Life Advocacy Briefing

The Shoe Drops

WELL, OF COURSE, HE DID IT. NO SURPRISE. “It took years to send a bill to defund Planned Parenthood to the President’s desk,” Family Research Council’s Tony Perkins observes in his Jan. 8, 2016, Washington Update, “and less than 24 hours for him to reject it.

“Shortly after noon,” Mr. Perkins reports, “Pres. Obama did what everyone expected him to: vetoed a measure that would have ended the moral injustice of ObamaCare and taxpayers’ forced participation with America’s biggest abortion provider.”  Mr. Perkins goes on to note that the veto was “just the eighth” Mr. Obama has issued in his two terms in the White House; usually, Congress yields to his mere threat, but not this time.

Whether Congress moves forward on the Leadership’s reported intention to call for an override vote during the March for Life late this week is uncertain, as HR-3762 did not enjoy close to the two-thirds margin needed at the time it was passed.

Still, the effort to gut ObamaCare and to defund Planned Parenthood was not in vain, regardless of the veto. As House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) said, quoted by Mr. Perkins, “‘The idea that ObamaCare is the law of the land for good is a myth. This law will collapse under its own weight, or it will be repealed,’” he declared in the Perkins commentary. “‘Because all those rules and procedures Senate Democrats have used to block us from doing this – that’s all history. … We have now shown that there is a clear path to repealing ObamaCare without 60 votes in the Senate. So, next year, if we’re sending this bill to a Republican President, it will get signed into law.’”

The same is true for Planned Parenthood defunding, provided that active pro-life citizens make that goal a significant issue in Congressional campaigns and in the race for the White House.

Mr. Perkins summed up the matter with the declaration that he and his associates “look forward to 2017, when that hard work will finally pay off under the leadership of a pro-life President.”

Shamefully Unashamed

Presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton, speaking at a Washington, DC, fundraising event for Planned Parenthood Federation of America, quoted by IllinoisReview.com from a posted video: “I will say consistently and proudly that Planned Parenthood should be funded, supported and appreciated, not undermined, misrepresented and demonized.”

Rewarded

NO SOONER HAD THE EX-FIRST LADY SPOKEN at Planned Parenthood’s DC fundraiser than she took to the stage at a Jan. 10 Sunday campaign rally in Manchester, New Hampshire, and accepted Planned Parenthood’s endorsement of her campaign for the Democratic Presidential nomination.

Though the nation’s chief abortion purveyor is under a dark cloud in public perception, Planned Parenthood chose this moment in history to make its first Presidential primary endorsement, rewarding Mrs. Clinton’s unwavering loyalty with an official endorsement of her candidacy. To seal the deal and as a reward, no doubt, for what Michael Haverlock describes in OneNewsNow.com as her “unwavering support, the Planned Parenthood Action Fund,” writes Mr. Haverlock, “declared that it will spend $20 million toward her campaign for President, with a focus on battleground states in the US Senate race.”  Mr. Haverlock attributes LifeSiteNews.com as his source of this tidbit.

The OneNewsNow writer goes on to recall Mrs. Clinton’s chilling words at last April’s Women in the World Summit, where she declared, “‘Religious beliefs [that oppose abortion] have to be changed.’”

Perhaps that was among the opinions that drew Planned Parenthood to venture into the contest among Left-leaning Democrats. “‘We’re proud to endorse Hillary Clinton for President of the United States,’ Planned Parenthood Action announced in a statement,” quoted by Mr. Haverlock. “‘Hillary Clinton holds the strongest record on reproductive rights of all Presidential contenders in not just this election but in American history.’”

And no wonder. As Mr. Haverlock notes, “The former Secretary of State for [Pres.] Obama’s first term proclaimed that her election as President is vital to America, because all of her Republican opponents would defund Planned Parenthood, which received $553 million in taxpayer funds for the 2014-2015 fiscal year, according to LifeSiteNews. “[Mrs.] Clinton made it quite clear on social media channels,” writes Mr. Haverlock, “that she would fight for abortion rights tooth and nail, reminding Twitter followers of her commitment to fight against pro-life advocates in Washington [as they] lobbied for passage of a reconciliation bill that would stop taxpayer funding of abortion.”

Planned Parenthood remembers such loyalty; should we not do so as well?

March for Life to Occupy the Capital

THOUSANDS OF PRO-LIFE CITIZENS WILL FLOCK TO WASHINGTON this week for the Jan. 22 March for Life marking the 43rd anniversary of the Supreme Court’s dreadful Roe v. Wade edict. March coordinators have announced they will honor Rep. Joe Pitts (R-PA) with their March for Life Achievement Award, and announced platform speakers at the March rally will include Iowa’s first-term Republican Senator, Joni Ernst, and GOP Presidential hopeful Carly Fiorina.

In addition to attending the variety of events scheduled around the March, participants are encouraged to take time to visit the offices of their home-state Senators and Members of Congress. Most offices are located in official Congressional office buildings flanking the Capitol itself.

Life Advocacy Briefing hopes to follow our traditional practice, following the March, of publishing transcripts from speeches delivered from the March platform. We expect to begin that series in our Feb. 1 edition. Having participated in the March in times past, our editor encourages all pro-life citizens to turn out for the March and associated activities as a means of rescuing those who are perishing.

Below is a schedule of events organized around the March, published Jan. 6 by LifeSiteNews.com:

Thursday, Jan. 2
7 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. Evangelicals for Life Conference, Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill
8 a.m. Traditional High Mass with Bishop Fellay, Renaissance Hotel
9 a.m. – 8 p.m. March for Life Exhibit Hall, Renaissance Hotel
1 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Law of Life Summit, Renaissance Hotel
2 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. March for Life Youth Rally, Renaissance Hotel
2 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. March for Life Culture of Life Seminar, Renaissance Hotel
5 p.m. Press Conference on the Family with Bishop Fellay, Renaissance Hotel
6 p.m. Opening Mass of the National Prayer Vigil for Life, Shrine of the Immaculate
Conception
7 p.m. Meet & Greet with Bishop Fellay, Renaissance Hotel
7 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. OneVoiceDC, Renaissance Hotel
7:30 p.m. – 10 p.m. Diocese of Arlington Life is Very Good Evening Prayer, Patriot Center,
George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia

Friday, Jan. 22
7 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Archdiocese of Washington Youth Rally, Verizon Center
7:30 a.m. Closing Mass for the Solemn Prayer Vigil for Life, Shrine of the Immaculate
Conception
8 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. March for Life Exhibit Hall, Renaissance Hotel
8:30 a.m. – 10:50 a.m. Evangelicals for Life Morning Sessions, Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill
8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. National Prayer Service, DAR Constitution Hall
8:30 a.m. ProLifeCon, 801 G Street NW, Live webcast
9 a.m. – Noon Diocese of Arlington Life is Very Good Morning Rally, Patriot Center,
11:30 a.m. – Noon Liturgy for the Preborn at the Time of Death (CEC), in front of the
Supreme Court
11:45 a.m. March for Life Rally at National Mall between 15th Street & Constitution
Avenue, followed by march up Constitution Avenue to the Supreme Court building
on Capitol Hill
2:30 p.m. – 5:30 pm. Silent No More Awareness Campaign presentation outside Supreme
Court
4 p.m. – 7 p.m. March for Life Exhibit Hall, Renaissance Hotel
4 p.m. Nellie Gray Mass, Mass of the Holy Innocents, St. Mary Mother of God Church
6 p.m. March for Life Rose Dinner, Grand Ballroom, Renaissance Hotel

Saturday, Jan. 23
8 a.m. – 7 p.m. Students for Life of America East Coast Conference, First Baptist Church of
Glenarden, Upper Marlboro, Maryland
8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. Latinos por la Vida, Marriott Hotel, Hyattsville, Maryland
9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. Cardinal O’Connor Conference for Life, Georgetown University

Know Thy Foe

Dec. 30, 2015, Commentary by Life Decisions International

“For decades, Planned Parenthood has operated the most proficient killing machine in the United States,” said Douglas R. Scott Jr., president of the Planned Parenthood watchdog organization Life Decisions International (LDI). “And the machine continues to end the lives of preborn human beings while simultaneously wreaking havoc on the lives of all members of society.”

In a new report released by the Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA), the group confesses to having hired killers who snuffed out 323,999 preborn children last year, generating an estimated $190 million. Only 2,024 customers were referred to adoption agencies.

“Are we witnessing the beginning [of] the end of Planned Parenthood?” Scott asked. “It’s too early to make such a claim, but every analytical measure indicated the time may be approaching far more rapidly than even the most optimistic pro-life activist would have expected.”

The only good news for Planned Parenthood is that it took in a record-setting number of taxpayer dollars. Planned Parenthood received a staggering $553.7 million in the 2014-2015 fiscal year. This figure is more than $25 million above what the US government gave to Planned Parenthood the previous fiscal year.

This “nonprofit” pays its president in excess of $600,000 per year. Yet even with this high salary, PPFA cannot seem to spend all of the money. For fiscal years 2010-2015, PPFA reported “excess revenue over expenses” (some would call it “profit”) of $155.5 million, $87.4 million, $58.2 million, $127.1 million and, in the most recent fiscal year, $58.8 million.

The logical question is this: Does PPFA return unspent funds to taxpayers? After all, we are talking about some very serious figures here. The answer is obvious. No. To even suggest the idea is considered laughable. “As usual, taxpayers are getting ripped off. But few policymakers seem to care,” Scott said. “And this will continue to be the case until taxpayers and all good, reasonable and honest people make them care.”

Life Decisions International [has posted] an analysis of PPFA’s Annual Report for 2014-2015 on its website [http://fightpp.org/announcing/12-30-15/]. Several charts comparing PPFA’s current status to that of the past [are] provided for easy review.

“Planned Parenthood’s greatest ally has always been public ignorance of its agenda and activities,” Scott said. “Pro-life activists at all levels are beginning to see the fruit of their hard labor. And they have many reasons for joy and optimism. Planned Parenthood and its legions have learned something about pro-life people: We do not give up. We will never give up. Period.”

House Voting Record

HRes-579 – Procedural motion to close debate on Rule for considering Concurring with Senate Amendment to HR-3762 (Reconciliation, including dismantling ObamaCare and Planned Parenthood funding disqualification) – Jan. 6, 2016 – Passed – 239-175 (Democrats in italics)

Voting “yes” / pro-Life: Aderholt, Brooks, Palmer, Roby, Rogers/AL; Young/AK; Franks, Gosar, McSally, Salmon, Schweikert/AZ; Crawford, Hill, Westerman, Womack/AR; Calvert, Cook, Denham, Hunter, 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, Posey, Rooney, Ros-Lehtinen, Ross, Yoho/FL; Allen, Carter, Collins, Graves, Hice, Loudermilk, T. Price, A. Scott, Westmoreland, Woodall/GA; Labrador, Simpson/ID; Bost, R. Davis, Dold, Hultgren, Kinzinger, LaHood, Roskam, Shimkus/IL; Brooks, Bucshon, Messer, Rokita, Stutzman, Walorski, Young/IN; Blum, 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, Moolenaar, Trott, Upton, Walberg/MI; Emmer, Kline, Paulsen, Peterson/MN; Harper, Kelly, 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, Donovan, 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, Roe/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, Wittman/VA; Herrera-Beutler, McMorris-Rodgers, Newhouse, Reichert/WA; Jenkins, McKinley, Mooney/WV; Duffy, Grothman, Ribble, Sensenbrenner/WI; Lummis/WY.

Voting “no” / anti-Life: Sewell/AL; Gallego, Grijalva, Kirkpatrick, Sinema/AZ; Aguilar, Bass, Becerra, Bera, Brownley, Capps, Cardenas, Chu, Costa, Davis, DeSaulnier, Eshoo, Farr, Garamendi, Hahn, Honda, Lee, Lieu, Lofgren, 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, 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/HI; Bustos, D. Davis, Duckworth, Foster, Gutierrez, 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, Lynch, McGovern, Moulton, Neal, Tsongas/MA; Conyers, Dingell, Kildee, Lawrence, Levin/MI; Ellison, McCollum, Nolan, Walz/MN; Thompson/MS; Clay/MO; Ashford/NE; Kuster/NH; Norcross, Pallone, Pascrell, 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/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, Jackson-Lee, O’Rourke, Veasey, Vela/TX; Welch/VT; Beyer, Connolly, Scott/VA; DelBene, Heck, Kilmer, Larsen, McDermott, Smith/WA; Moore, Pocan/WI.

Not voting: Byrne/AL; Huffman, Issa/CA; DeLauro/CT; Nugent, Webster/FL; Takai/HI; Rush/IL; King/IA; Kennedy/MA; Miller/MI; Cleaver/MO; Titus/NV; Payne/NJ; Ryan/OH; E.B. Johnson, Hinojosa/TX; Rigell/VA; Kind, Ryan/WI.