Life Advocacy Briefing

Congressional Business on Hold

THE SCHEDULED BUSINESS OF CONGRESS IS ON HOLD this week because of the horrific attack on Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ), shot in the head during a constituent availability session in her Tuscon district.

At this writing, Rep. Giffords had survived surgery and was in critical condition, with doctors optimistic about her chances for survival but warning that her condition was “precarious.” At least six people died from gunshot wounds suffered in the attack Saturday morning, including a staff member of the Congresswoman and federal District Judge John M. Roll.

We are grateful that the murderer is in custody, and we are disturbed that some members of the media and even certain law enforcement officials are using the tragedy to shape public opinion toward policies which would limit citizen access to our public officials and/or stifle freedom of speech.

We join our fellow citizens in praying fervently for the survival and recovery of Rep. Giffords and the other shooting victims and for the comfort and peace of the surviving families of those who passed away. And we pray for justice.

ObamaCare Repeal in House Sights

THE HOUSE HAS ALREADY TAKEN STEPS toward repeal of Pres. Obama’s massive takeover of America’s medical care system. Debate began within hours of the swearing-in of the 112th Congress last week, and the House has already adopted, by a vote of 236 to 181, the Rule by which the repeal bill, HR-2, will be considered.

We publish that roll call on the Rule at the close of this week’s Life Advocacy Briefing. As with all the roll calls we publish, the Members’ votes on HRes-26 will be included in the compilation of Life-related votes in our annual House Voting Record Index at the end of the First Session of the 112th Congress, later this year or early next.

For the record, we see ObamaCare and its repeal as a Life-related measure, not only because of the exclusion of the Stupak/Pitts/Hyde Amendment from the final version of ObamaCare in 2010 but also because rationing of treatment is inherent in government-funded and/or -managed medical care.

Though Congressional business is on hold because of the shootings in Tucson, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) has made clear that repeal of ObamaCarewill top the House agenda. Calls to lawmakers are appropriate now and may be placed via the Capitol switchboard at 1-202/224-3121.

Top Priority

REP. MIKE PENCE (R-IN) HAS FILED HR-217 to disqualify “any entity that performs abortions” from “family planning grants” under Title X (Ten) of the Public Health Service Act – think: Defund Planned Parenthood.

Planned Parenthood’s recently released report for 2008-2009 shows the abortion behemoth received $363.2 million in government grants and contracts for that year, up from $349.6 million in 2007-2008. PP’s total revenue in 2008-2009 was listed at $1.1 billion. The abortion death toll in PP shops totaled 324,008 abortions in 2008, an increase of nearly 19,000 abortions from the previous year.

Though this legislation has been expected ever since Republicans took control of the House in the November 2010 election, Planned Parenthood recently gave Rep. Pence an additional selling point for his legislation, directing all their affiliates to commit abortions; some previously had held to a policy of stopping short of offering to kill prenatal boys and girls.

HR-217 has been assigned to the House Committee on Energy & Commerce; it is not yet scheduled for hearing. We at Life Advocacy intend to watch its progress and offer our readers updates. A good first step in advocating for the bill’s passage is for our readers to contact their own Member of Congress with the request that he or she co-sponsor HR-217 with Rep. Pence.

We publish the list of initial co-sponsors near the close of this Life Advocacy Briefing, and we ask our readers to join us in thanking them for their support of this long overdue legislation.

Bullet Dodged

THE OBAMA REGIME HAS BACKED DOWN – for now – on a regulation which the new ObamaCare bureaucrats tried to sneak through to fund “end-of-life counseling sessions” through Medicare. Federal funding of such sessions was a hot issue during debate on ObamaCare, and provisions for such funding had to be removed from the legislation in order for it to pass. But the Obama Regime – specifically Dr. Donald Berwick, recess-appointed Medicare administrator – tried to reinstate the funding via regulation. When the regulation was discovered, a hue and cry arose, resulting in rescission of the end-of-life counseling regulation.

“With a repeal vote scheduled [in the House],” writes Gary Bauer in his Jan. 5 End of Day Report to supporters of his Campaign for Working Families, “[Mr.] Obama and the liberal Democrats didn’t want another debate on ‘death panels.’ Moreover,” he writes, “the end-of-life regulation would have been a prime target for the GOP’s effort to defund ObamaCare.”

The sneak attack “should … be a reminder to every conservative,” writes Mr. Bauer, “that the Left doesn’t give up. Just as we are fighting with the EPA over cap-and-trade regulations, we had won the debate over end-of-life planning in the last Congress, only to see the bureaucrats resurrect it. We must remain vigilant,” he writes, “on every front. The battle with the bureaucracy is one fight conservatives must win.”

March for Life Set for Jan. 24

PRO-LIFE CITIZENS WILL GATHER IN WASHINGTON, DC, from throughout the nation on Monday, Jan. 24, for the annual March for Life commemorating the tragic Jan. 22 anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade edict invalidating America’s laws curbing abortion.

Planned events will begin Sunday, Jan. 23, with a national prayer vigil (www.usccb.org) and a 3 p.m. Sunday rally at Lafayette Park across the street from the White House.

The actual March will step off at about 1:30 p.m. Jan. 24, following a noon rally at the National Mall at 4th St. NW. Marchers will walk en masse up Constitution Avenue to the steps of the Supreme Court.

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) will keynote the Rose Dinner banquet following the March at 6 p.m. Jan. 24 in the Hyatt Regency Hotel on New Jersey Avenue, Capitol Hill.

More information is available via the March for Life website at www.marchforlife.org or by calling the organizers at 1-202/543-3377.

Following the March day, Heartbeat International will bring grassroots pro-life citizens to Capitol Hill on Tuesday, Jan. 25, for their annual “Babies Go to Congress” lobbying event. Their message will combine advocacy for the cause of Life with education about the vital role of pregnancy crisis centers.

Quotable

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, writing on the Facebook Internet site, on Aug. 7, 2009: “And who will suffer the most when they ration care? The sick, the elderly and the disabled, of course. The America I know and love is not one in which my parents or my baby with Down Syndrome will have to stand in front of Obama’s ‘death panel’ so his bureaucrats can decide, based on a subjective judgment of the ‘level of productivity in society,’ whether they are worthy of health care. Such a system is downright evil.” Yes, it is. And its enabling legislation needs to be repealed.

Defunding Planned Parenthood – Statement by Rep. Pence

Statement issued by Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) after introducing HR-217

It is morally wrong to end an unborn human life by abortion. It is also morally wrong to take the taxpayer dollars of millions of pro-life Americans and use them to promote abortion at home or abroad.

Last year Planned Parenthood received more than $363 million in revenue from government grants and contracts. During that same time, they performed an unprecedented 324,008 abortions.

The largest abortion provider in America should not also be the largest recipient of federal funding under Title X.

The Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act will prevent any family planning funds under Title X from going to Planned Parenthood or other organizations that perform abortions. It will ensure that abortion providers are not being subsidized with federal tax dollars.

Defunding Planned Parenthood – the House Sponsors

House Members joining Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) as co-sponsors of HR-217 as of Jan. 7, 2011 (All Republicans, so far)

Representatives Robert Aderholt, Spencer Bachus, Mo Brooks, Mike Rogers (AL); Jeff Flake, Trent Franks, Paul Gosar, Benjamin Quayle (AZ); Eric Crawford (AR); Ken Calvert, John Campbell, Wally Herger, Duncan Hunter, Tom McClintock, Howard McKeon, Gary Miller (CA); Mike Coffman, Cory Gardner, Doug Lamborn (CO); Gus Bilirakis, Vern Buchanan, John Mica, Jeff Miller, Bill Posey, Dennis Ross, Steve Southerland, Allen West (FL); Paul Broun, Phil Gingrey, Tom Graves, Tom Price, Lynn Westmoreland (GA); Michael Simpson (ID); Donald Manzullo, Aaron Schock, John Shimkus, Joe Walsh (IL); Larry Bucshon, Dan Burton, Todd Rokita, Marlin Stutzman, Todd Young (IN); Steve King (IA); Tim Huelskamp, Lynn Jenkins, Mike Pompeo (KS); Geoff Davis, Harold Rogers (KY); John Fleming, Steve Scalise (LA).

Also Representatives Roscoe Bartlett (MD); Bill Huizenga, Thaddeus McCotter, Candice Miller, Tim Walberg (MI); Michele Bachmann, Chip Cravaack, John Kline (MN); Gregg Harper, Alan Nunnelee (MS); Todd Akin, Vicky Hartzler, Billy Long, Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO); Lee Terry (NE); Scott Garrett, Christopher Smith (NJ); Stevan Pearce (NM); Ann Marie Buerkle, Tom Reed (NY); Renee Ellmers, Walter Jones, Patrick McHenry (NC); Steve Chabot, Bob Gibbs, Bill Johnson, Jim Jordan, Robert Latta, James Renacci, Jean Schmidt, Michael Turner (OH); Tom Cole, James Lankford, John Sullivan (OK); Tim Murphy, Joseph Pitts, Todd Platts, Bill Shuster, Glenn Thompson (PA).

And Representatives Jeff Duncan, Trey Gowdy, Mick Mulvaney (SC); Diane Black, Marsha Blackburn, John Duncan, David Roe (TN); Kevin Brady, Francisco Canseco, John Carter, Michael Conaway, John Culberson, Louie Gohmert, Ralph Hall, Jeb Hensarling, Kenny Marchant, Michael McCaul, Randy Neugebauer, Pete Olson, Ron Paul, Ted Poe (TX); Rob Bishop, Jason Chaffetz (UT); Randy Forbes, Bob Goodlatte, Scott Rigell (VA); Cathy McMorris-Rodgers (WA); David McKinley (WV); Sean Duffy, Reid Ribble, Paul Ryan (WI); Cynthia Lummis (WY).

House Voting Record

HRes-26 – Rule for consideration of HR-2, repeal of ObamaCare – Jan. 6, 2011 – Adopted 236 – 181 – 2 (Democrats in italics; new Member in ALL CAPS)

Voting “yes” / pro-Life: AL/Aderholt, Bachus, Bonner, BROOKS, ROBY, Rogers; AK/Young; AZ/Flake, Franks, GOSAR, QUAYLE, SCHWEIKERT; AR/CRAWFORD, GRIFFIN, Ross, WOMACK; CA/Bilbray, Bono-Mack, Calvert, Campbell, DENHAM, Dreier, Gallegly, Herger, Hunter, Issa, Lewis, Lungren, McCarthy, McClintock, McKeon, Gary Miller, Nunes, Rohrabacher, Royce; CO/Coffman, GARDNER, Lamborn, TIPTON; FL/ADAMS, Bilirakis, Buchanan, Crenshaw, Diaz-Balart, Mack, Mica, Miller, NUGENT, Posey, RIVERA, Rooney, Ros-Lehtinen, ROSS, SOUTHERLAND, Stearns, WEBSTER, WEST, Young; GA/Broun, Gingrey, Graves, Kingston, Price, AUSTIN SCOTT, Westmoreland, WOODALL; ID/LABRADOR, Simpson; IL/Biggert, HULTGREN, Johnson, KINZINGER, Manzullo, Roskam, SCHILLING, Schock, Shimkus, WALSH; IN/BUCSHON, Burton, Pence, ROKITA, STUTZMAN, YOUNG; IA/King, Latham; KS/HUELSKAMP, Jenkins, POMPEO, YODER; KY/Davis, Guthrie, Rogers, Whitfield;  LA/Alexander, Boustany, Cassidy, Fleming, LANDRY, Scalise; MD/Bartlett, HARRIS; MI/AMASH, BENISHEK, Camp, HUIZENGA, McCotter, Miller, Rogers, Upton, WALBERG; MN/Bachmann, CRAVAACK, Kline, Paulsen; MS/Harper, NUNNELEE, PALAZZO; MO/Akin, Emerson, Graves, HARTZLER, LONG, Luetkemeyer; MT/Rehberg; NE/Fortenberry, Terry; NV/HECK, Heller; NH/BASS, GUINTA; NJ/Frelinghuysen, Garrett, Lance, LoBiondo, RUNYAN, Smith; NY/BUERKLE, GIBSON, GRIMM, HANNA, King, Lee, REED; NC/Coble, ELLMERS, Foxx, Kissell, McHenry, McIntyre, Myrick; ND/BERG; OH/CHABOT, GIBBS, JOHNSON, Jordan, LaTourette, Latta, RENACCI, Schmidt, STIVERS, Tiberi, Turner; OK/Boren, Cole, LANKFORD, Lucas, Sullivan; OR/Walden; PA/BARLETTA, Dent, Gerlach, KELLY, MARINO, MEEHAN, Murphy, Pitts, Platts, Shuster, Thompson; SC/DUNCAN, GOWDY, MULVANEY, TIM SCOTT, Wilson; SD/NOEM; TN/BLACK, Blackburn, DESJARLAIS, Duncan, FINCHER, FLEISCHMANN, Roe; TX/Brady, Burgess, CANSECO, Carter, Conaway, Culberson, FARENTHOLD, FLORES, Gohmert, Granger, Hall, Hensarling, Sam Johnson, Marchant, McCaul, Neugebauer, Olson, Paul, Poe, Smith, Thornberry; UT/Bishop, Chaffetz; VA/Cantor, Forbes, Goodlatte, GRIFFITH, HURT, RIGELL, Wittman, Wolf; WA/Hastings, HERRERA-BEUTLER, McMorris-Rodgers, Reichert; WV/Capito, McKINLEY; WI/DUFFY, Petri, RIBBLE, Ryan, Sensenbrenner; WY/Lummis.

Voting “no” / anti-Life: AL/SEWELL; AZ/Giffords, Grijalva, Pastor; CA/Baca, BASS, Becerra, Berman, Capps, Cardoza, Chu, Costa, Davis, Eshoo, Farr, Filner, Harman, Lee, Lofgren, Matsui, McNerney, George Miller, Napolitano, Pelosi, Richardson, Linda Sanchez, Loretta Sanchez, Schiff, Sherman, Speier, Stark, Thompson, Waters, Waxman, Woolsey; CO/DeGette, Perlmutter, Polis; CT/Courtney, DeLauro, Himes, Larson, Murphy; DE/CARNEY; FL/Brown, Castor, Deutch, Hastings, Wasserman-Schultz, WILSON; GA/Barrow, Bishop, Johnson, Lewis, David Scott; HI/HANABUSA, Hirono; IL/Costello, Gutierrez, Jackson, Lipinski, Quigley, Rush, Schakowsky; IN/Carson, Donnelly, Visclosky; IA/Braley, Loebsack; KY/Chandler, Yarmuth; LA/RICHMOND; ME/Michaud, Pingree; MD/Cummings, Edwards, Hoyer, Ruppersberger, Sarbanes, VanHollen; MA/Capuano, Frank, KEATING, Lynch, Markey, McGovern, Neal, Olver, Tierney, Tsongas; MI/Conyers, Dingell, Kildee, Levin, Peters; MN/Ellison, McCollum, Peterson, Walz; MS/Thompson; MO/Carnahan, Clay, Cleaver; NV/Berkley; NJ/Andrews, Holt, Pallone, Pascrell, Payne, Rothman, Sires; NM/Heinrich, Lujan; NY/Ackerman, Bishop, Clarke, Crowley, Engel, Higgins, Hinchey, Israel, Lowey, McCarthy, Meeks, Nadler, Owens, Rangel, Serrano, Slaughter, Tonko, Towns, Velazquez, Weiner; NC/Butterfield, Miller, Price, Shuler, Watt; OH/Fudge, Kaptur, Kucinich, Ryan, Sutton; OR/Blumenauer, DeFazio, Schrader, Wu; PA/Altmire, Brady, Critz, Doyle, Fattah, Holden, Schwartz; RI/Langevin; SC/Clyburn; TN/Cohen, Cooper; TX/Cuellar, Doggett, Gonzalez, Al Green, Gene Green, Hinojosa, Jackson-Lee, E.B. Johnson, Reyes; UT/Matheson; VT/Welch; VA/Connolly, Moran, Scott; WA/Dicks, Inslee, Larsen, McDermott, Smith; WV/Rahall; WI/Baldwin, Kind, Moore.

Voting “present”: PA/FITZPATRICK; TX/Sessions.

Not voting: CA/Garamendi, Honda, Roybal-Allard; IL/Davis, DOLD; IA/Boswell; MI/CLARKE, NE/Smith; NM/PEARCE; NY/HAYWORTH, Maloney; NC/Jones; OH/Austria; RI/CICILLINE; TX/Barton.

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