Life Advocacy Briefing

Sketchy Schedule?

OUR EDITOR IS TRAVELING and will be endeavoring to meet deadlines and bring you “timely news you can use in the cause of Life.” If our publishing schedule turns out to be a bit erratic during the next two weeks, please forgive us. We’ll be doing our best to stay on time.

Liu Rejected!

RADICAL BERKELEY PROFESSOR GOODWIN LIU IS TOO RADICAL even tor the US Senate to stomach. The Senate GOP mounted and sustained a filibuster against the hugely unqualified, hugely ideological appellate judge nominee by refusing Thursday to give the President’s party the votes needed to achieve 60 votes for “cloture,” the motion to bring forward the nomination.

Prof. Liu is the first Obama judicial nominee blocked by the Senate, which also blocked a key Justice Dept. official a week earlier.

We thank those readers who contacted their Senators to seek a “no” vote on Prof. Liu, the first Obama judicial nominee blocked by the Senate, and we thank those Senators who voted to protect America from this anti-Life, anti-family, anti-Constitution pick.

Readers will find the voting record at the close of this Life Advocacy Briefing. Hint: Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) was the one Republican to vote to end debate on the Liu nomination; Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) was the sole Democrat to oppose him.

Follow the Rules!

OKLAHOMA GOV. MARY FALLIN (R) HAS SIGNED LEGISLATION requiring chemical abortionists to follow Food & Drug Administration (FDA) protocols for administering RU-486.

“The Abortion-Inducing Drug Safety Act,” reports John Jalsevac, writing for LifeSiteNews.com,  “enforces FDA safety guidelines which bar vaginal intake of the abortion drug and limit its safe use to seven weeks (or 49 days) into pregnancy … .”

Despite the FDA protocols, many chemical abortionists, including Planned Parenthood, are known to administer the drug vaginally, and National Abortion Federation abortuaries are urged by NAF to administer the drug as long as two weeks past the 49-day limit.

Vaginal administration of this dangerous drug, notes Mr. Jalsevac, “has been linked to Clostridium sordellii bacterial infections responsible,” he writes, “for the deaths of US women taking RU-486. (The C. sordellii septic shock death of a 16-year-old girl in Portugal was reported this month; the girl had undergone an RU-486 abortion.)

A new study out of Australia “has found strong evidence,” writes LifeSite’s Peter J. Smith, “that chemical RU-486 abortions have a far higher rate of serious complications than surgical abortion, undercutting a major selling point of the abortion drug regimen. …

“The first major study comparing the risks of chemical and surgical abortion,” writes Mr. Smith, “has just been published in the Australian Family Physician, a medical journal for Australia’s general practitioners.” The study cites higher risks of severe hemorrhage as well as infection. And the risks of surgical abortion are not exactly slight.

‘Abortion Gov’?

MONTANA GOV. BRIAN SCHWEITZER (D) IS COMPILING QUITE A RECORD of support for the abortion cartel.

Having earlier this month vetoed a bill to criminalize the (non-abortion) killing of preborn children, Gov. Schweitzer has now vetoed a bill requiring girls under age 18 to notify a parent or guardian before undergoing an abortion.  Override motions are not expected to succeed.

Peeling Back ObamaCare

BELOW WE PUBLISH THE HOUSE ROLL CALLS on legislation defunding the school-based clinics metastasizing through the nation’s public schools under ObamaCare programming. Because such extraordinary “health” facilities have been used by the abortion lobby for referrals in many of the places where they have pioneered over the past 20 years, we view this legislation as a Life issue and thank those House Members who voted for the defunding measure.

March for Life Speeches

Congressional speeches delivered at the Jan. 24, 2011, March for Life, transcribed by Life Advocacy Briefing from C-SPAN.org videocoverage; more to follow in future editions.

Rep. Gregg Harper (R-MS): I’m Gregg Harper from the great state of Mississippi. Welcome – you look great! And let me tell you that under the leadership of our governor, Haley Barbour, many pro-life laws have been passed. Americans United for Life designated Mississippi as the safest place in the United States for an unborn child. We’ve gone from seven abortion clinics to one that is now part-time. Let’s stay in the fight.

Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN): Hello, everyone, my name is Chuck Fleischmann. I’m a freshman from the great state of Tennessee. Thank you for coming out in the cold. Look around at your friends and neighbors from all fifty states. The United States of America is the greatest nation the world has ever seen. We are one nation under God, and we will stay that way. But I will say this, I will say this: Something mars our great conscience. And that is Roe versus Wade. It was bad law then, it’s bad law now. And we will get rid of it someday in our lifetimes. I’m going to ask each and every one of you to go back to your towns and your cities and your villages and work hard. Do not give up the fight. Look around at our friends and neighbors. We’re on the right side on this issue. The rights of man are inalienable; they come from God, and that’s what the great United States is here to protect. God bless you, and God bless the United States of America. Thank you.

Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE): Hi, everyone. I’m Jeff Fortenberry, I’m from Nebraska, and I’m pro-life. I’m so sorry my own five children couldn’t be here today with me. But as I look out at you, I know one thing: You’re the new generation of pro-life leadership. You’re the new generation of civil rights leaders. You know that women deserve better than abortion. You know that abortion is not health care. You know that abortion takes lives and distorts the genius of womanhood. Now, not too long ago, right here on Capitol Hill, being pro-life was just kind of accommodated. Now it’s a mission. Stay with us. Help us. Thank you all for coming, and thank you all for being pro-life.

House Voting Records

HR-1214 – Final Passage – To repeal funding for ObamaCare school-based clinic construction –May 4, 2011 – Passed 235-191 (Democrats in italics)

Voting “yes” / pro-Life: AL/Aderholt, Bachus, Bonner, Brooks, Roby, Rogers; AK/Young; AZ/Flake, Franks, Gosar, Quayle, Schweikert; AR/Crawford, Griffin, Womack; CA/ 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, Buchanan, Crenshaw, Diaz-Balart, Mack, Mica, Miller, Nugent, Posey, Rivera, Rooney, Ros-Lehtinen, Ross, Southerland, Stearns, Webster, Young; GA/Broun, Gingrey, Graves, Kingston, Price, Austin Scott, Westmoreland, Woodall; ID/Labrador, Simpson; IL/Biggert, Dold, 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, Graves, Hartzler, Long, Luetkemeyer; MT/Rehberg; NE/Fortenberry, Smith, Terry; NV/Heller; NH/Bass, Guinta; NJ/Frelinghuysen, Garrett, Lance, LoBiondo, Runyan, Smith; NM/Pearce; NY/Buerkle, Gibson, Grimm, Hanna, Hayworth, King, Reed; NC/Coble, Ellmers, Foxx, Jones, McHenry, McIntyre, Myrick; ND/Berg; OH/Austria, Chabot, Gibbs, Johnson, Jordan, Latta, Renacci, Schmidt, Stivers, Tiberi, Turner; OK/Boren, Cole, Lankford, Lucas, Sullivan; OR/Walden; PA/Altmire, Barletta, Dent, Fitzpatrick, Gerlach, Marino, Meehan, Murphy, Pitts, Platts, Shuster, Thompson; SC/Duncan, Gowdy, Mulvaney, Scott, Wilson; SD/Noem; TN/Black, Blackburn, DesJarlais, Duncan, Fincher, Fleischmann, Roe; TX/Barton, Brady, Burgess, Canseco, Carter, Conaway, Culberson, Farenthold, Flores, Gohmert, Granger, Hall, Hensarling, Marchant, McCaul, Neugebauer, Olson, Paul, Poe, Sessions, 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/Grijalva, Pastor; AR/Ross; CA/Baca, Bass, Becerra, Berman, Capps, Cardoza, Chu, Costa, Davis, Eshoo, Farr, Filner, Garamendi, Honda, Lee, Lofgren, Matsui, McNerney, George Miller, Napolitano, Pelosi, Richardson, Roybal-Allard, 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, West, Wilson; GA/Barrow, Bishop, Johnson, Lewis, David Scott; HI/Hanabusa, Hirono; IL/Costello, Davis, Gutierrez, Jackson, Lipinski, Quigley, Rush, Schakowsky; IN/Carson, Donnelly, Visclosky; IA/Boswell, 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/Clarke, Conyers, Dingell, Kildee, Levin, Peters; MN/Ellison, McCollum, Peterson, Walz; MS/Thompson; MO/Carnahan, Clay, Cleaver; NV/Berkley, Heck; NJ/Andrews, Holt, Pallone, Pascrell, Payne, Rothman, Sires; NM/Heinrich, Lujan; NY/Ackerman, Bishop, Clarke, Crowley, Engel, Higgins, Hinchey, Israel, Lowey, Maloney, McCarthy, Meeks, Nadler, Owens, Rangel, Serrano, Slaughter, Tonko, Towns, Velazquez, Weiner; NC/Butterfield, Kissell, Miller, Price, Shuler,  Watt; OH/Fudge, Kaptur, Kucinich, LaTourette, Ryan, Sutton; OR/Blumenauer, DeFazio, Schrader, Wu; PA/Brady, Critz, Doyle, Fattah, Holden, Kelly, Schwartz; RI/Cicilline, 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.

Not voting: AZ/Giffords; CA/Bilbray; FL/Bilirakis, Wasserman-Schultz; MO/Emerson; OH/Boehner; TX/Sam Johnson.

HR-1214 – Procedural Motion to Recommit (block passage) – May 4, 2011 – Failed 180-230 (Democrats in italics)

Voting “no” / pro-Life: AL/Aderholt, Bachus, Bonner, Brooks, Roby, Rogers; AK/Young; AZ/Flake, Franks, Gosar, Quayle, Schweikert; AR/Crawford, Griffin, Ross, Womack; CA/Bono-Mack, Calvert, Campbell, Cardoza, Costa, Denham, Gallegly, Herger, Hunter, Issa, Lewis, Lungren, McClintock, McKeon, Gary Miller, Nunes, Rohrabacher, Royce; CO/Coffman, Gardner, Lamborn, Tipton; FL/Adams, Buchanan, Crenshaw, Diaz-Balart, Mack, Mica, Miller, Nugent, Posey, Rivera, Rooney, Ros-Lehtinen, Southerland, Stearns, Webster, West, Young; GA/Broun, Gingrey, Graves, Kingston, Austin Scott, Westmoreland, Woodall; ID/Labrador, Simpson; IL/Biggert, Dold, Hultgren, Johnson, Kinzinger, Manzullo, Schilling, Schock, Shimkus, Walsh; IN/Bucshon, Burton, Pence, Rokita, Stutzman, Young; IA/King, Latham; KS/Huelskamp, Jenkins, Pompeo, Yoder; KY/Chandler, 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, Graves, Hartzler, Long, Luetkemeyer; MT/Rehberg; NE/Fortenberry, Smith, Terry; NV/Heck, Heller; NH/Bass, Guinta; NJ/Frelinghuysen, Garrett, Lance, LoBiondo, Runyan, Smith; NM/Pearce; NY/Buerkle, Gibson, Grimm, Hanna, Hayworth, King, Reed; NC/Coble, Ellmers, Foxx, Jones, McHenry, Myrick, Shuler; ND/Berg; OH/Austria, Chabot, Gibbs, Johnson, Jordan, LaTourette, Latta, Renacci, Schmidt, Stivers, Tiberi, Turner; OK/Boren, Cole, Lankford, Lucas, Sullivan; PA/Altmire, Barletta, Dent, Fitzpatrick, Gerlach, Kelly, Marino, Meehan, Murphy, Pitts, Platts, Shuster, Thompson; SC/Duncan, Gowdy, Mulvaney, Wilson; TN/Black, Blackburn, DesJarlais, Duncan, Fincher, Fleischmann, Roe; TX/Barton, Burgess, Canseco, Carter, Conaway, Culberson, Farenthold, Flores, Gohmert, Granger, Hall, Marchant, McCaul, Neugebauer, Olson, Paul, Poe, Smith, Thornberry; UT/Bishop, Chaffetz, Matheson; VA/Forbes, Goodlatte, Griffith, Hurt, Rigell, Wittman, Wolf; WA/Hastings, Reichert; WV/Capito, McKinley; WI/Duffy, Petri, Ribble, Ryan, Sensenbrenner; WY/Lummis.

Voting “yes” / anti-Life: AL/Sewell; AZ/Grijalva, Pastor; CA/Baca, Bass, Becerra, Berman, Capps, Chu, Davis, Eshoo, Farr, Filner, Garamendi, Honda, Lee, Lofgren, Matsui, McNerney, George Miller, Napolitano, Pelosi, Richardson, Roybal-Allard, 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, Wilson; GA/Barrow, Bishop, Johnson, Lewis, David Scott; HI/Hanabusa, Hirono; IL/Costello, Davis, Gutierrez, Jackson, Lipinski, Quigley, Rush, Schakowsky; IN/Carson, Donnelly, Visclosky; IA/Boswell, Braley, Loebsack; KY/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/Clarke, Conyers, Dingell, Kildee, Levin, Peters; MN/Ellison, McCollum, 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, Maloney, McCarthy, Meeks, Nadler, Owens, Rangel, Serrano, Slaughter, Tonko, Towns, Velazquez, Weiner; NC/Butterfield, Kissell, McIntyre, Miller, Price, Watt; OH/Fudge, Kaptur, Kucinich, Ryan, Sutton; OR/Blumenauer, DeFazio, Schrader, Wu; PA/Brady, Critz, Doyle, Fattah, Holden, Schwartz; RI/Cicilline, Langevin; TN/Cohen, Cooper; TX/Cuellar, Doggett, Gonzalez, Al Green, Gene Green, Hinojosa, Jackson-Lee, E.B. Johnson, Reyes; VT/Welch; VA/Connolly, Moran, Scott; WA/Dicks, Inslee, Larsen, McDermott, Smith; WV/Rahall; WI/Baldwin, Kind, Moore.

Not voting: AZ/Giffords; CA/Bilbray, Dreier, McCarthy; FL/Bilirakis, Ross, Wasserman-Schultz; GA/Price; IL/Roskam; MN/Peterson; MO/Emerson; OH/Boehner; OR/Walden; SC/Clyburn, Scott; SD/Noem; TX/Brady, Hensarling, Sam Johnson, Sessions; VA/Cantor; WA/Herrera-Beutler, McMorris-Rodgers.

Senate Voting Record

Cloture Motion on the Nomination of Goodwin Liu to 9th Circuit Court of Appeals – May 19, 2011 – Rejected 52 to 43, needing 60 (Democrats in italics; “Independents” marked with “I”)

Voting “no” / pro-Life: AL/Sessions & Shelby, AZ/Kyl & McCain, AR/Boozman, FL/Rubio, GA/Chambliss & Isakson, ID/Crapo & Risch, IL/Kirk, IN/Coats & Lugar, IA/Grassley, KS/Roberts, KY/McConnell & Paul, ME/Collins & Snowe, MA/Brown, MS/Cochran & Wicker, MO/Blunt, NE/Johanns & Nelson, NV/Heller, NH/Ayotte, NC/Burr, ND/Hoeven, OH/Portman, OK/Coburn & Inhofe, PA/Toomey, SC/DeMint & Graham, SD/Thune, TN/Alexander & Corker, TX/Cornyn, UT/Lee, WI/Johnson, WY/Barrasso & Enzi.

Voting “yes” / anti-Life: AK/Begich & Murkowski, AR/Pryor, CA/Boxer & Feinstein, CO/Bennet & Udall, CT/Blumenthal & Lieberman (I), DE/Carper & Coons, FL/Nelson, HI/Akaka & Inouye, IL/Durbin, IA/Harkin, LA/Landrieu, MD/Cardin & Mikulski, MA/Kerry, MI/Levin & Stabenow, MN/Franken & Klobuchar, MO/McCaskill, MT/Tester, NV/Reid, NH/Shaheen, NJ/Lautenberg & Menendez, NM/Bingaman & Udall, NY/Gillibrand & Schumer, NC/Hagan, ND/Conrad, OH/Brown, OR/Merkley & Wyden, PA/Casey, RI/Reed &Whitehouse, SD/Johnson, VT/Leahy & Sanders, VA/Warner & Webb, WA/Cantwell & Murray, WV/Manchin & Rockefeller,  WI/Kohl.

Not voting: KS/Moran, LA/Vitter, MT/Baucus, TX/Hutchison.

Voting “present”: UT/Hatch.