Life Advocacy Briefing

Another Lefty Confirmed

THE U.S. SENATE VOTED on Sept. 30 to confirm the nomination of Tracy Stone-Manning to direct the Bureau of Land Management. Though the post does not appear to hold implications in the cause of Life, the new director’s background – including pro-abortion advocacy amid a history of radicalism – does. Consequently, we asked our readers to weigh in on this Biden Regime appointment, and we are publishing the voting records on ending debate (cloture) and then on confirmation at the close of this Life Advocacy Briefing.

Call to Action in Illinois

ILLINOIS RIGHT TO LIFE ACTION HAS CALLED ON SUPPORTERS to contact their state representatives and senators preparing to return to the state capital for the fall legislative session, as an effort is expected to be mounted by the vigorous Illinois abortion lobby to wipe out the one abortion regulation lawmakers left on the books last year – parental notification.

At a time when parents are increasingly aware that their right to bring up their children is under threat, an outpouring is indeed in order for all who cherish either the right to life of unborn children or family autonomy or both! State lawmakers in Springfield may be contact via the state capitol switchboard at 217/782-2000 or at their local district offices, whose contact information may be found in the reference section of the public library.

Texas Heartbeat Law Enjoined, for Now

AFTER A MONTH OF PROTECTING BABIES IN TEXAS from the abortionists’ suction machine, the unique Texas Heartbeat Abortion Law was suspended by a temporary restraining order last Wednesday, for the time being, by Austin-based US District Judge Robert Pitman.

“In a 113-page order,” reports Madlin Mekelburg in the Austin American-Statesman, Judge Pitman – an Obama appointee – “said the law is an ‘offensive deprivation of such an important right’ and said state actors, including judges and court clerks, can no longer enforce its provisions.

“One hour after his ruling was released,” writes Ms. Mekelburg, “the state notified [Judge] Pitman that it planned to file an appeal with the US 5^th Circuit Court of Appeals. The case,” she notes, “could eventually make its way to the US Supreme Court, which previously declined to intervene and stop the law from going into effect on Sept. 1. …

“Wednesday’s preliminary injunction,” Ms. Mekelburg explains, “prevents judges or court clerks in the state from accepting lawsuits sanctioned by the ban and requires the state to publish a copy of the injunction on its public-facing court websites ‘with a visible, easy-to-understand instruction to the public that SB-8 lawsuits will not be accepted by Texas courts.’”

Eager to cling to the abortion lobby bandwagon, US Attorney General Merrick Garland issued a statement calling the Pitman preliminary ruling “‘a victory for women in Texas and for the rule of law,’” reports Ms. Mekelburg.

“But,” notes the Austin reporter, “it remains to be seen exactly how [Judge] Pitman’s order will affect the availability of abortion in the state. As the law is drafted,” she writes, “abortion providers could still be liable for procedures performed while the law is temporarily blocked, if it is later allowed to go into effect. Major abortion providers in the state have stopped offering procedures that could be in violation,” writes Ms. Mekelburg, “citing the steep costs associated with successful litigation under the law as a deterrent.”

‘Hyde’ Still at Risk

Oct. 5, 2021, Washington Update by Family Research Council staff writers Connor Semelsberger & Joy Zavalick

             The infighting among progressives on Capitol Hill is palpable as discussions intensify about the inclusion of the Hyde Amendment being a red line, or non-negotiable, issue on either side of the aisle. Leftists have taken direct aim at moderates who have concerns with the Democrats’ proposed $3.5 trillion spending package. Some members such as Bernie Sanders have directly attacked Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) for his defense of Hyde, while several radical activists even accosted Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) in a bathroom stall and chased her through an airport.

             Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) stated on Sunday that she would not support a budget that included the Hyde Amendment. She subsequently qualified her statement, claiming “[t]he Hyde amendment is the law. I would like to repeal it, but I’m not suggesting we put the repeal into this [reconciliation] bill.” Yet, this leaves little solace.

             The unwillingness of Democrats to seriously negotiate to include the Hyde Amendment, which has been reauthorized every year since its establishment in 1976, demonstrates that there is a deeply-rooted agenda at work. During [FRC’s] Washington Watch, Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma explained that radical progressives “want to have more abortions in America […] and they’ve been very clear on this over the last even 72 hours with the Women’s March and everything else.” As Sen. Lankford noted, “They’re not just pro-choice, they are pro-abortion.”

             Manchin, who was a necessary vote for the COVID-19 reconciliation package passed earlier this year, now feels increasingly isolated from his own party as progressives ramp up pressure to comply with their unnecessary tax and spending plan. The senator has indicated complete confidence, however, that he will stand his ground on the necessity to protect Hyde. In an interview with National Review last week, Manchin emphasized, “Yeah, we’re not taking the Hyde Amendment off. Hyde’s going to be on.” Manchin stated that the Medicaid program would be “dead on arrival” if Hyde was not included. In another interview with a Hill reporter, Manchin also stated, “the Hyde Amendment is a red line.”

             Manchin’s recent advocacy for the Hyde Amendment is nothing new. Lankford commented on Manchin’s defense of the Hyde Amendment, saying that he, “has been pretty outspoken to say he hasn’t moved on this – the Left has moved. […] Manchin is the one who’s actually remained consistent in this. The Left has just gone a lot farther left […].”

             The point that radical Democrats are consistently missing in their pressure on Manchin is that his support for Hyde is not a mere policy preference, but also a reflection of his mission to honor his constituents’ desires. When Manchin was reelected in 2018, the people of West Virginia voted 51.7 percent to 48.2 percent to add a state constitutional amendment that clarified “nothing in this Constitution secures or protects a right to abortion or requires the funding of abortion.” The state subsequently added a Hyde Amendment to their state statute. The people of West Virginia have already spoken on the issue of abortion funding, and Manchin is performing his duty as an elected legislator to support their opinion.

             In his interview, Lankford also stated that “overwhelmingly, Americans support the Hyde Amendment. Even that guy named Senator Joe Biden supported the Hyde Amendment when he was in the Senate.” In 2019, just prior to his presidential campaign, President Biden publicly supported the Hyde Amendment. The candidate quickly retracted this stance and affirmed his opposition of Hyde after receiving backlash from fellow Democrats.

             Manchin’s dedication to preserving the Hyde Amendment demonstrates his strength to do what Joe Biden, a baptized Catholic, could not even do: stand up to abortion extremists on the Left and defend the consciences of the American people to be free from funding the murder of the innocent with their taxpayer dollars.

[Life Advocacy Briefing editor’s note: Readers are asked to call Sen. Manchin, regardless of state of residence, at 201/224-3954, thanking him for standing up for the Hyde Amendment and urging him to hold firm.]

There He Goes Again

Oct. 5, 2021, End of Day Memo by Gary Bauer

             … While the country is deeply divided over abortion, it is not divided when it comes to forcing taxpayers to pay for someone else’s abortion.

             But [Pres. Joe] Biden regularly takes some action to ensure that millions of pro-life Americans are implicated in the carnage by giving our hard-earned tax dollars to groups that destroy innocent unborn babies. Yesterday, he reversed another pro-life Trump rule that prevented tax dollars from going to organizations that provide referrals for abortions.

             Thanks to Joe Biden, you’re now paying the salaries of pro-abortion workers at so-called “family planning clinics,” and you’re paying for the pro-abortion propaganda that is being pushed on vulnerable women.

Where We Are

Oct. 4, 2021, Washington Update commentary by Joy Zavalick, Research Assistant for the Center for Human Dignity at Family Research Council

             The month of October is nationally recognized as Respect Life Month; according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, this marks a 31-day opportunity to contemplate “why every human life is valuable and reflect on how to build a culture that protects life from conception to natural death.” This year, Respect Life Month arrives as the national conversation on the future of abortion has reached a fever pitch – and fortunately, the progress to build a culture that protects life is making great strides.

             While pro-life prayer efforts display the faith of believers in God’s blessing of their mission, they also provide an avenue for abortion extremists to demonstrate their moral depravity. As peaceful prayer rallies took place outside of the Supreme Court this weekend, hosted by pro-life organizations such as The Moral Outcry and Bound4LIFE, they were disrupted by pro-abortion protestors that sat in the street until they were arrested. Women’s marches organized by abortion advocates in protest of the successful Texas Heartbeat Act prove the current tension within their ranks, signaling the universal agreement that the culture of life in the United States is winning.

             Oct. 1 marked not only the start of Respect Life Month, but also the one-month anniversary of the Texas Heartbeat Act being enforced to prevent all abortions past six weeks in the state. This monumental piece of legislation saved 4,500 lives throughout the month of September, or about 150 unborn lives each day. It has also caught the attention of legislators across the nation, serving as model legislation for states such as Florida where copycat bills are garnering support.

             The Supreme Court has also announced that on Dec. 1 it will hear oral arguments for the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case, which has the potential to overturn Roe v. Wade and return jurisdiction over abortion legislation to the states. This fresh opportunity to end the shameful legacy of abortion law in the United States has sparked renewed prayer efforts and unity among the pro-life movement.

             Father Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life, said in a statement about prayer rallies at the Supreme Court that after three decades of full-time national pro-life advocacy, “now I am more convinced than ever that the days of legal abortion in America are numbered.”

             In a unique prayer effort to promote the sanctity of life, Archbishop Cordileone of San Francisco has organized a “massive and visible campaign of prayer and fasting for a change of heart in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). The campaign came as a response to Pelosi’s advocacy for the ironically named Women’s Health Protection Act, or HR-3755. This extremist piece of legislation seeks to codify Roe v. Wade and overturn state-level abortion restrictions ranging from the Texas Heartbeat Act to commonsense ultrasound requirements. Archbishop Cordileone highlighted the “Rose and a Rosary for Nancy Pelosi” campaign, which sends a rose to Pelosi for each participant as a symbol of those who are in prayer for her repentance.

             Respect Life Month conveniently coincides with Down Syndrome Awareness Month, which seeks to raise public understanding about the facts of life for those with Down syndrome and to celebrate those individuals. With the upcoming Senate vote on HR-3755, which would strike down state protections banning abortion on the basis of a pre-natal diagnosis for conditions such as Down syndrome, it is essential to continue educating the nation about the inherent dignity and equal worth of all humans. In a popularly cited study, 99% of people with Down syndrome stated that they were happy with their lives; this statistic is particularly poignant when considering the vast number of individuals with Down syndrome who never had the opportunity to be born and enjoy life.

             As the war to protect the unborn from the horrors of abortion rages on, Respect Life Month provides a needed reminder that the nation is making progress to create a culture of life where all humans receive the rights that they are due – as well as a reminder that the fight to end abortion is not over yet.

Senate Voting Records

Cloture Motion to end debate on Nomination of Tracy Stone-Manning to direct Bureau of Land Management – Sept. 30, 2021 – Adopted – 50-48 (Democrats in italics; “Independent” marked “I”)

Voting “no” / pro-Life: Shelby & Tuberville/AL, Murkowski & Sullivan/AK, Boozman & Cotton/AR, Rubio & Scott/FL, Crapo & Risch/ID, Braun & Young/IN, Ernst & Grassley/IA, Marshall & Moran/KS, McConnell/KY, Cassidy & Kennedy/LA, Collins/ME, Hyde-Smith & Wicker/MS, Blunt & Hawley/MO, Daines/MT, Fischer & Sasse/NE, Burr & Tillis/NC, Cramer & Hoeven/ND, Portman/OH, Inhofe & Lankford/OK, Toomey/PA, Graham & Scott/SC, Rounds & Thune/SD, Blackburn & Hagerty/TN, Cruz/TX, Lee & Romney/UT, Capito/WV, Johnson/WI, Barrasso & Lummis/WY.

Voting “yes” / anti-Life: Kelly & Sinema/AZ, Feinstein & Padilla/CA, Benet & Hickenlooper/CO, Blumenthal & Murphy/CT, Carper & Coons/DE, Ossoff & Warnock/GA, Hirono & Schatz/HI, Duckworth & Durbin/IL, King(I)/ME, Cardin & VanHollen/MD, Markey & Warren/MA, Peters & Stabenow/MI, Klobuchar & Smith/MN, Tester/MT, Cortez-Masto & Rosen/NV, Hassan & Shaheen/NH, Booker & Menendez/NJ, Heinrich & Lujan/NM, Gillibrand & Schumer/NY, Brown/OH, Merkley & Wyden/OR, Casey/PA, Reed & Whitehouse/RI, Leahy & Sanders/VT, Kaine & Warner/VA, Cantwell & Murray/WA, Manchin/WV, Baldwin/WI.

Not voting: Paul/KY, Cornyn/TX

Confirmation of Tracy Stone-Manning to direct Bureau of Land Management – Sept. 30, 2021 – Confirmed – 50-45 (Democrats in italics; “Independent” marked “I”)

Voting “no” / pro-Life: Shelby/AL, Murkowski & Sullivan/AK, Boozman & Cotton/AR, Rubio & Scott/FL, Crapo & Risch/ID, Braun & Young/IN, Ernst & Grassley/IA, Marshall/KS, McConnell/KY, Cassidy & Kennedy/LA, Collins/ME, Hyde-Smith & Wicker/MS, Blunt & Hawley/MO, Daines/MT, Fischer & Sasse/NE, Burr & Tillis/NC, Cramer & Hoeven/ND, Portman/OH, Inhofe & Lankford/OK, Toomey/PA, Graham & Scott/SC, Rounds & Thune/SD, Hagerty/TN, Cruz/TX, Lee & Romney/UT, Capito/WV, Johnson/WI, Barrasso & Lummis/WY.

Voting “yes” / anti-Life: Kelly & Sinema/AZ, Feinstein & Padilla/CA, Benet & Hickenlooper/CO, Blumenthal & Murphy/CT, Carper & Coons/DE, Ossoff & Warnock/GA, Hirono & Schatz/HI, Duckworth & Durbin/IL, King(I)/ME, Cardin & VanHollen/MD, Markey & Warren/MA, Peters & Stabenow/MI, Klobuchar & Smith/MN, Tester/MT, Cortez-Masto & Rosen/NV, Hassan & Shaheen/NH, Booker & Menendez/NJ, Heinrich & Lujan/NM, Gillibrand & Schumer/NY, Brown/OH, Merkley & Wyden/OR, Casey/PA, Reed & Whitehouse/RI, Leahy & Sanders/VT, Kaine & Warner/VA, Cantwell & Murray/WA, Manchin/WV, Baldwin/WI.

Not voting: Tuberville/AL, Moran/KS, Paul/KY, Blackburn/TN, Cornyn/TX.