Life Advocacy Briefing

Desperate

ADDED TO THE NATIONAL ABORTION FEDERATION’s OUTRAGEOUS LAWSUIT against David Daleiden and the Center for Medical Progress is a newly filed lawsuit by Planned Parenthood, also seeking to block the truth from reaching the public.

We do not yet have details about this lawsuit, but we bring it to our readers’ attention for your prayers and so that you will be tuned to watch for information about this assault on the public’s right to know; we do know that it is being brought in federal court. We do know that it is designed to chill the campaign for truth which has, since last July, crippled the abortion industry in this land of the free and home of the brave. May justice be served.

Gov. Brownback Cuts Off Planned Parenthood

KANSAS GOV. SAM BROWNBACK (R) USED HIS STATE OF THE STATE SPEECH on Jan. 12 to make news, announcing, reports Valerie Richardson in the Washington Times, that he was directing the state’s Secretary of Health & Environment to “‘ensure that not a single dollar of taxpayer money goes to Planned Parenthood.’” He added, she writes, that he will “‘welcome legislation that would enshrine this directive in state law,’” touching off a “defund Planned Parenthood” campaign within the Kansas legislature.

By the governor’s directive, Kansas, notes Ms. Richardson, “becomes the eighth state to take action to defund Planned Parenthood since last year’s release of hidden-camera videos linking the organization to the sale of fetal tissue from abortions for medical research.”

Taking to social media to magnify his action, Gov. Brownback posted on Facebook, reports Ms. Richardson, “‘Trafficking of baby body parts is antithetical to our belief in human dignity. No more Kansas Medicaid dollars will go to Planned Parenthood.’”

The Washington Times report goes on to quote Casey Mattox, senior counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), who “lauded the governor’s decision, saying it would free up money for ‘more widely available and more comprehensive low-cost healthcare options for women and families in Kansas. … The governor is right,’” he said in a statement quoted by Ms. Richardson, “‘to end the state’s relationship with an organization undeserving of its money and unworthy of its trust.’

“This isn’t Mr. Brownback’s first strike at Planned Parenthood,” notes Ms. Richardson. “In 2011, the governor signed legislation to stop Planned Parenthood affiliates from receiving federal family planning dollars through the state health department. ‘The time has come,’” Gov. Brownback said in the Times report, “‘to finish the job.’”

Rep. Duffy Stirs a Truth Storm

THE PRO-LIFE ADVOCACY OF REP. SEAN DUFFY (R-WI) APPEARS to have drawn pathetic political fury from the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), which, writes Dr. Susan Berry for Breitbart.com, “is considering a formal condemnation of [Mr. Duffy] for relating that black communities are targeted [by] abortion businesses like Planned Parenthood, whose founder,” notes Dr. Berry, “was eugenicist Margaret Sanger.”

Citing Politico as her source, Dr. Berry reports the CBC chairman, Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-NC) “said his group is planning to discuss its options in the coming weeks” and that “formal condemnation of [Rep.] Duffy is being pushed by Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI).”

The explosion of protest from the leftist Black Members of Congress was touched off by Rep. Duffy’s remarks in House floor debate, where Mr. Duffy said, reports Dr. Berry, “‘I hear a lot in this institution from minority leaders about how their communities are targeted, but what I don’t hear them talk about is how their communities are targeted in abortion. … My liberal friends, Congressional Black Caucus members,’” he said, reported by Breitbart, “‘talk about fighting for the defenseless, the hopeless and the downtrodden. There is no one more hopeless and voiceless than an unborn baby, but their silence is deafening. I can’t hear them. Where are they standing up for their communities, advocating and fighting for their right to life?’”

Rep. Moore, according to Dr. Berry, “shot back” the following response: “‘Over the years I’ve heard some absurd comments from my Republican colleagues about abortion. … After 30 years in public office, nothing really surprises me anymore, Mr. Speaker. So you can imagine my astonishment when my friend and colleague from Wisconsin, Sean Duffy, rolled out abortion statistics among African American women to lecture black legislators, like me, about defending the welfare of our constituents.’” Perhaps, Rep. Moore, you and your constituents would have been better served by actually listening to those statistics and grasping the eugenicist implications for your own district.

Instead, Rep. Moore lectured her colleagues about the high rates of abortion being attributable to poverty and, Dr. Berry quotes her as saying, “‘lack of access to quality care. The war on women’s health centers [read: the drive to defund Planned Parenthood] resulted in multiple barriers to accessing quality, affordable health care … leading to unintended pregnancy and abortions.’” This vehement abortion advocate goes on to label Rep. Duffy “‘a hypocrite,’” though he was clearly speaking from a position of compassion for Rep. Moore’s own ill-served, targeted constituents.

For his part, Rep. Duffy told The Blaze, according to Dr. Berry, “‘My remarks were not an attack on [Rep. Moore] or any of my colleagues. Rather, they were an invitation to work together to defend poor, minority women against a powerful industry that targets them and preys on their vulnerability. … Rep. Gwen Moore has met my Latina wife and our seven children,’” Rep. Duffy told The Blaze. “‘She knows that she and I share a passion for helping minority communities access the American Dream. …. It’s worth noting,’” he remarked, “‘that Rep. Moore did not refute the harrowing statistics – more African-American abortions than live births in New York City – because they are irrefutable.’”

The Breitbart report goes on to quote several national pro-life leaders in backing Rep. Duffy and his advocacy for Life in America’s minority communities. Said Live Action’s Lila Rose, “‘To this day, Planned Parenthood continues to celebrate its founder, Margaret Sanger, who talked about the need to “exterminate the Negro population.’ … Rather than shoot the messenger,’” Miss Rose urged, as quoted by Dr. Berry, “‘the Congressional Black Caucus should welcome Rep. Duffy as an ally in helping to stop this travesty against African-American children and all children.’” Miss Rose added, notes Dr. Berry, that CBC members “themselves have received over $400,000 in campaign contributions from the abortion lobby,’” calling it “‘extremely tragic that some Members of Congress who claim to speak for the human rights of black people are against the right to life for preborn black children … .’”

Dr. Berry next quotes a joint statement issued by Fr. Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life, along with Dr. Alveda King, the PfL director of African-American outreach: “‘We commend Cong. Sean Duffy for pointing out the obvious, namely: that far too many African-American leaders are ignoring the devastating impact abortion is having on black lives. [We at Life Advocacy would add: and the black family.] Death by forceps or bullets,’” they said, “‘is death all the same.’”

Ryan Bomberger of The Radiance Foundation was also quoted by Dr. Berry from a commentary he wrote in Townhall.com. He noted the recent court loss by the NAACP in a lawsuit against his foundation over his having called the major civil rights group “‘“The National Assn. for the Abortion of Colored People.” These groups,’” he said, “‘actively partner with the nation’s largest abortion and aborted baby parts trafficking chain, Planned Parenthood,’” and went on to note, “‘Last fall, the Congressional Black Caucus sponsored a forum featuring the abortion giant. Keep in mind,’” he wrote, “‘abortion occurs up to five times more in the black community [than the abortion rate overall]. In New York City, as Rep. Duffy alluded to, more black babies are aborted than born alive. For every 1,000 born alive, there are 1,180 aborted. Where are all the cries that Black Lives Matter? Where are all the protests? Where are all the die-ins? There are none,’ [Mr.] Bomberger said, ‘Because liberals don’t believe that all black lives matter. And the Congressional Black Caucus leads this hypocrisy.’”

Expectations

OUR GO-TO-PRESS DEADLINE PRECEDED Friday’s March for Life in Washington, DC. We expect next week to be able to report a massive turnout, despite a predicted major snowstorm which appears poised to blanket the nation’s capital “late Friday,” the day of the march.

We expect also to begin publishing our transcripts of some of the speeches delivered at the Noon rally on the National Mall.

This week, at the close of this Life Advocacy Briefing, we wrap up our publication of the various House roll calls related to the passage of the Reconciliation bill by which Congress sought, in one glorious measure, to defund Planned Parenthood and to dismantle ObamaCare. The bill has, of course, been vetoed by the chief pusher of government-controlled medicine and chief advocate for the killing of gestating little boys and girls. Still, the precedential action by Congress was well worth the effort for the sake of America’s future, and these roll calls are definitional.

Sobering Reality

Excerpt from Jan. 21, 2016, commentary by Life Issues Institute President Bradley Mattes

Which countries are guilty of the most murders of their own people? I don’t mean deaths in combat. I mean citizens systematically outright killed. Germany under Hitler? Russia under Stalin? Likely candidates, for sure. The top contender probably won’t surprise you, but the first runner-up will.

China holds the distinction under Chairman Mao, with as many as 70 million deaths, including deaths from forced famine, during his nightmarish 28-year reign. Of course, the killing continued after Mao’s death in 1976. China’s One-Child Policy of forced abortion, enacted three years later, has added an estimated 336 million innocent dead to China’s hideous tally.

America is second, in the company of Communist China. And tragically, our body count is growing. The USA has legally sanctioned – and helped fund – 58,586,256 innocent deaths by abortion since 1973. And pro-abortion activists have sunk lower than a snake’s belly …. by abandoning any fake sadness over the “rare” need for abortion to outright celebrating those deaths as a social good. This week, one activist ended her tweet with “Happy Roe Anniversary.”

Mother Teresa famously said, “It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish.” …

Tectonic Shift

Commentary by Family Research Council president Tony Perkins in his Jan. 19, 2016, Washington Update

It may be the most radical abortion President in history who’s creating the biggest pro-life swing in America. Apparently, the last seven years of Pres. Obama’s extreme policy has done more to change people’s minds on life than anything could. Under this Administration, Americans are finally realizing that this debate is not about making abortion “safe, legal and rare,” but taking innocent children’s lives at the expense of taxpayers, freedom and women’s health.

And at this week’s March for Life, the crowds will just be proving what polling already has: that Americans are more skeptical of abortion than ever. According to a new survey from the Knights of Columbus, an overwhelming majority of Americans (81%) support significant restrictions on abortion. And that includes women (at 82%)! Unlike the President, eight in ten think abortion should be limited to the first three months of pregnancy (which is well shy of the 20-week ban Congress has been working to pass). Another six in ten think abortion is morally wrong – including, believe it or not, a third of “pro-choicers.”

Americans have consistently opposed taxpayer-funded abortion – and this poll was no different. Seven in ten people want out of their forced partnership with groups like Planned Parenthood. By a 25-point margin, Americans (55 to 30%) agree that abortion does a woman more harm than good. “It’s time,” said Knights of Columbus CEO Carl Anderson, “for a new conversation on abortion – one that begins with this consensus in favor of restrictions, a consensus that American women and men have already reached – and that includes a majority even of those who call themselves ‘pro-choice.’”

To the delight of groups like Family Research Council, these major shifts in public opinion are already fueling a powerful wave of pro-life legislation at the state level. In 2015, 57 laws on everything from clinic safety standards to conscience rights went into effect. And it isn’t just conservative states riding the wave. Thirty-one states, Guttmacher Institute pointed out, “spanning all regions of the country,” passed at least one pro-life law in the last five years.

That’s because (unlike Pres. Obama) most Americans have limits. And restricting abortion may be “extreme” to Pres. Obama – but thank goodness it isn’t to the country he leads.

House Voting Record

HRes-579 – Procedural motion to adopt Rule for considering Concurring with Senate Amendment to HR-3762 (Reconciliation, including dismantling ObamaCare and Planned Parenthood funding disqualification) – Jan. 6, 2016 – Passed – 237-177 (Democrats in italics)

Voting “yes” / pro-Life: Aderholt, Brooks, Byrne, 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, 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/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; 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, Huffman, 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, Peterson 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: Issa/CA; DeLauro/CT; Nugent, Rooney, 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; Brat, Rigell/VA; Kind, Ryan/WI.