Congressmen urge U.S. gov’t to cut abortion groups out of family planning funds

Lawmakers from a conservative caucus in the House of Representatives are calling on the Department of Health and Human Services to deny family planning subsidies to abortion providers.

Reps. Ron Estes, R-KS, Vicky Hartzler, R-MO, and Chris Smith, R-NJ, are three members of the conservative Republican Study Committee currently collecting signatures for a letter to HHS Secretary Alex Azar, The Hill reports. It calls on the department to make any entity that offers referrals for abortions ineligible for taxpayer dollars under Title X.

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Hospital restricts visiting access to Alfie Evans in response to ‘Alfie’s Army’ protests

The father of Alfie Evans just revealed a letter notifying him that Alder Hey Children’s Hospital is restricting the number of people who can visit his son.

It claims that on Thursday night, protests on Alfie’s behalf “caused significant disruption, stress and anxiety to other families and the staff.” This “disruption” allegedly included a large number of visitors entering the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) without permission, shouting, filming patients and visitors without their consent, and generally “behaving in a manner” other patients and staff considered “threatening, intimidating and unsafe.”

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Court seizes custody of Alfie Evans from parents

The parents of baby Alfie Evans have lost custody over their son and he has now become a “ward of the court,” effective noon April 14th. The news was shared by the family’s media coordinator.

“We are outraged that in further legally indefensible steps during the night, the hospital obtained a faxed order making Alfie a ward of the court, removing parental rights from Tom and Kate over their son Alfie, taking effect at noon today,” a press release authorized by the family’s legal team states.

“This once again is logically backwards, as all parents are responsible to protect their child from threats to life, and the hospital is effectively claiming that it is more dangerous for Alfie to live in peace with love and quality care than to die by the hands of his doctors. This is not a sign of a free country; this is dictatorship of the state

The news comes after Alfie’s parents Tom and Kate attempted to remove their child from Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool yesterday afternoon after being assured that Alfie was neither a “prisoner” nor a ward of the court. They had a medical team prepared to transport Alfie to a plane standing by. Alfie’s family want him to receive treatment at the Bambino Gesù hospital in Rome. However, the hospital called police, who threatened to arrest Alfie’s father for assault if he took his son.

“Alder Hey hospital called in police to stop Alfie’s transfer, locking all doors, setting off a fire alarm and removing all children from the PICU. This merely proves first that Alder Hey is acting in violation of parental rights, second that Alfie is indeed a prisoner if the police are being used, and third their tactics are simply hysterical,” states the press release.

Click here for more from NRL News Today.

On April 11, 2018, Eight Republican Senators voted for the ERA in Illinois

     On April 11, 2018 the Illinois Senate passed the Equal Rights Amendment as Senate Joint Resolution Constitution Amendment 4 (SJRCA4). The ERA was introduced to the states in 1972. An objective reading of the language and history of the ERA makes clear that expansion of abortion rights has always been a principle objective of the ERA proponents. In 1983 when Congress attempted to re-introduce the ERA to the states, the proponents of the ERA rejected proposed abortion neutral language. The writings of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg reveal the intended scope of the ERA is to greatly increase the scrutiny of pro-life legislation.

     A vote for the ERA is a vote for overturning abortion restrictions and enshrining abortion rights in the US Constitution. A vote for the ERA is a vote against the unborn child. State court judges have held that their state ERAs mandate “HB40” style taxpayer funding of elective abortions. The ERA further threatens parental notification and consent laws throughout the country, along with every reasonable regulation on abortion.
   
     The fight now goes to the House. The Illinois Federation for Right to Life PAC, Illinois Citizens for Life PAC, Illinois Family Action PAC, Illinois Family PAC, and Lake County Life PAC will not endorse or support any legislator that casts a vote for such a sweeping pro-abortion piece of legislation as the ERA.

      On April 11, 2018, eight Republican Senators voted for the ERA. Pro-life Illinoisans deserve political leaders who will clearly commit to the protection of innocent unborn children, and who will follow through on that commitment.

The following all voted for the ERA...                    

Senator Pamela Althoff (R), 

SenatorMichael Connelly (R), 

Senator Karen McConnaughay, (R), 

Senator Jason A.Barickman (R), 

Senator John F, Curran (R), 

Senator Chris Nybo (R), 

Senator SueRezin (R), and 

Senator Tom Rooney (R) 

       While we are disappointed with all 43 Senators who voted for abortion, we are gravely disturbed by those who solicited pro-life support and presented themselves as pro-life but voted for the ERA.  Their vote was a vote in opposition to life and will not be ignored by the undersigned.

Dawn Behnke, Chairman                            
Illinois Federation for Right to Life PAC

Ralph Rivera, Chairman
Illinois Citizens for Life PAC

Bonnie Quirke, President                              
Lake County Life PAC

Reverend Robert Vanden Bosch
Concerned Christian Americans                            

David Smith, Executive Director
Illinois Family Action PAC

Elise Bouc, State Chairman
Illinois-Stop ERA  

VIDEO: Alfie Evans’ dad says police threatened to arrest him if he touched son

The father of Alfie Evans says he can legally transport his 23-month-old son from Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, but has been threatened with arrest for so much as touching him.

“If I take Alfie, I’m gonna get arrested for assault,” Tom Evans said he was told by police. “If I pick Alfie up, with legal responsibilities and parental responsibilities, I’m getting told that I’m gonna get arrested for assault.” He made the comments in a Facebook Live video recorded outside the hospital this evening.



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3,348 Post-Abortive Women told their stories in an Amicus Curiae Brief submitted to the Supreme Court

The amicus brief was filed by the Justice Foundation in the case Whole Woman’s Health vs. Hellerstedt. The more than 3,000 women claim that the abortion workers either withheld information or outright lied to them about abortion’s risks and the development of their preborn babies.

It is deeply ironic that pro-choicers accuse pregnancy centers of lying to women when so many women have been lied to in abortion facilities. Women who go to these facilities are not told about abortion’s ramifications and aftereffects.

Click here for more from Live Action News.

Students from over 300 schools participate in pro-life walkout

Over 250 high schools and 80 colleges across the United States participated in the Pro-life Walkout on Wednesday, April 11, 2018. The students walked out of classes at 10:00 am for 17 minutes of silence and prayer in honor of the ten children that were killed in those 17 minutes at Planned Parenthood facilities across the country.

“We will no longer tolerate legal abortion in our nation, which has killed more than a fourth of our generation. We will no longer watch as our leaders in Washington continue to fund our nation’s largest abortion vendor, Planned Parenthood, with more than $500 million of our taxpayer dollars. We will no longer permit Planned Parenthood and their allies in the abortion industry to target our peers for their predatory business cycle,” a website promoting the walkout stated.

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Judge sets date-certain to cut off little Alfie Evans’ life support

Mr. Justice Hayden (pictured), the original trial judge, today set an undisclosed date-certain when gravely ill Alfie Evans’ ventilator will be turned off. During a discussion held in the Royal Courts of Justice in London, Judge Hayden once again rejected the plea of Tom Evans and Kate James to transfer their 23-month-old toddler from Alder Hey Childrens’ Hospital and be taken to Gesu Bambino Pediatric Hospital in Rome for a diagnosis and possible additional treatment.

The parents were not in court. They were with Alfie at the hospital in Birmingham. Christian Legal Centre’s barrister Paul Diamond represented the family in court today. The Liverpool Echo’s Lorna Hughes provided an almost minute-by-minute summary of the hearing.

In the end...

Mr. Justice Hayden says Mr. Diamond’s arguments are “entirely misconceived” because they were comprehensively rejected by the Supreme Court on March 20.

“This afternoon I have endorsed the care plan constructed by the Trust setting out the provisions for the end of Alfie’s life.

“That plan has the endorsement of Alfie’s Guardian, who emphasises in effect it is long overdue.

“It is seven weeks since I declared Alfie’s situation to be contrary to his best interests.

“The parents and in particular Mr Evans has not in truth engaged with the care plan.

“He cannot face its reality and continues to hope for an entirely unrealistic solution.”

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ERA Ratified by the Illinois Senate now to the House

Today, April 11th, the Illinois Senate passed the Equal Rights Amendment (click here for the roll call).  This bill SJRCA0004 is now in the Rules Committee of the Illinois House...

Chairperson: Barbara Flynn Currie (D)
Republican Spokesperson: Dan Brady (R)
Member: Lou Lang (D)
Member: Tom Demmer (R)
Member: Arthur Turner (D)

Please contact your state representative by phone and email and encourage them to vote NO on the ERA (Bill #SJRCA4).  Remind them that this poorly written amendment will harm women and the unborn child.  ERA  will overturn all abortion restrictions and mandate taxpayer funding for all elective medicaid abortions.  More information on the ERA can be found at the link below.  Also, to find contact information for your legislators, click here.

The ERA will harm our unborn children by overturning all restrictions on abortions and mandating taxpayer funding for elective medicaid abortions.

Leading pro-abortion groups – including NARAL, the ACLU, and Planned Parenthood -- have strongly urged state courts to construe state ERAs, containing language virtually identical to the language of the 1972 federal ERA proposal, to invalidate laws that treat abortion differently from other “medical procedures,” including laws restricting tax-funding of abortion and laws requiring parental notification or consent for minors’ abortions.

More information about the ERA visit:  http://eagleforum.org/topics/era.html

For additional documentation on the ERA-abortion connection, see the NRLC website at http://www.nrlc.org/federal/era.

‘Pro-life Americans’ may qualify for new exemption from health insurance

Thanks to some newly expanded exemptions to the Affordable Care Act (also known as ObamaCare), pro-life individuals who would otherwise be forced to accept an insurance plan from the marketplace that includes abortion coverage may now have another option. According to the Associated Press, “expanded hardship exemptions will go into effect immediately. People who object to abortion can get an exemption if all available health plans in their area cover the procedure.”

The AP continues:

Medicare and Medicaid administrator Seema Verma said the exemption for abortion objectors provides “pro-life Americans” with relief if they are living in an area where the only available ACA plan covers abortion. About half the states already forbid ACA plans from covering abortion, so it’s also uncertain how many consumers would qualify for the new exemption.

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Tammy Duckworth becomes first senator to give birth while in office

The office of Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth made a joyous announcement Monday: Duckworth has given birth to a healthy baby girl. “Bryan, Abigail and I couldn’t be happier to welcome little Maile Pearl as the newest addition to our family and we’re deeply honored that our good friend Senator (Daniel) Akaka was able to bless her name for us — his help in naming both of our daughters means he will always be with us,” she said in a statement. Duckworth will reportedly be taking 12 weeks of maternity leave in Washington, D.C., so she can be available to vote if necessary.

While the birth of Duckworth’s daughter is wonderful news, it is worth pointing out that Duckworth is an ardent supporter of abortion. This is problematic, because as Duckworth herself shows, women are very capable of overcoming the challenges that may come with that pregnancy. For Duckworth, her challenges were numerous: her political career, her disability, her age. All of these are factors that can make pregnancy more difficult. But Duckworth was able to rise above them.

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VIDEO: HBO comedian attacks pro-life pregnancy centers as ‘predators’

On Sunday’s “Last Week Tonight,” Liberal comedian John Oliver used the most recent episode of his weekly HBO show to launch a wide-ranging attack on pro-life crisis pregnancy centers and devoted a 21-minute segment to nonprofit facilities that provide alternatives to abortion, calling them practitioners of “emotional manipulation.”

“The tactics that CPCs often use are disingenuous and predatory, and it is absolutely critical that people understand that” he said.



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VIDEO: Facebook shouldn’t ban pro-life views, Zuckerberg tells Congress

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg told the U.S. Senate on April 10th the social media giant should not be censoring pro-life speech.

Sen. Ben Sasse asked, “...there are some really passionately held views about the abortion issue on this panel today. Can you imagine a world where you might decide that pro-lifers are prohibited from speaking about their abortion views on your platform?” Zuckerberg answered that he “certainly would not want that to be the case.”



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Christian law firm makes last-ditch effort to stop hospital from pulling Alfie Evans’ life support

The London-based Christian Legal Centre has announced that it is stepping in on behalf of 23-month-old Alfie Evans.

On Wednesday, Christian Legal Centre standing counsel Paul Diamond will represent Alfie’s parents, Thomas Evans and Kate James, in a hearing before Justice Anthony Hayden of the High Court of England and Wales, Independent Catholic News reported. They are challenging Alder Hey Children's Hospital, which is seeking permission to remove Alfie’s life support on Thursday. Hayden previously sided with the hospital.

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Radical politico set to assume top spot at Planned Parenthood

As Cecile Richards wraps up her time as president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America (she officially retires next month), Dawn Laguens (pronounced LaGANZ) has emerged as the interim public face of Planned Parenthood.

According to Laguens' official biography on Planned Parenthood's website: "Ms. Laguens brings decades of experience in campaign strategy and message integration to Planned Parenthood, and is a CLIO award-winning writer and director. She has been one of the leading ballot measure consultants in America, having worked on a wide range of critical social issues. As the founder and president of LKK Partners, her clients included governors, members of the U.S. Senate and House, EMILY's List, the National Education Association, the Nature Conservancy, the Natural Resources Defense Council, Basic Rights Oregon, and Freedom to Marry, to mention just a few."

In other words. Laguens was brought into Planned Parenthood in 2010 not for her healthcare knowledge or experience, but for her political acumen.

Click here for more from American Life League.

Worst ‘romantic gesture’ ever: $400K to Planned Parenthood

During the April 2 episode of Lifetime's drama UnREAL, titled "Transference," a contestant vying for the affections of a wealthy Silicon Valley bachelorette spends $400,000 in an attempt to win her over. But the way in which he spent the money was truly icky.

In order to get back into Serena's good graces, Wealthy Brit Jasper Hunt (Bart Edwards) makes a grand gesture. He spends $400,000 of his personal wealth on what he thinks will knock Serena off her feet, ambushing her with a huge red flower heart display as she gets back from another date.  When she asks if he spent all of the $400,000 on the flowers, Jasper replies in the negative. He says it was only $100,000 for the flowers to come from South America. Another $100,000 went to Planned Parenthood and then the rest went to the liberal organization Girls Who Code.

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Abortion Activists Harass Google Employees on Their Way to Work

In recent years, abortion activists have ramped up a campaign to tar and feather the country’s 2,750 pregnancy help centers as “fake clinics.” From protesting the non-profits in creepy costumes to smearing them in Google reviews, they’re throwing everything at them to see what sticks.

This past week, Business Insider ran a bogus story highlighting the abortion lobby’s new weird tactic: “Pro-choice activists followed Google employees on their way to work this week to call attention to a little-known problem with search results.”

The accompanying photo depicts a couple of paid cyclists with sandwich boards informing employees, “GOOGLE WILL SEND YOU TO FAKE, ANTI-ABORTION CLINICS.”

The absurdity of the photo itself makes me want to facepalm, but the translation is pretty simple and shows how we’re winning: As Jay Hobbs puts it, Pro-Life Centers are Kicking Planned Parenthood’s Tail on Google.

Click here for more from NRL News Today.

Chemical abortions not all they're cracked up to be

The NRLC says women in Africa and Latin America should beware anyone peddling abortion pills.

Women in those countries are enticed on the web or social media to purchase RU-486 to end their unwanted pregnancies, but Dr. Randall K. O'Bannon of the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) says it could be and often is dangerous.

"They are finding when they go to meet these people that some of them are unscrupulous. They take their money, they double the price, and then they get their abortion pills that may not work or could make them very sick," O'Bannon laments. "But it's not surprising, given the way that the international abortion lobby has been pushing these chemical methods all across the world."

In fact, an operation out of the Netherlands works to make sure the abortion drugs can be obtained in the various nations via their website, suggesting it is a woman's right and dismissing or ignoring the complications.

"But the concern is almost totally missing that women have died after taking these and have bled to death, contracted rare infections," the NRLC spokesman notes. "There have been women who have died after ectopic pregnancies."

Click here for more from OneNewsNow.

Woman feels prompted to make Instagram post, saves baby from abortion

Social media, love it or hate it, it’s here to stay – and likely morph into new apps we can’t even begin to imagine. But for all its flaws, social media allows people to connect across backgrounds and continents. Recently, it even helped bridge the gap between two women, allowing one to save the other’s child from abortion.

Heather Lindsey, author, speaker, and founder of The Pinky Promise, says she felt called to share a video on Instagram, directed at someone watching who may have made an appointment for an abortion.

Click here for more from Live Action News.

Ohio has become one of the most pro-life states in the country

When people think of pro-life states, they’re likely to think of a red state in the south — Texas, perhaps, or Mississippi. But one of the most pro-life states in the country has been a big surprise: Ohio, the swing state in the midwest. In recent years, Ohio has banned abortion on babies with Down syndrome, introduced a bill that recognized preborn babies as human beings, and passed a 20-week abortion ban. And women must be given an ultrasound and, if their preborn baby’s heart is already beating, the opportunity to see it. The legislature is also currently considering mandating burial or cremation for preborn babies killed in abortion.

This has upset Christina Cauterucci, who wrote an op-ed at Slate, complaining that state lawmakers are too “extreme” for a purple state. And while Cauterucci makes sure to argue that most Ohioans — like most Americans — want abortion to be legal, she completely ignores that most polls have found that people favor heavy restrictions on abortion. So is Ohio truly extreme? Not in the least.

Click here for more from Action News.