Life Advocacy Briefing

Help on the Way for Parent Notice Laws?

FLORIDA SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R) HAS FILED A MAJOR PRO-LIFE PROPOSAL, passed by the House in previous sessions but usually stuck in the Senate under then-Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV).

S-404, the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act, has been referred to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, which is chaired by Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA), one of the bill’s co-sponsors.

The proposal would establish penalties for transporting a minor across state lines to obtain an abortion without complying with parental notification laws in the state where the minor lives; parents are exempt from the law and are given standing to sue the abettor, provided the suing parent has not been committing incest on his daughter. Penalties include fines and imprisonment up to a year.

Co-sponsoring the bill with Sen. Rubio and Sen. Grassley are Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and GOP Senators John McCain (AZ), James Risch (ID), Dan Coats (IN), Jerry Moran & Pat Roberts (KS), Rand Paul (KY), David Vitter (LA), Thad Cochran & Roger Wicker (MS), Roy Blunt (MO), Steve Daines (MT), Deb Fischer (NV), Thom Tillis (NC), James Inhofe & James Lankford (OK), Lindsey Graham (SC), John Thune (SD), Ted Cruz (TX), Orrin Hatch (UT) and Michael Enzi (WY).

Readers are asked to contact their home-state Senators to thank those whose names appear above and to ask for support and co-sponsorship of S-404 from those who have not yet subscribed as co-sponsors. Senators may be contacted via the Capitol switchboard at 1-202/224-3121.

Champions of Mercy

THE BILL THAT SEEMS TOO HOT for GOP Rep. Renee Ellmers (NC) to handle – the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act – is moving through state legislatures with apparent ease, though House GOP Leaders have still not re-scheduled it for consideration in Congress.

The West Virginia House of Delegates on Feb. 11 passed the state-level late-term abortion ban by 87 to 12. Even two-thirds of the chamber’s Democrats voted for it following more than two hours of debate during the annual Pro-Life Rally Day. Though “a pro-abortion female Delegate previously stated,” reports National Right to Life (NRL) News Today, “that she was speaking for the majority of women in West Virginia and in the country, newcomer Delegate Saira Blair, herself a teenager at 18 and a bill co-sponsor, pointed out that the majority of women in that chamber supported the bill. In fact,” notes NRL News Today, “17 of 19 female Delegates supported” the measure.

“‘Ten states have already passed this legislation,’ said West Virginians for Life Legislative Coordinator John Carey,” quoted by NRL News Today.

But more, clearly, are to come. Take Rep. Ellmers’s neighbor, South Carolina, for example. There the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act passed the state legislature’s House by a vote of 80 to 27 on the same day the bill passed in West Virginia. It had previously cleared South Carolina’s House Judiciary Committee on a bipartisan 5-to-0 vote after oral testimony from three local physicians.

“For more than an hour,” reports NRL News Today, “chief sponsor Rep. Wendy Nanney (R-Greenville), stood at the podium of the House and staved off hostile arguments and attempts to weaken the bill with amendments. Ten Democrats support[ed] the bill, and no Republican voted against it.”

Thank you, state lawmakers, for showing Congress the way.

Effective Terminology

A STATE LAWMAKER IN SOUTH DAKOTA has taken a national pro-life initiative a step further, at least rhetorically.

Not long after National Right to Life announced that legislation (yet unfiled) to outlaw “dismemberment abortion” would be a top priority for the pro-life movement this year, Sioux Falls State Rep. Isaac Latterell (R) has introduced HB-1230, which he has titled “Preborn Infant Beheading Ban of 2015,” which, reports Ben Johnson for LifeSiteNews.com, “states, ‘No licensed physician may knowingly behead a living unborn child with the intent of endangering the life or health of the child.” His bill has emerged from the House Health & Human Services Committee by a vote of 11 to 2. The same committee – before the 2014 election – voted down the same bill last year by an 11-to-1 negative vote.

That was before the public became aware of ISIS and its dismemberment terrorism crusade. The young lawmaker has now posted on his Internet website a column explaining his legislation, in which he declares: “No state, no religion and no organization should ever be allowed to use this unspeakably horrifying method. While we rightly take the speck out of our neighbor’s eye by holding ISIS accountable, let us be sure to take the plank out of our own eye by holding Planned Parenthood accountable.”

Readers who wish to read the entire commentary – which has been cited by such publications as the Washington Times and the Huffington Post – may find it at this link.

Panic!

THOUGH THE DISMEMBERMENT BAN HAS NOT YET BEEN FILED in Congress, its introduction in Kansas and Oklahoma has drawn a panicky response from the abortion industry, according to Dave Andrusko, chief columnist for National Right to Life (NRL) News Today.

And the abortion lobby’s media abettors are already beginning to sound the alarm, notes pro-life blogger Jill Stanek.

“The Bloomberg headline was shocking,” writes Mrs. Stanek: “‘Grisly Language Propels Kansas Anti-Abortion Bill as US Model.’ Bloomberg journalist Esme E. Deprez was tasked,” writes Mrs. Stanek, “with informing readers about the Unborn Child Protection from Dismemberment Act … . The writing experience obviously wasn’t pleasant for her. The story began,” notes Mrs. Stanek: “‘Activists in Kansas and Oklahoma are seeking to outlaw a common abortion technique [nice admission!] by using the text of legislative bills to lay bare its graphic details, a tactic that may spread across the US.

“‘Republican lawmakers in both states are pushing to ban what they call “dismemberment abortion” with language supplied by National Right to Life, a Washington-based advocacy group,’” continued Ms. Deprez as quoted by Mrs. Stanek. “‘Opponents say the bills inaccurately describe what medical literature calls dilation and evacuation, a method used in 96% of second-trimester terminations, according to the National Abortion Federation. … The aim is to rebrand a medical procedure with a new and unsettling name,’” Ms. Deprez continued, quoted by Mrs. Stanek, “‘include clinical details of what it entails in a bill and let lawmakers’ reactions guide the way they vote.’ But of course,” adds Mrs. Stanek. “To be forced to describe a ‘technique’ that dismembers small, recognizable humans – Dilation & Evacuation abortions – can’t be fun. Which,” she writes, “is the point.”

House Voting Record: ObamaCare Repeal

HRes-70 – Rule for Considering ObamaCare Repeal – Adopted – 242-178 – Feb. 3, 2015 (Democrats in italics)

Voting “yes” / pro-Life: Aderholt, Brooks, Byrne, Palmer, Roby, Rogers/AL; Franks, Gosar, McSally, Salmon, Schweikert/AZ; Crawford, Hill, Westerman, Womack/AR; Calvert, Cook, Denham, Hunter, Issa, Knight, LaMalfa, McCarthy, McClintock, Nunes, Rohrabacher, Royce, Valadao, Walters/CA; Buck, Coffman, Lamborn, Tipton/CO; Bilirakis, Buchanan, Clawson, Crenshaw, Curbelo, DeSantis, Diaz-Balart, Jolly, Mica, Miller, Nugent, Posey, Rooney, Ros-Lehtinen, Ross, Webster, Yoho/FL; Allen, Carter, Collins, Graves, Hice, Loudermilk, Price, A. Scott, Westmoreland, Woodall/GA; Labrador, Simpson/ID; Bost, R. Davis, Dold, Hultgren, Kinzinger, Roskam, Schock, Shimkus/IL; Brooks, Bucshon, Messer, Rokita, Stutzman, Walorski, Young/IN; Blum, King, Young/IA; Huelskamp, Jenkins, Pompeo, Yoder/KS; Barr, Guthrie, Massie, Rogers, Whitfield/KY; Abraham, Boustany, Fleming, Graves, Scalise/LA; Poliquin/ME; Harris/MD; Amash, Benishek, Bishop, Huizenga, Miller, Moolenaar, Trott, Upton, Walberg/MI; Emmer, Kline, Paulsen/MN; Harper, Palazzo/MS; Graves, Hartzler, Long, Luetkemeyer, Smith, Wagner/MO; Zinke/MT; Fortenberry, Smith/NE; Amodei, Hardy, Heck/NV; Guinta/NH; Frelinghuysen, Garrett, Lance, LoBiondo, MacArthur, Smith/NJ; Pearce/NM; Collins, Gibson, Hanna, Katko, King, Reed, Stefanik, Zeldin/NY; Ellmers, Foxx, Holding, Hudson, Jones, McHenry, Meadows, Pittenger, Rouzer, Walker/NC; Cramer/ND; Chabot, Gibbs, Johnson, Jordan, Joyce, Latta, Renacci, Stivers, Tiberi, Turner, Wenstrup/OH; Bridenstine, Cole, Lucas, Mullin, Russell/OK; Walden/OR; Barletta, Costello, Dent, Fitzpatrick, Kelly, Marino, Meehan, Murphy, Perry, Pitts, Rothfus, Shuster, Thompson/PA; Duncan, Gowdy, Mulvaney, Rice, Sanford, Wilson/SC; Noem/SD; Black, Blackburn, DesJarlais, Duncan, Fincher, Fleischmann/TN; Babin, Barton, Brady, Burgess, Carter, Conaway, Culberson, Farenthold, Flores, Gohmert, Granger, Hensarling, Hurd, S. Johnson, Marchant, McCaul, Neugebauer, Olson, Poe, Ratcliffe, Sessions, Smith, Thornberry, Weber, Williams/TX; Bishop, Chaffetz, Love, Stewart/UT; Brat, Comstock, Forbes, Goodlatte, Griffith, Hurt, Rigell, Wittman/VA; Herrera-Beutler, McMorris-Rodgers, Newhouse, Reichert/WA; Jenkins, McKinley, Mooney/WV; Duffy, Grothman, Ribble, Ryan, Sensenbrenner/WI; Lummis/WY.

Voting “no” / anti-Life: Sewell/AL; Gallego, Grijalva, Kirkpatrick, Sinema/AZ; Aguilar, Bass, Becerra, Bera, Brownley, Capps, Cardenas, Costa, Davis, DeSaulnier, Eshoo, Farr, Garamendi, Hahn, Honda, Huffman, Lieu, Lowenthal, Matsui, McNerney, Napolitano, Pelosi, Peters, Roybal-Allard, Ruiz, Linda Sanchez, Loretta Sanchez, Schiff, Sherman, Speier, Swalwell, Takano, Thompson, Torres, Vargas, Waters/CA; DeGette, Perlmutter, Polis/CO; Courtney, DeLauro, Esty, Himes, Larson/CT; Carney/DE; Brown, Castor, Deutch, Frankel, Graham, Grayson, Hastings, Murphy, Wasserman-Schultz/FL; Bishop, Johnson, Lewis, D. Scott/GA; Gabbard, Takai/HI; Bustos, D. Davis, Foster, Kelly, Lipinski, Quigley, Schakowsky/IL; Carson, Visclosky/IN; Loebsack/IA; Yarmuth/KY; Richmond/LA; Pingree/ME; Cummings, Delaney, Edwards, Hoyer, Ruppersberger, Sarbanes, VanHollen/MD; Capuano, Clark, Keating, Kennedy, Lynch, McGovern, Moulton, Neal/MA; Conyers, Dingell, Kildee, Lawrence, Levin/MI; Ellison, McCollum, Nolan, Peterson, Walz/MN; Thompson/MS; Clay, Cleaver/MO; Ashford/NE; Titus/NV; Kuster/NH; Norcross, Pallone, Pascrell, Payne, Sires, Watson-Coleman/NJ; Lujan, Lujan-Grisham/NM; Clarke, Crowley, Engel, Higgins, Israel, Jeffries, Lowey, C. Maloney, S. Maloney, Meeks, Meng, Nadler, Rangel, Rice, Serrano, Slaughter, Tonko, Velazquez/NY; Adams, Butterfield, Price/NC; Beatty, Fudge, Kaptur, Ryan/OH; Blumenauer, Bonamici, DeFazio, Schrader/OR; Boyle, Brady, Cartwright, Doyle, Fattah/PA; Cicilline/RI; Clyburn/SC; Cohen, Cooper/TN; Castro, Cuellar, Doggett, A. Green, G. Green, Hinojosa, Jackson-Lee, E.B. Johnson, O’Rourke, Veasey, Vela/TX; Welch/VT; Beyer, Connolly, Scott/VA; DelBene, Heck, Kilmer, Larsen, McDermott/WA; Kind, Moore, Pocan/WI.

Not Voting: Young/AK; Chu, Lee, Lofgren/CA; Wilson/FL; Duckworth, Gutierrez, Rush/IL; Tsongas/MA; Nunnelee/MS; Boehner/OH; Langevin/RI; Roe/TN; Smith/WA.

 

House Voting Record: ObamaCare Repeal

Motion re HR-596 – Recommit ObamaCare Repeal (to block consideration of bill) – Rejected – 179-241 – Feb. 3, 2015 (Democrats in italics)

Voting “no” / pro-Life: Aderholt, Brooks, Byrne, Palmer, Roby, Rogers/AL; Franks, Gosar, McSally, Salmon, Schweikert/AZ; Crawford, Hill, Westerman, Womack/AR; Calvert, Cook, Hunter, Issa, Knight, LaMalfa, McCarthy, McClintock, Nunes, Rohrabacher, Royce, Valadao, Walters/CA; Buck, Coffman, Lamborn, Tipton/CO; Bilirakis, Buchanan, Clawson, Crenshaw, Curbelo, DeSantis, Diaz-Balart, Jolly, Mica, Miller, Nugent, Posey, Rooney, Ros-Lehtinen, Ross, Webster, Yoho/FL;  Allen, Carter, Collins, Graves, Hice, Loudermilk, Price, A. Scott, Westmoreland, Woodall/GA; Labrador, Simpson/ID; Bost, R. Davis, Dold, Hultgren, Kinzinger, Lipinski, Roskam, Schock, Shimkus/IL; Brooks, Bucshon, Messer, Rokita, Walorski, Young/IN; Blum, King, Young/IA; Huelskamp, Jenkins, Pompeo, Yoder/KS; Barr, Guthrie, Massie, Rogers, Whitfield/KY; Abraham, Boustany, Fleming, Graves, Scalise/LA; Poliquin/ME; Harris/MD; Amash, Benishek, Bishop, Huizenga, Miller, Moolenaar, Trott, Upton, Walberg/MI; Emmer, Kline, Paulsen/MN; Harper, Palazzo/MS; Graves, Hartzler, Long, Luetkemeyer, Smith, Wagner/MO; Zinke/MT; Fortenberry, Smith/NE; Amodei, Hardy, Heck/NV; Guinta/NH; Frelinghuysen, Garrett, Lance, LoBiondo, MacArthur, Smith/NJ; Pearce/NM; Collins, Gibson, Hanna, Katko, King, Reed, Stefanik, Zeldin/NY; Ellmers, Foxx, Holding, Hudson, Jones, McHenry, Meadows, Pittenger, Rouzer, Walker/NC; Cramer/ND; Chabot, Gibbs, Johnson, Jordan, Joyce, Latta, Renacci, Stivers, Tiberi, Turner, Wenstrup/OH; Bridenstine, Cole, Lucas, Mullin, Russell/OK; Walden/OR; Barletta, Costello, Dent, Fitzpatrick, Kelly, Marino, Meehan, Murphy, Perry, Pitts, Rothfus, Shuster, Thompson/PA; Duncan, Gowdy, Mulvaney, Rice, Sanford, Wilson/SC; Noem/SD; Black, Blackburn, DesJarlais, Duncan, Fincher, Fleischmann/TN; Babin, Barton, Brady, Burgess, Carter, Conaway, Culberson, Farenthold, Flores, Gohmert, Granger, Hensarling, Hurd, S. Johnson, Marchant, McCaul, Neugebauer, Olson, Poe, Ratcliffe, Sessions, Smith, Thornberry, Weber, Williams/TX; Bishop, Chaffetz, Love, Stewart/UT; Brat, Comstock, Forbes, Goodlatte, Griffith, Hurt, Rigell, Wittman/VA; Herrera-Beutler, McMorris-Rodgers, Newhouse, Reichert/WA; Jenkins, McKinley, Mooney/WV; Duffy, Grothman, Ribble, Ryan, Sensenbrenner/WI; Lummis/WY.

Voting “yes” / anti-Life: Sewell/AL; Gallego, Grijalva, Kirkpatrick, Sinema/AZ; Aguilar, Bass, Becerra, Bera, Brownley, Capps, Cardenas, Costa, Davis, DeSaulnier, Eshoo, Farr, Garamendi, Hahn, Honda, Lieu, Lowenthal, Matsui, McNerney, Napolitano, Pelosi, Peters, Roybal-Allard, Ruiz, Linda Sanchez, Loretta Sanchez, Schiff, Sherman, Speier, Swalwell, Takano, Thompson, Torres, Vargas, Waters/CA; DeGette, Perlmutter, Polis/CO; Courtney, DeLauro, Esty, Himes, Larson/CT; Carney/DE; Brown, Castor, Deutch, Frankel, Graham, Grayson, Hastings, Murphy, Wasserman-Schultz, Wilson/FL; Bishop, Johnson, Lewis, D. Scott/GA; Gabbard, Takai/HI; Bustos, D. Davis, Foster, Kelly, Quigley, Rush, Schakowsky/IL; Carson, Visclosky/IN; Loebsack/IA; Yarmuth/KY; Richmond/LA; Pingree/ME; Cummings, Delaney, Edwards, Hoyer, Ruppersberger, Sarbanes, VanHollen/MD; Capuano, Clark, Keating, Kennedy, Lynch, McGovern, Moulton, Neal, Tsongas/MA; Conyers, Dingell, Kildee, Lawrence, Levin/MI; Ellison, McCollum, Nolan, Peterson, Walz/MN; Thompson/MS; Clay, Cleaver/MO; Ashford/NE; Titus/NV; Kuster/NH; Norcross, Pallone, Pascrell, Payne, Sires, Watson-Coleman/NJ; Lujan, Lujan-Grisham/NM; Clarke, Crowley, Engel, Higgins, Israel, Jeffries, C. Maloney, S. Maloney, Meeks, Meng, Nadler, Rangel, Rice, Serrano, Slaughter, Tonko, Velazquez/NY; Adams, Butterfield, Price/NC; Beatty, Fudge, Kaptur, Ryan/OH; Blumenauer, Bonamici, DeFazio, Schrader/OR; Boyle, Brady, Cartwright, Doyle, Fattah/PA; Cicilline, Langevin/RI; Clyburn/SC; Cohen, Cooper/TN; Castro, Cuellar, Doggett, A. Green, G. Green, Hinojosa, Jackson-Lee, E.B. Johnson, O’Rourke, Veasey, Vela/TX; Beyer, Connolly, Scott/VA; DelBene, Heck, Kilmer, Larsen, McDermott, Smith/WA; Kind, Moore, Pocan/WI.

Not Voting: Young/AK; Chu, Denham, Huffman, Lee, Lofgren/CA; Duckworth, Gutierrez/IL; Stutzman/IN; Nunnelee/MS; Lowey/NY; Boehner/OH; Roe/TN; Welch/VT.