from the Rose Garden about 14 hours after the late Saturday vote, Obama urged senators to be like runners on a relay team and "take the baton and bring this effort to the finish line on behalf of the American people." The problem is that the Senate won't run with it. The government health insurance plan included in the House bill is unacceptable to a few Democrats who hold the balance of power in the Senate.
Click here for the full article.
Pensacola Abortion Clinic Closes After Failing To Pay State Fine
The Community Healthcare Center, one of two Pensacola abortion clinics, is closed because of its failure to pay a $413,000 fine to the state for a licensing violation, the Pensacola News Journal reports. The North Ninth Avenue clinic, in operation for more than 25 years, was licensed as an abortion clinic as well as a clinical laboratory for blood testing. In January, a survey by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration determined that the center's lab license had been expired for 413 days. A fine of $1,000 per day was imposed.AHCA is responsible for the licensing and regulation of health facilities and for administration of Medicaid, the News Journal reported. Since January, the abortion clinic has remained in operation while the lab has been shut down. But on Oct. 30, still unable to pay the fine, the clinic voluntarily shut down, said Tiffany Vause, AHCA press secretary.
Click here for the full article.
(Referral to Web sites not produced by The Illinois Federation for Right to LIfe is for informational purposes only and does not necessarily constitute an endorsement of the sites' content.)
Judge Dismisses five count lawsuit Against Aurora Planned Parenthood Clinic
DuPage County Circuit Judge Neal Cerne dismissed all five counts of a lawsuit against Planned Parenthood and the City of Aurora Friday morning, but gave anti-abortion protesters leave to plead their case again next month. The suit, filed last February by Fox Valley Families Against Planned Parenthood and several local protesters, alleges numerous violations of city zoning and building code during the approval of Planned Parenthood's clinic at 3051 E. New York Street, and calls for the building's demolition. The case centers around a zoning law that opponents say required Planned Parenthood to obtain a special use permit to operate a non-profit medical clinic. City officials disagree with this assertion.
Click here for the full article.
Obamacare: Ireland Pays Surgeons To Do Nothing as Operations Canceled
As we move forward toward centralized bureaucratic health care control, it is worth noting the problems in countries that already have it. Ireland is apparently paying surgeons to do nothing, while surgeries are canceled because the department is over budged, and the lines grow ever longer. From the story:
Three Irish surgeons have revealed that they are being paid a whopping $350,000 to do nothing. The three orthopedic consultants at Letterkenny General HospitalCounty Donegal have revealed that the Irish Health Service is paying them to "sit around doing nothing" while operating theaters are empty. Senior consultant and team leader, Peter O'Rourke said he is "frustrated and depressed" about the current working climate in Letterkenny General Hospital. The surgeon claims there is little or no work for his team in the busy hospital despite massive waiting lists for essential knee and hip surgeries known as elective surgeries. The health service has put such surgeries on hold until next year as the "elective" budget has overrun by $3.3 million.
Click here for the full article.
Planned Parenthood Lowers Price of Birth Control By Half
Stores, restaurants, and organizations all over America have been lowering their prices due to the economy. Planned Parenthood is no exception. Recently, Planned Parenthood lowered the price of its birth control pills to $12, which is half the price of what they were. "On average, our normal birth control prices are about $5 less than at most pharmacies, and now we have our half-price pill option," Liz Carroll, Vice President of Patient Services for Planned Parenthood of Indiana, said. The idea to offer half-price pills started a month and a half ago due to the situation of the economy. According to a press release written by PPIN Media Spokesperson Kate Shepherd, health care should not be put on the back burner during these tough economic times.
Click here for the full article.
Prenatal Gadgets May Communicate With Fetus
For the first half of her pregnancy, Suzanne Ling played classical music for her unborn child whenever she drove her car. She had heard about "the Mozart effect" from a friend, who swore that classical music soothed her baby both pre- and post-delivery. Around week 20, Ling discovered BabyPlus, an egg-shaped device that she wore around her growing abdomen. The device played 16 audio lessons of heartbeatlike tones and promised to teach a fetus to recognize patterns and differentiate sounds. After baby Alexander was born, Ling was certain that he was especially engaged, aware and smart.
Click here for the full article.
House ObamaCare Bill D.O.A. In Senate
The glow from a health care triumph faded quickly for President Barack Obama on Sunday as Democrats realized the bill they fought so hard to pass in the House has nowhere to go in the Senate. Speaking from the Rose Garden about 14 hours after the late Saturday vote, Obama urged senators to be like runners on a relay team and "take the baton and bring this effort to the finish line on behalf of the American people." The problem is that the Senate won't run with it. The government health insurance plan included in the House bill is unacceptable to a few Democrats who hold the balance of power in the Senate.
Click here for the full article.
Pensacola Abortion Clinic Closes After Failing To Pay State Fine
The Community Healthcare Center, one of two Pensacola abortion clinics, is closed because of its failure to pay a $413,000 fine to the state for a licensing violation, the Pensacola News Journal reports. The North Ninth Avenue clinic, in operation for more than 25 years, was licensed as an abortion clinic as well as a clinical laboratory for blood testing. In January, a survey by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration determined that the center's lab license had been expired for 413 days. A fine of $1,000 per day was imposed.AHCA is responsible for the licensing and regulation of health facilities and for administration of Medicaid, the News Journal reported. Since January, the abortion clinic has remained in operation while the lab has been shut down. But on Oct. 30, still unable to pay the fine, the clinic voluntarily shut down, said Tiffany Vause, AHCA press secretary.
Click here for the full article.
November 6, 2009
Healthcare Bill Vote Saturday!
 Healthcare Bill Vote Saturday! The Associated Press is reporting as of Friday afternoon that the scheduled vote on health care that includes tax funding for abortions may be delayed because they don't have the votes to pass it. PLEASE keep the calls to your Representatives going and keep praying that the Obama-Pelosi-Carhart scheme to force Americans to pay for abortions will be defeated! (Read the AP story) A vote is tenatively scheduled on the Obama-Pelosi-Carhart scheme to force taxpayers to fund abortions for Saturday, November 7, 2009, at 6 PM (ET). Abortion funding continues to be the major point of contention. Pro-life supporters, including a number of Democrats, are continuing with efforts to strip abortion funding from the health care legislation, or kill it altogether if the abortion provisions cannot be removed. "Now is the time to contact your representative and let them know that taxpayer funding of abortions is a deal-breaker for the American people," said Newman. "We cannot let this critical vote go by without letting our voices be heard." CLICK HERE to contact your Representatives. |
Healthcare bill - the end of physician 'right of conscience'
Healthcare bill - the end of physician 'right of conscience' The CEO of the Christian Medical Association says government-run healthcare will mean the end of right of conscience for physicians. The House promises a vote on healthcare reform by Saturday, although a version of the bill would still need to be approved by the Senate. Dr. David Stevens warns if that happens, many will feel inclined to leave the medical profession. "It's going to damage right of conscience for faith-based healthcare professionals. We actually surveyed 2,800 faith-based doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals, and 95 percent of them said they will leave healthcare if it came down to violating their conscience on abortion, human cloning, physician-assisted suicide, and other issues," Stevens reports. "And this bill, particularly the one in the Senate, provides absolutely no protection, even though it's guaranteed to us in the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights." Contact: Pete Chagnon Source: OneNewsNow Publish Date: November 6, 2009 Link to this article. Send this article to a friend. |
Illinois - 'dumping ground' for abortion
| Illinois - 'dumping ground' for abortion Illinois' parental notification law for abortions on underage girls is still in limbo.  Because of continued court action, the 1995 law has not yet gone into effect. After a federal appeals court ordered it implemented recently, the American Civil Liberties Union filed suit in state court. Two state boards decided to halt their role and proceed with compliance, but that was short-lived, according to Peter Breen of the Thomas More Society Pro-Life Law Center. "At 10:00 we had parental notice in the state of Illinois for the first time since Roe v. Wade -- and then by 3:00 a circuit court judge had enjoined it," Breen explains. "[H]e allowed a temporary restraining order to keep the law from going into effect." That leaves Illinois as the only state in the Midwest or the South with no parental notification law. As a result, says Breen, Planned Parenthood of Illinois is making more money. "We get young ladies coming in from Minnesota. We get them coming in from Arkansas, from Tennessee, from Missouri -- of course from Wisconsin and Indiana, which are right next to us," he laments. "Illinois has become a dumping ground for abortion." The court has put the case on an expedited timeline, with the next hearing in two weeks. Breen is hopeful that will finally end the 12-year legal battle and put the law into effect. Contact: Charlie Butts Source: OneNewsNow Publish Date: November 6, 2009 Link to this article. Send this article to a friend. |
House Republican leader: 'health plan will require monthly abortion premium'
House Republican leader: 'health plan will require monthly abortion premium' Rep. John Boehner House Republican Leader John Boehner said today the House health care bill, which was backed today by the AARP and the American Medical Association, includes a monthly abortion premium that all subscribers in the government-run plan would have to pay. In a blog post on Thursday, Boehner says that "Speaker Pelosi's 2,032-page government takeover of health care" is using "federal funds to pay for elective abortions." The House Republican Leader explains that on line 17, p. 110, section 222 under the title "Abortions for which Public Funding is Allowed," the Health and Human Services Secretary "is given the authority to determine when abortion is allowed under the government-run plan." "The Speaker's plan also requires that at least one insurance plan offered in the Exchange covers abortions," he adds. According to Boehner, "what is even more alarming is that a monthly abortion premium will be charged of all enrollees in the government-run plan. It's right there on line 16, page 96, section 213, under 'Insurance Rating Rules.' The premium will be paid into a U.S. Treasury account - and these federal funds will be used to pay for the abortion services." Section 213, in fact, describes the process by which the Health Benefits Commissioner is to assess the monthly premiums that will be used to pay for elective abortions under the government-run plan. The Commissioner must charge at a minimum $1 per enrollee per month. "A majority of Americans believe that health care plans should not be mandated to provide elective abortion coverage, and a majority of Americans do not believe government health care plans should include abortion coverage," Boehner writes. "Speaker Pelosi's 2,032-page health care monstrosity is an affront to the American people and drastically moves away from current policy. The American people deserve more from their government than being forced to pay for abortion." "Health reform should be an opportunity to protect human life - not end it," Boehner says. Click here to read the House Republican Leader's post. Source: CNA Publish Date: November 5, 2009 Link to this article. Send this article to a friend. |
Abortion provisions provide best chance to defeat Pelosi's HR 3962
Abortion provisions provide best chance to defeat Pelosi's HR 3962 The House Leadership announced last evening that the floor debate on the health care bill will begin at 9:00am this Saturday morning, November 7th with votes occurring as early as 9am. The 24-hour countdown to the vote begins right now! Yesterday, while thousands of Americans rallied outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. to protest the pending vote on the liberal Congress' Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962), President Obama was on the Hill as well, lobbying the moderate Democrats who have expressed some concerns and opposition to this bill. Today, President Obama will be back on the Hill making a final effort to strong-arm the red state Democrats into supporting his government takeover of health care. Please be aware of the following points on abortion funding in H.R. 3962. The abortion concerns are the best chance to defeat the "rule" (a procedural vote to proceed to debate) on Saturday: H.R. 3962 authorizes the "public option" to pay for all elective abortions. H.R. 3962 also creates a new national federal agency from which the "public option" will be administered. All federal agencies operate purely from federal funds because those are the only type of funds they can use, and the new Health Insurance Exchange will be no different. Once private dollars are transferred to the federal government or a federal agency in the form of a fine, a tax, or a paid premium, they are then no longer private funds - they become federal funds once the federal government assumes control of them. The Ellsworth Amendment is a phony "pro-life" amendment. Sponsored by so-called pro-life Democrat Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D-IN), this amendment, which is being discussed as a possible inclusion to the Democrats' grand Managers Amendment in an effort to appease some of the 40 pro-life Democrats who have vowed to vote NO on a bill that provides for abortion funding, will do nothing to prevent federal funds from going towards abortion coverage. All the Ellsworth Amendment will do is require the Health Insurance Exchange to hire contractors which will then pay the abortionists. So, instead of the abortionist receiving a check directly from the U.S. government, they will receive it from a contractor who is funneled money through the U.S. government. The real Pitts-Stupak pro-life amendment was rejected in committee and denied the chance to get a floor vote on Saturday. It is very important that you tell your Representatives (especially the 40 pro-life Democrats) that a vote for H.R. 3962 in its current form or even with the useless Ellsworth Amendment amounts to a vote for the largest expansion of abortion since Roe v. Wade (1973). Nothing less than an explicitly exclusion of federal funding for abortion and government subsidies for plans that cover abortion will be considered pro-life language. Even worse, a sure sign that legislative language marketed to be "pro-life" is in fact not pro-life is when one of Congress' most stalwart abortion supporters has no problem with it: "None of us really had any objections to the Ellsworth language. In fact, we think he did a good job." -Pro-Choice Caucus co-chairwoman Louise Slaughter (D-NY), Congress Daily, 11/4/09 Many people often ask us why President Obama hasn't yet moved a major abortion bill through Congress-we say, the health care bill is his abortion bill! TAKE ACTION! Tell your Representative to VOTE AGAINST THE RULE to H.R. 3962 because the "rule" does not allow an up-or-down vote on the pro-life Pitts-Stupak amendment. A vote for the "rule" is a vote to allow federal funding for elective abortions on a massive scale for the very first time in American history. There are 24 hours before the vote tomorrow. Please do all you can to phone and contact your Representatives and to get the word out that the Ellsworth Amendment is a phony. For those of you who reside in districts with target Democrats, please concentrate on them. The "declared NOs" need just as much pressure to oppose this bill as the "undecideds." Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121 Source: Eagle Forum / Illinois Review Publish Date: November 6, 2009 Link to this article. Send this article to a friend. |
Pelosi's office trashed; priest + 11 arrested
Pelosi's office trashed; priest + 11 arrested  The above is a shot of the wild scene outside Nancy Pelosi's office yesterday afternoon, as described in The Hill last night... Conservative protesters chanting "Kill that bill!" stormed the Capitol on Thursday as Republicans launched a last-ditch effort against the Democrats' healthcare bill. The protesters from around the country entered House office buildings after attending the "House Call" rally on healthcare, largely the brainchild of Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN).... It is unclear how many people attended the event, thought the protesters appeared to number in the thousands. House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) estimated 10k attended. Attendees were encouraged to take a page from the 2k page healthcare bill to their congressperson's office and demand s/he explain it. At Pelosi's office, though, people crumpled theirs and trashed it...  Look closely at that still shot. Code Pink counter-demonstrators were standing to the left outside Pelosi's office door, but staging his own personal sit-in inside was Fr. Norman Weslin, who we last saw being arrested at Notre Dame. And whoops, he did it again, leaving Pelosi's office and laying down in the hall, where he was again arrested...  According to the Associated Press: U.S. Capitol Police have arrested a dozen anti-abortion activists outside House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office after a massive protest against the Democrats' health care bill. The charges ranged from unlawful conduct to disorderly conduct and unlawful entry in the incident, which happened around 2:15 p.m. EST Thursday.... Was this Randall Terry's doing? Yep. Here's some wild video of the scene. All 7:30 minutes are worth watching... |
Newborns cry with accent learned in womb
Newborns cry with accent learned in womb From ABC News, November 5, one more problem for pro-aborts claiming preborns aren't human: Think newborns just eat, sleep and wail the same way across the world? That's not so, according to a new study which found that babies cry with an accent within the first week of life. By recording cries of 60 babies born to French or German parents, researchers discovered that babies cry with the same "prosody" or melody used in their native language by the 2nd day of life. French newborns in the study ended their cries with a lilt at the end typically heard in French. German babies, however, started their cries intensely and dropped off at the end - much like the emphasis their German parents put in a sentence, according to a study published Thursday in Current Biology. Experts in child development say the most exciting part of this discovery is not that infants recognize the melody of their language, but that the newborns may have the ability to use what they heard in the womb to then control their cries. Contact: Jill Stanek Source: JillStanek.com Publish Date: November 6, 2009 Link to this article. Send this article to a friend. |
NEWS SHORTS FOR FRIDAY
| NEWS SHORTS FOR FRIDAY (Referral to Web sites not produced by The Illinois Federation for Right to LIfe is for informational purposes only and does not necessarily constitute an endorsement of the sites' content.) 'Ordained Baptist' Abortion Doctor: 'Yes', I Am Killing Babies  DALLAS -- Dr. Curtis Boyd is no stranger to controversy. In 1973, Boyd opened the Fairmount Center, which was the first abortion clinic in Texas. Boyd is the only doctor in North Texas who will perform late-term abortions to women up to six months pregnant. "We see patients from Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana and across Texas," he said. Now, the doctor has made a jarring admission. "Am I killing?" Boyd said. "Yes, I am. I know that." Boyd said he is an ordained Baptist minister who has now turned Unitarian. He said he prays often. "I'll ask that the spirit of this pregnancy be returned to God with love and understanding," he said. Click here for the full article. Even in House, Hangups Over Abortion, Illegal Alien Funding May Stall the Bill  Speaker Nancy Pelosi-no democrat, small "d"–wants to shove her 2000 + page monstrous bill down our throats by forcing the House to vote before anyone–including legislators–can absorb all its provisions. Toward this imperious end, she scheduled the vote for a rare Saturday House session. But all is not going down the collective throat smoothly. The very hangups I predicted would make health care reform difficult to pass–abortion funding and coverage for illegal aliens–may (emphasis, may) hold that up. Click here for the full article. Catholic Advocacy Organizations Unite to Ask Catholic Politicians to Reject H.R. 3962  Tomorrow's vote on healthcare reform is a defining moment for our Church and country. For our nation it will determine whether or not we will take a final step toward the culture of death that began with Roe v Wade in 1973. For our Church this vote represents a moment when politicians who profess to be Catholic will determine whether or not every American citizen will be forced to pay for terminating innocent human life. The Catholic Church is clear about what the right decision must be--there is no wiggle room, there is no option other than to vote against this bill. H.R. 3962 puts the character of our nation at risk. When medical care is allowed to be hijacked by the ideological programs of the extreme left, not only will the innocent suffer and the elderly with incurable illnesses, but the heart of America, which has always been so generous towards those who suffer, will be hardened. Click here for the full article. Is Hollywood tipping pro-life?  When I read NBC's Law & Order was airing an episode last week "ripped from the headlines" of an abortionist shot in church, i.e., Dr. George Tiller, I, of course, anticipated the plot would not go well for pro-lifers. The most I expected was milliseconds of fairness with pro-abortion clichés ruling the hour. My, was I surprised. I could have written that script. The episode wasn't even balanced. It was outright pro-life, not that I mind. If you haven't seen the episode, you should. Sans commercials it is only 42 minutes long....  Click here to view the episode. Click here for the full article. USCCB Condemnation Tears Facade off "Phony" Abortion Compromise for Health Bill NRLC's Douglas Johnson called the Ellsworth Amendment "a political fig leaf made out of cellophane."  A sound condemnation from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has helped dash the chances that the latest purported "compromise" on abortion in the health care overhaul proposed by Democrats could be smuggled through as a legitimately pro-life option. The amendment in question, proposed by Democratic Rep. Brad Ellsworth this week, purports to remove "federal funding for abortion" in H.R. 3962 by hiring contractors to issue checks for abortion - essentially putting one more procedural step between abortion and those who pay for them through the government plan. The USCCB memo told congressional staff Thursday that U.S. bishops did not consider the amendment sufficient - that it does not, in fact, address any of the pro-life concerns in the health bill. Click here for the full article. |
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