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Planned Parenthood

The Hyde Amendment and Human Life

By | Hyde Amendment, News and Events, Planned Parenthood, Sanctity of Life | No Comments

Today, the House held an appropriations subcommittee hearing titled “The Impact on Women Seeking an Abortion but are Denied Because of an Inability to Pay.” Calling it what it is, a hearing dedicated to the elimination of the Hyde Amendment, would not be as well received.     

By way of background, the Hyde Amendment is a critical pro-life measure introduced by Congressman Henry Hyde (R-Illinois) in 1976 as a rider to the HHS appropriations billIt prohibits Medicaid, a federal and state assistance program based on an individual’s income, from contributing money to pay for women’s elective abortions. The Hyde Amendment has always, and continues, to maintain exceptions for instances of life endangerment, rape, and incest. For 44 years, Democrat legislators have worked to undermine and do away with the Hyde Amendment, yet it has remained a rider on the appropriation bill since that year as well as many other pieces of legislation throughout its nearly half a century existence.  

Bottom line: the Hyde Amendment does not prohibit abortion outright. It seeks only to ensure that taxpayer dollars cannot be used to facilitate abortion procedures. In doing so, it has encouraged an ethic life throughout its duration with more women choosing to give birth.  

Those without proper understanding of the Hyde Amendment’s history and purpose might walk away from today’s virtual hearing believing that the only way to save black American women is to get rid of the Hyde Amendment. Nothing could be further from the truth.  

Today’s hearing featured four witnesses, Dr. Herminia Palacio, President and CEO of the Guttmacher Institute, Dr. Jamila Perritt, President and CEO of Physicians for Reproductive Health, Ms. Amanda Beatriz Williams, Executive Director of the Lilith Fund, and finally, the sole pro-life voice in the midst, Ms. Christina Bennett, Communications Director of the Family Institute of Connecticut.  

There are so many things that could be said about the Hyde Amendment and the abortion industry but the conversation in the hearing focused on two principal issues. The first witness spoke about how the Hyde Amendment disproportionately “targets” minority women calling it a “racist policy.” The next focused on the point that abortion is healthcare and as such should not be singled out or have additional burdens placed upon it.   

First, talking about racist policies in relation to abortion necessitates a discussion about the origin of the abortion industry in this nation. The modern abortion industry in America can be traced back to Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood and a radical advocate of racial eugenics. Sanger was outspoken in her distaste for black Americans, unapologetically affiliated herself with the Ku Klux Klan, and wrote openly about the need for sterilization of the “unfit.” Today, Planned Parenthood, the largest abortion facilitator, targets minority neighborhoods with 79% of their clinics located within walking distance of Black or Hispanic communities. This is no accident. Abortion is the leading cause of death for black Americans, more than all other causes combined including cancer, violent crimes, AIDS, and accidents. Black women make up just 14% of the childbearing population but obtain 36.2% of reported abortions. These statistics are heartbreaking, and it is baffling that they are not an impetus for change and uproar within the black community.  

Second, it is almost laughable to have to address the statement “abortion is healthcare.” Healthcare is to maintain or restore physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. Abortion does none of these things. Abortion takes a life. Post abortive women are 81% more likely to experience mental health struggles such as anxiety, depression, alcohol abuse, and marijuana abuse. Women who have had an abortion are 155% more likely to commit suicide. Grief, sadness, guilt, anger, anxiety, helplessness, and feeling isolated are drastically higher in women and men dealing with the ramifications of choosing abortion.  

Additionally, not even abortion advocates believe that abortion is equal to healthcare. If they did, they would have no problem ensuring that abortion facilities are up to par with health codes and guidelines for all medical procedures. In both Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt and June Medical Services v. Russo the abortion lobby fought vehemently against health and safety standards for women obtaining abortion procedures. In both cases, the Supreme Court turned its back on protecting life and protecting women.  

Christina Bennett, the only voice today that spoke up on behalf of women and children alike, shared about her brave mother who chose life in the face of extreme pressure to choose abortionHer mother’s abortion was paid for, and the abortionist was vehement that she go through with it, but she chose life. As a black woman, she spoke into the issue at hand when she noted that “repealing Hyde would lead to an increase in abortion in black communities.”  

 The whole hearing, from the title to the talking points, was sterile in nature, detached from the reality of what was being discussed. The sanctity of human life. The Charlotte Lozier Institute estimatethe Hyde Amendment has saved roughly 60,000 lives each year which adds up to 2.4 million lives saved since 1976. Witnesses and house members alike can try to sideline the reality – that they are discussing living, breathing human children – with talk about racial inequity, poverty levels, and medical billing. Do not allow yourself to be distracted. As Christina Bennett said in her statement, “it is not racist to protect black lives.” 

Read the letter CWA’s CEO and President, Penny Nance, sent to the House Subcommittee.

Huge Win for CWA: Planned Parenthood Affiliate Finally Admits its Racists Roots

By | LBB, News and Events, Planned Parenthood, Sanctity of Life | No Comments

Concerned Women for America (CWA) has been fighting for years to expose Planned Parenthood’s (PP) legacy of death which has its roots in the racist eugenics movement. As PP celebrated 100 years a few years back, CWA launched a campaign called “100 No More,” exposing the organization’s racists founding through eugenicist Margaret Sanger. CWA also noted the disparate impact of PP’s policies on minority communities to this day.

Though African Americans are only 12.6% of the U.S. population, they make up 35.4% of all abortions, over 1 in 3. And census data shows that 79% of PP’s surgical abortion facilities are within walking distance of minority neighborhoods. Here is a shocking clip of Margaret Sanger in her own words]:

But PP and liberals have stood by Margaret Sanger’s side for decades. They defended her. They would even give out the infamous Margaret Sanger Award, which they called their “highest honor.” Proud recipients included Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) and Secretary Hillary Clinton.

 

The same liberals who prop themselves up as champions of minorities would fight us every time we would shed light on PP’s racist roots. They were proud when the Smithsonian put a bust of Margaret Sanger in the National Portrait Gallery. CWA fought them hard on it and called on them to remove it, yet they emphatically refused and were elated to have the pro-abortion display, ignoring the explicit racism attached to it.

But time has caught up to their lying, hypocritical schemes, and now they’ve been forced to acknowledge their racist legacy. The news just broke this week that Planned Parenthood of Greater New York (PPGNY) is being forced to remove the Margaret Sanger name from its abortion clinic as “a necessary and overdue step to reckon with our legacy and acknowledge Planned Parenthood’s contributions to historical reproductive harm within communities of color.”

The change does not come out of self-reflection, but out of pressure from its base. As The Washington Times reported, in a June 18 open letter, 350 current and former staff members and about 800 members wrote, “We know that Planned Parenthood has a history and a present steeped in white supremacy, and we, the staff, are motivated to do the difficult work needed to improve.”

In today’s climate, PP’s racism is no longer able to hide behind their friends in the media and the politicians they support. So, PPGNY has announced the removal of Sanger’s name, and perhaps we are seeing the beginning of the truth coming out. It is definitely an excellent development for truth and life.

The fact that it is the New York Planned Parenthood facility is significant. CWA has also talked about the deep abortion extremism in NYC, where more African American babies were killed by abortion (31,328) than born (24,758) in 2012. We can only hope that the city wakes up to this racial genocide and turns against the inherent racism within the pro-abortion movement.

To be sure, PP is only changing a name, while changing none of its racist policies, like opposing bills that have tried to ban abortions based on race. They have announced no willingness to change their shameful policy on taking money for abortions based on race.

CWA will continue to fight for justice for women. There is much work to be done to protect the inherent value of every human life. But perhaps this development shows us that Americans are starting to wake up to the abortion con and will demand change.

It is definitely something CWA had been hoping to see, and we give thanks to God for this small crack in Big Abortion’s stranglehold on our nation.

Nance: Norma McCorvey’s Testimony Reveals Roe v. Wade’s Foundation of Lies

By | Blog, CEO, Family Issues, Feminist / Women's Issues, Legal, News and Events, Planned Parenthood, Sanctity of Life, Social / Cultural Issues, Uncategorized | No Comments

CWA’s CEO and President Penny Young Nance wrote the following op-ed published on CNS News.

“It is always sobering to stand and contemplate the destruction and devastation left along the pathway of “Hurricane” Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court decision that invented a right to abortion. It is worse than any of the modern-day disasters we have experienced. More than sixty million babies now lost.

In light of a new documentary airing Friday — “AKA Jane Roe” — today is yet another day of mourning as we now hear a new tragic explanation that only adds to the injustice and confusion that is Roe.

The Supreme Court case was not only plainly an unconstitutional exercise in judicial activism, it was also the result of a wicked plan to deceive the public into something it never wanted. And now, this 2020 documentary, produced by Nick Sweeney, whose body of work informs viewers of his agenda, paints a picture of even more injustice and deception surrounding the complicated and sorrow-filled life of Norma McCorvey.”

Read Penny’s Entire Op-Ed Here:

COVID-19 LETTER: Pro-life Leaders Warn of Abortion Industry Exploitation

By | Blog, News and Events, Planned Parenthood, Sanctity of Life | No Comments

CWA signed on to a letter written to Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar, along with other pro-life leaders, to show how the abortion industry is exploiting this coronavirus pandemic.

Here is an excerpt from the letter:

“While we are in a hectic race to save lives, Planned Parenthood and other powers in the abortion industry remain insistent on taking the lives of innocent unborn children. While surgery centers postpone elective and diagnostic procedures, abortion centers are churning out surgical and chemical abortions and putting women, especially the poor, at risk. Their continued operation depletes sorely needed personal protective equipment and leads to complications that will further overwhelm already overextended emergency rooms. The abortion industry is compounding one crisis with another. Therefore, we urge public officials to use their broad emergency authority to safeguard against the extreme abortion agenda.”

The letter also outlines ways public health officials can resist the abortion lobby’s agenda during this time of crisis such as:

  • Making sure that emergency response funds are not diverted to the abortion industry;
  • Urging the abortion industry to stop their operations and join other healthcare providers to donate their PPE and other equipment to help with the nation’s coronavirus response;
  • Continue actions to stop illegal mail-order sale of chemical abortion; and much more.

Our CEO and President Penny Nance signed the letter along with more than 50 pro-life leaders.

[embeddoc url=”https://concernedwomen.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/LETTER-Pro-Life-Concerns-During-Coronavirus-Crisis-FINAL-1.pdf” download=”all” viewer=”google”]

 

Contact your Senators and ask them to pass non-partisan, virus-only relief legislation today!

By | Blog, News and Events, Planned Parenthood, Sanctity of Life | No Comments

America is in an unprecedented moment in history.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is right. It’s time for the drama to end. Please Contact your Senators and ask them to pass non-partisan, virus-only relief legislation today.

Now, more than ever, we need to come together for the good of the nation and the American people.

Instead, Senate Democrats are trying to leverage this crisis to push their political agenda like funding Planned Parenthood and passing their Green New Deal. Now is the time to refuse the left’s wish list and act decisively on behalf of all Americans.

We are issuing a call to reject this political agenda and do what’s right for the American people.   ​​​​​​​

You can make the difference today. Contact your Senators and ask them to support the CARES Act. Ask them to keep the focus only on measures that are critical to responding to the coronavirus. Ask them to follow Leader McConnell’s example and come together in a strong bipartisan effort to fight the invisible enemy plaguing our citizens, our economy, and the world.

The American people are pulling together in the midst of this pandemic and it’s time for Congress to do the same.

Let us show the best of America. When faced with a crisis, we stand united.

CWA staff at 2019 March for Life

The Never-ending Impeachment

By | Blog, LBB, News and Events, Planned Parenthood, Sanctity of Life | No Comments

Impeachment Day 3 Recap

We continued to hear the same unproven allegations from the House managers as they presented their case to remove the President before the Senate on day two of their opening statements. And, the mindboggling thing is how long they have been preparing for this dud.

Vanity Fair, December 15, 2016: “Democrats are Paving the Way to Impeach Donald Trump.”

Washington Post, January 2017: “The campaign to impeach President Trump has begun.”

TIME, January 20, 2017: “There’s Already a Campaign to Impeach President Donald Trump.”

Washington Post, February 24, 2017: “Impeach Trump? Most Democrats already say ‘yes.’”

CNN, February 6, 2017: “Rep. Maxine Waters: Trump’s actions ‘leading himself’ to impeachment.”

INDEPENDENT, February 23, 2017: “Keith Ellison calls for impeachment investigations of Donald Trump.” 

This is not a serious process the Democrats entered into because of a phone call. To conclude otherwise is to ignore the clear evidence before us. However, the result of the political manipulation of such a powerful constitutional provision could be devastating to our country.

Check out today’s Impeachment Briefing to hear more about the dangerous rhetoric being used by House Managers that threatens the legitimacy of our elections. In today’s episode, CEO and President of Concerned Women for America Penny Nance joins us to comment on some exciting news and her take on impeachment.

Doreen Denny: Planned Parenthood Chose to Give up Federal Funding – It wasn’t Forced out of Title X Program

By | Blog, News and Events, Planned Parenthood, Social / Cultural Issues | No Comments

CWA’s Senior Director of Government Relations, Doreen Denny, wrote an op-ed featured on FoxNews.com about Planned Parenthood’s recent decision.

“Planned Parenthood claims it was “forced out” of the federal Title X family planning program by the Trump administration. Hardly. The choice to exit was Planned Parenthood’s alone.

Title X is the federal program that provides access to contraceptive services, supplies and information. Priority goes to serving low-income individuals.

When the law was enacted in 1970, Congress prohibited funds from going to promote or perform abortion as a “method of family planning.” That requirement has never changed.

Rules prohibiting abortion were bent and unenforced under previous administrations. President Trump determined to realign Title X regulations to uphold federal law. The new rules were finalized in March after a public comment period that gave Americans the chance to weigh in.”

Read Doreen Denny’s Entire Piece Here:

See other Content Featuring Doreen Denny Here:

Planned Parenthood Withdraws From Title X Program Over Trump Rule

By | Blog, Family Issues, News and Events, Planned Parenthood, Sanctity of Life | No Comments

CWA’s Senior Director of Government Relations, Doreen Denny, was featured on NPR discussing Planned Parenthood’s withdrawal from Title X family planning program.

“Planned Parenthood is leaving the federal Title X family planning program rather than comply with new Trump administration rules regarding abortion counseling.

The new rules issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services earlier this year prohibit Title X grantees from providing or referring patients for abortion, except in cases of rape, incest or medical emergency.”

Read and Listen to the Entire Piece Here:

See other Content Featuring Doreen Denny Here:

CWA to Planned Parenthood: Choice is in Your Court, Not 9th Circuit’s

By | Blog, Feminist / Women's Issues, News and Events, Planned Parenthood, Press Releases, Sanctity of Life | No Comments

WASHINGTON, DC – On Monday, August 19, 2019, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services must receive plans from Title X grantees, including Planned Parenthood, proving how they will comply with new rules to uphold long-standing federal law. These rules require full financial and physical separation of Title X funds from abortion services and bar abortion referrals in order to fulfill Congressional intent prohibiting abortion as “a method of family planning.” The rules also require grantees to report any evidence of sexual abuse or sex trafficking in accordance with state law, rules that are needed to combat documented cases of Planned Parenthood’s complicit actions shielding sexual abuse and sex traffickers.

Doreen Denny, Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee’s Senior Director of Government Relations, responded to Planned Parenthood’s high-profile threat to pull out of the Title X program barring a court-ordered injunction:

“Planned Parenthood has no entitlement to federal funding, and they apparently have no plans to comply with federal rules either.  For years, Planned Parenthood has skirted federal law to promote its abortion business on the backs of the American taxpayer. If Planned Parenthood truly cared about promoting health, it would stop peddling abortion and start supporting women. Planned Parenthood’s threat to withdraw from the Title X program proves one thing: health care is not their primary business; abortion is. The choice to comply is in Planned Parenthood’s court, not the Ninth Circuit’s.”

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Use Your Voice – Episode 12, Abortion and Eugenics

By | Blog, Planned Parenthood, Sanctity of Life, Use Your Voice | No Comments

In this episode, Mario Diaz, Esq., Concerned Women for America’s (CWA) General Counsel, discusses a recent Supreme Court decision where Justice Clarence Thomas exposes the clear connection between abortion and eugenics. He said, “Abortion is an act rife with the potential for eugenic manipulation.”

The case is Box v. Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentuckyand you won’t want to miss our discussion of its potential impact and what it means for the protection of the unborn.

 

Concerned Women for America Celebrates Long-Overdue Enforcement of Life-Affirming Title X Rules

By | Blog, Feminist / Women's Issues, News and Events, Planned Parenthood, Press Releases, Sanctity of Life, Social / Cultural Issues | No Comments

 

Washington, D.C. – Earlier this week, the Trump Administration announced that restrictions over abortion-referrals and over clinics receiving federal funding will take effect and be enforced by Health and Human Services (HHS). Family planning clinics will no longer be allowed to provide abortion referrals and must be financially separate from any provision of abortion procedures. HHS is now finally free to carry out the will of the people who overwhelmingly support a clear separation between taxpayer dollars and abortion advocacy.

Penny Nance, CEO and President of Concerned Women for America (CWA), the largest public policy organization for women in the country had this to say:

“This is a day to celebrate life-affirming policies and the rule of law. For way too long, abortion advocates have relied on activist judges to carry out their bidding, despite the many situations when the letter of the law clearly expressed the American people’s desire to promote the intrinsic value and respect of every human life. They tried that in this case again and delayed the implementation of these common sense rules through misplaced and overreaching nationwide injunctions that prevented HHS from doing its job. But they have failed. And failed even in one of the most liberal courts in the land, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

“President Donald J. Trump’s unwavering commitment to the protection of human life and his focus on constitutional judges who follow the law, instead of promoting personal policy preferences through judicial opinions, shines brightly as we contemplate this victory.

“The consensus-building principle of prohibiting taxpayer funded abortion has enjoyed overwhelming bi-partisan support over the years. But abortion advocates continue to grow increasingly radical in their positions, and liberals in Congress have sadly fallen right in line with the idea of forcing Americans to pay for abortion-related services, even when they have moral, religious or philosophical objections to it.

“Conservative women all over the country are grateful to the President for his leadership and applaud the men and women of HHS for their steady commitment to the enforcement of these rules to ensure statutory compliance with the law.”

 

 

Click here to see Penny Nance’s Statement on the death of Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens.

Penny Nance: Democratic candidates are really pro-abortion, not pro-choice

By | Feminist / Women's Issues, News and Events, Planned Parenthood, Sanctity of Life | No Comments

Penny Nance penned the following opinion piece for FoxNews.com:

Remember these statements by Democrats seeking to become their party’s presidential nominee?

“I believe that reproductive rights are human rights, they are civil rights, and they are non-negotiable,” Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York said in an interview with The Atlantic earlier this month.

“We must be vigilant in protecting a woman’s right to choose,” Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey said on Twitter in January.

“… now more than ever, we must remain steadfast in our defense of a woman’s right to choose,” Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii said in a statement on the 40th anniversary of the landmark 1973 Supreme Court Roe v. Wade decision the legalized abortion nationwide.

The Democratic presidential candidates want everyone to know they support abortion. They call this “choice” – which indicates a decision a woman makes about whether to have an abortion or have a baby. Many are now calling this choice a reproductive, human and civil right.

But not really.

Where were the Democratic presidential hopefuls when a British judge recently ruled that a mentally disabled woman in her 20s with the mental age of a child between ages 6 and 9 must undergo a forced abortion against her will and against her mother’s will? The judge cited the pregnant woman’s “best interests” and determined the pregnancy termination was “the best option.”

Click here to read the entire opinion piece.

Use Your Voice – Episode 12, Abortion and Eugenics

By | Legal, News and Events, Planned Parenthood, Sanctity of Life | No Comments

In this episode, Mario Diaz, Esq., Concerned Women for America’s (CWA) General Counsel, discusses a recent Supreme Court decision where Justice Clarence Thomas exposes the clear connection between abortion and eugenics. He said, “abortion is an act rife with the potential for eugenic manipulation.” The case is Box v. Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky and you won’t want to miss our discussion of its potential impact and what it means for the protection of the unborn.

For more on this case, read Mario’s op-ed “Clarence Thomas Speaks the Truth for SCOTUS on Abortion” as featured on American Thinker.

Billionaires Find New Ways to Push for Abortion on Demand

By | Blog, CEO, News and Events, Planned Parenthood, Sanctity of Life | No Comments

Below are excerpts from a very interesting article by Dave Andrusko at National Right to Life. I commend it to you in its entirety. I think it is important for Concerned Women for America (CWA) members to realize what we are up against when it comes to protecting the sanctity of every human life at every level of public policy. Andrusko discusses the new ways certain billionaires are restructuring their donations in order to get around current IRS regulations and fund abortion on demand to an even bigger extent than they have before.

Even though the American people are against the abortion extremism we have seen in laws coming out New York, Virginia, and Illinois, these mega donors are committed to drowning out their voices by pouring in millions of dollars more in the name of “reproductive health.”

Over the years, pro-lifers have read story after story about billionaires pouring millions upon millions of their virtually limitless resources into advancing abortion both at home and abroad. Their favorite beneficiary is, of course, Planned Parenthood (and International Planned Parenthood) but there are many others.

The names are familiar and a who’s who of big time philanthropy. George Soros and his Open Society Institute (OPI); The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, named after Warren Buffett’s late wife; and the David and Lucille Packard Foundation, run by the heirs of one of the founders of printer manufacturer Hewlett Packard, to name just three heavyweights.

Another name that has cropped up with less attention paid to it is the Laura and John Arnold Foundation. A quick look back (thanks to the indispensable web.archive.org) we read this description: “Laura and John established the Laura and John Arnold Foundation in 2008. They believe philanthropy should be transformational and should seek through innovation to solve persistent problems in society.”

According to influencewatch.org, “The foundation focuses on criminal justice, education issues, public pensions, dietary policy, and scientific research reform.” But whatever other initiatives are funded, if you look at their giving (corporate and personal), you see bundles going to the usual pro-abortion suspects.

For example, under “personal advocacy and political contributions,” between December 2015 and December 2017, we find Planned Parenthood Action Fund [under the category $5,000,000 to $9,999,999] and “Planned Parenthood Texas Vote” [under the category $100,000 to $499,999].

Under “Charitable Contributions” for the same time period

  • Planned Parenthood Federation of America [$5,000,000 to $9,999,999]
  • Center for Reproductive Rights [$1,000,000-$4,999,999]
  • Guttmacher Institute [$1, 000,000-$4,999,999]
  • National Network of Abortion Funds [$50,000-$99,999]

Back to the Laura and John Arnold Foundation itself and recent major changes.

In January, writing at Inside Philanthropy, David Callahan observed “But those who closely follow the billionaire couple behind this operation know that they’ve long engaged in political giving alongside their foundation’s grantmaking. …Now, the Arnolds are bringing their philanthropy and political giving together in a new limited-liability corporation called Arnold Ventures. The goal is to create a more integrated push for impact on the wide range of public policy issues that have long animated the couple.”

When you go to the list of “public policy issues” at Arnold Ventures, you see “health,” which includes a link to a story headlined, “State lawmakers pass trio of reproductive-rights bills.”

In the first sentence, Jennifer Henderson writes about New York’s “Reproductive Health Act,” which she inaccurately describes are merely a law “to protect reproductive rights and abortion access even if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade.” As we have written dozens of times at NRL News Today, the RHA not only went miles beyond Roe v. Wade, it also eliminated the state’s protections for abortion survivors.

Callahan’s story—“When Philanthropy Is Not Enough: A Top Donor Couple Takes a Broader Approach to Impact” —is telling not only about the ambitions of the Arnolds but also other billionaires who eagerly fund abortion groups. He writes, “Some of today’s savviest mega-givers strategically blend philanthropic and political giving.” Callahan dubbed them “hybrid entities.”

Click here to read the rest of this article.

The House Makes Unprecedented Moves on Born Alive

By | Blog, News and Events, Planned Parenthood, Sanctity of Life | No Comments

On Tuesday, Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana) filed a discharge petition for H.R. 962, the Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. A discharge petition is a way to bring a bill to the floor that is otherwise being blocked by the Speaker, if the majority (218) of representatives agree and sign. On every legislative day since the bill’s introduction, Members have asked Speaker Pelosi for a vote on H.R. 962. This has now occurred 29 times.

On the first day, the discharge petition was ready for signatures, 193 representatives signed; this record-setting number is the most representatives to ever sign a discharge petition on the first day. On Wednesday, five additional members joined, bringing the tally to 198 signatures. We only need twenty more signatures to force Speaker Pelosi to put this bill on the floor for a vote. To find out if your representative has signed, please click here.

CWALAC joined representatives on Tuesday outside of the Capitol at a press conference in support of Born Alive and watched from the House gallery as members lined up to sign the discharge petition. We also attended the Virginia March for Life in Richmond on Wednesday, where many of the speakers highlighted the radical statements of Virginia Governor Northam (D) that sparked the Born Alive debate.

Born Alive is about stopping infanticide, not restricting or regulating abortion. We should all agree that once born, a newborn child is a patient and deserves protection. This is a reflection on our humanity. Recent polling shows that 82% of Americans, including 77% of pro-choice Americans, support protections for children born alive after an attempted abortion. This is not at all the radical bill the Democrats are portraying.

Please call your representative today and ask him/her to sign the discharge petition for H.R. 962, the Born Alive Abortion Survivor’s Protection Act. Click here to make that call.

 

Abortion is Not an International Right

By | Blog, International, News and Events, Planned Parenthood, Sanctity of Life, United Nations | No Comments

The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW 63) came to an end this week at the United Nations in New York City. News reports warn that the U.S. seeks to decrease the rights of women and girls by taking away an international “right” to abortion in UN resolutions. Based mainly on propaganda from far-left political interest groups, this information is inaccurate and misleading.

The U.S. has long been a leader in policies and aid supporting the expansion of women’s rights around the world. Under the Trump administration alone, major initiatives have been launched in three sectors where the advancement of female equality is sorely needed increasing economic empowerment and entrepreneurship, increasing diplomatic and security participation and decreasing the technological or “digital divide” of women and girls. Research shows that women and girls face inequalities in all of these areas and initiatives like this can elevate women by targeting the main challenges they face. In addition, these initiatives reflect the strategic objectives of gender empowerment goals.

In contrast, the promotion of a so-called “right to abortion” that dominates liberal narratives at the UN does none of these. … [Read More Online at The Hill]

Secretary Pompeo Continues to Remove U.S. Taxpayer Funds Used for Abortion Overseas

By | Blog, International, News and Events, Planned Parenthood, Press Releases, Sanctity of Life | No Comments

Today, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced further implementation of the Mexico City Policy to protect “more unborn babies around the world than ever before” and enforce President Trump’s commitment to stop U.S. taxpayers from funding abortion overseas.

In January 2017, President Trump’s executive action restored and extended the original 1984 Mexico City Policy to prohibit any organization which promotes or performs abortions in other countries from receiving U.S. global health funds. Today, Sec. Pompeo announced that the U.S. will also no longer fund organizations who subcontract with or provide financial assistance to other organizations in the global abortion industry. In addition, he announced the State Department will enforce the Siljander amendment to the 1982 Foreign Assistance and Related Programs Appropriations Act which prohibits tax dollars from being used to lobby for or against abortion. This announcement will directly reduce funding to the Organization of American States (OAS) in proportion to its expenditures on abortion-related activities.

Penny Nance, President and CEO of Concerned Women for America, and Dr. Shea Garrison, Vice President of International Affairs for CWA, responded to Sec. Pompeo’s announcement:

“Secretary Pompeo’s announcement confirms the proud pro-life stance of this administration and their commitment to ensuring that U.S. taxpayer dollars are not used to promote or subsidize the killing of unborn children around the world. Today’s announcement closes two gaping backdoor loopholes that organizations continue to use to get around the funding limitations of President Trump’s expansion of the Mexico City Policy.
“The U.S. has shown we can continue to meet the most critical health care needs for women while refusing to pay for the killing of unborn babies. This is consistent with the moral beliefs of most governments around the world and strengthens U.S.-foreign relations. In addition, women’s rights and health care can be better served through more focused assistance to alleviate the main challenges women face around the world — including in maternal health and mortality.
“We are thankful for Sec. Pompeo’s continued actions to implement the administration’s pro-life policies to the broadest extent possible. As Sec. Pompeo said: ‘This is a policy that is designed fundamentally to protect human beings … this is decent, this is right.’ We are proud to stand behind an administration that protects the most vulnerable among us.”

Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee is the legislative arm of Concerned Women for America, the nation’s largest public policy women’s organization with members across the country, over 450 Prayer/Action Chapters and Home Teams, 600 trained leaders, and over 30 years of service to our nation. For more information visit www.concernedwomen.org 

Sixth Circuit Greenlights Ohio Law Prohibiting Public Funding of Abortion Clinics

By | Case Vault, Legal, Planned Parenthood, Sanctity of Life | No Comments

Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio v. Hodges

The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a decision from the Southern District of Ohio at Cincinnati invalidating an Ohio law barring the public funding of abortion clinics. This is good news. The law has now been upheld and can go into full effect.

The court said the state’s condition for receiving public health funds “does not violate the Constitution because the [clinics] do not have a due process right to perform abortions.” I know that seems obvious, but this is exactly what Planned Parenthood has tried to argue for many years. They claim not only that women have a constitutional right to abortion but also that they, as the providers of this “holy” right, have a constitutional right to provide abortions. The court appropriately and emphatically rejected that claim. The court’s sound reasoning now opens the door for the will of the majority of Ohioans to be carried out. The citizens of Ohio, along with the majority of the rest of the country, do not want their tax dollars to subsidize abortion providers.

In 2016 Ohio passed a law prohibiting funds from being used to “(1) Perform nontherapeutic abortions; (2) Promote nontherapeutic abortions; (3) Contract with any entity that performs or promotes nontherapeutic abortions; (4) Become or continue to be an affiliate of any entity that performs or promotes nontherapeutic abortions.”

Ohio made clear the purpose of the law is, (1) to “Promote childbirth over abortion” which the Supreme Court has already said is constitutionally permissible (“[A] State is permitted to enact persuasive measures which favor childbirth over abortion, even if those measures do not further a health interest.” Planned Parenthood v. Casey, 505 U.S. 833, 886 (1992)), (2) “to avoid ‘muddl[ing]’ that message by using abortion providers as the face of the state healthcare programs” (there are thousands of quality health care options for women besides Planned Parenthood – in Ohio, one study found 280 federally qualified health clinics and rural health clinics, compared to just 28 Planned Parenthood Abortion Clinics), and (3) “to avoid entangling program funding and abortion funding” (public funding inevitably helps Planned Parenthood be the number one abortion provider in the country, performing more than 300,000 abortions a year – more than 27,000 a month, more than 900 a day).

Planned Parenthood, having become synonymous with abortion, promptly sued Ohio, “claiming that the law violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments by conditioning government funding on giving up their rights to provide abortions and to advocate for them.” The district court and a panel of the Sixth Circuit agreed and permanently enjoined the State from enforcing the law.

Thankfully, the Sixth Circuit en banc (before the full court) now reverses those misguided opinions and correctly applies the law, including applicable precedent, to this case. Judge Jeffrey Sutton, writing for the court, reminds us that, “The United States Constitution does not contain an Unconstitutional Conditions Clause.” Writing clearly and concisely, he says, “Governments generally may do what they wish with public funds,” citing Rust v. Sullivan, 500 U.S. 173, 192–94 (1991). He continues, “What makes a condition unconstitutional turns not on a freestanding prohibition against restricting public funds but on a pre-existing obligation not to violate constitutional rights.” In other words, the government cannot deny a clinic’s funding on a reason that violates the clinic’s constitutional rights.

But the constitutional right at issue here “prohibits a State from imposing an ‘undue burden’ on a woman’s access to an abortion before fetal viability. Casey, 505 U.S. at 877 (plurality).” It has nothing to do with a clinic’s right to perform abortions. “The Supreme Court has never identified a freestanding right to perform abortions.”

Therefore, since there is no constitutional right, there can be no constitutional violation of that right. It is that simple.

A woman may bring a claim, as the dissent envisions, saying this law places an undue burden on her constitutional right to obtain an abortion, but this is hard to imagine, given the facts of this case where the clinics have all publicly expressed their commitment to abortion with or without this law. Ruling for Planned Parenthood in this case, “would create a constitutional right for providers to offer abortion services and, in doing so, move the law perilously close to requiring States to subsidize abortions. Case law rejects both possibilities.”

Bottom line, “so long as the subsidy program does not otherwise violate a constitutional right of the regulated entity, the State may choose to subsidize what it wishes — whether abortion services or adoption services, whether stores that sell guns or stores that don’t.”

Mario Diaz, Esq. is CWA’s general counsel. Follow him on Twitter @mariodiazesq.

Senate Dems Deny the Facts About the Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act

By | Blog, Legislative Updates, News and Events, Planned Parenthood, Sanctity of Life | No Comments

On Monday, February 25, the U.S. Senate failed to advance S. 311, the Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, sponsored by Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Nebraska). The bill needed 60 votes and failed by a vote of 53-44, with three senators not voting: Sens. Cramer (R-North Dakota), Scott (R-South Carolina), and Murkowski (R-Alaska). Sens. Cramer and Scott’s offices informed CWA they were unable to attend the vote due to weather delays. They are both original cosponsors of the bill and would have voted “yes. Sen. Tim Scott spoke at length on the Senate floor the day after the vote, declaring: “This is common sense; this is human decency. This is not an issue of being pro-life or pro-choice. This is being pro-child.” For information on how your senator voted, click here. 

Democrat Sens. Manchin (D-West Virginia), Jones (D-Alabama), and Casey (D-Pennsylvania) joined the 53vote majority, while every other Senate Democrat opposed Born Alive. Their excuses for defending infanticide on the Senate floor were straight from the talking points of Planned Parenthood and NARAL. Many of them claimed this does not happen. Wrong. Documented statistics by the Center for Disease Control say otherwise. Only six states require reporting cases of infants born alive after an attempted abortion, so we don’t know just how frequently this happens, but there is no question that it does. Abortion survivors like Melissa Ohden and Gianna Jessen have testified before Congress detailing their personal stories and asking for protections for babies who survive abortion 

Democrats also claimed the bill is unnecessary, because killing a child born alive is already illegal. While Congress did pass, and President George W. Bush signed into law, the Born Alive Infants Protection Act in 2002, it only defined a “person,” “human being,” “child,” or “individual” as including every infant born alive for the purposes of federal law. But the law did not contain any penalty provisions or requirements. This is the issue the Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act seeks to correct. It would give law enforcement the legal tools to bring criminal penalties against a health care professional who fails to provide care for a child who is born alive. Some states do impose penalties, but New York repealed their born alive law, and Vermont is close to doing so. Federal law must address this. 

Here are the facts about the Born Alive Act: It is NOT about private medical decisions between woman and her doctor and does not change abortion laws. It is not about first, second, or thirdtrimester abortions; it is about infanticide. The bill only addresses failed abortions and would not substitute Congress’ judgment for standard medical practice in heartbreaking cases when a child is born but is not viable. It mandates the same degree of care be granted to children who survive abortions that would be given to a child born in other circumstances at the same gestational age, including hospitalizationIt also shields birth mothers from prosecution and grants them the right to take civil action against health care professional who fails to provide this care.   

The Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act is not an extreme “anti-choice” bill. 82% of Americans oppose removing medical care for a viable child after birth, including 77% of pro-choice Americans. Undeniably, Americans widely support this bill. It is now up to the House to correct the failure of the Senate. Speaker Pelosi is standing in the way by denying daily requests to bring this bill to the House floor.  Next month, House Republicans will attempt to force the bill on the floor for a vote through a discharge petition. Please call your congressman today and ask him/her to cosponsor H.R. 962, the House version of S. 311, and sign the discharge petition when it is ready for consideration.