Life Advocacy Briefing

Abortion a ‘Right’ Nationwide?

THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IS PLANNING TO VOTE – just as we are going to press – on two bills to take abortion law authority away from the states and make the killing of unborn babies the law of the land. A roll call was taken on Wednesday to adopt the rule under which HR-8296 and HR-8297 were to be debated and considered for passage. We report the voting records on the rule motion and on a procedural motion to end debate on the “rule” resolution (HR-1224) at the close of this Life Advocacy Briefing and expect to report the final-passage roll calls during the next couple of weeks.

The two abortion bills were combined in the procedural “rule” motion with the Dept. of Defense’s authorization bill (HR-7900), S-3373 “to improve the Iraq & Afghanistan Service Grant and the Children of Fallen Heroes Grant,” as defined in the Congressional Record, and HR-6538, “to create an Active Shooter Alert Communications Network.” Despite the mixing of the abortion bills with legislation which would normally receive bipartisan support, the roll call vote on the motion to set up consideration of the five bills was a squeaker, 217 to 204, by party lines.

Expecting that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-SanFrancisco) will be successful in marshalling votes from all her devoted caucus members – possibly excluding Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) – we expect the national abortion legalization bills to pass the House and encourage our readers to contact their home-state US Senators to ask them to vote “no.” A call to Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) would also be helpful. [Capitol switchboard: 1-202/224-2131]

HR-8296, sponsored by Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA), is titled the Women’s Health Protection Act. It has passed the House previously but stalled in the Senate. As described by Mychael Schnell in The Hill, the bill “calls for codifying abortion rights into federal law and strengthening protections [for the abortion cartel] that were included in the [now overturned] Roe decision.”

HR-8297 is sponsored by Rep. Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX) and called the “Ensuring Access to Abortion Act.” As defined by Ms. Schnell, the proposal “seeks to safeguard women who travel to receive an abortion if their state bans the medical procedure. In states where abortion is legal,” writes Ms. Schnell, “it would make it unlawful for facilities to restrict access to the procedure for individuals who do not live in that state; … the bill also,” notes Ms. Schnell, “offers protections for individuals who help others receive an abortion out-of-state and safeguard the movement in interstate commerce of abortion drugs approved by the FDA.”

Aborting Federalism

IN AN EFFORT to assure the President’s backers he is doing something, the Biden Justice Department has launched a “‘reproductive rights task force,’ to police states’ pro-life laws,” reports Ashley Sadler for LifeSiteNews, citing the Washington Post as source.

“The DOJ task force,” she writes, “will monitor states’ abortion restrictions to prevent ‘overreach’ and [will] consider legal challenges against additional protections for the unborn, including bans on abortion-inducing drugs and laws preventing women from traveling out of state to kill their unborn babies.” That latter point is one being made repeatedly by the abortion radicals, yet we are unaware of any state laws that prevent out-of-state travel by ordinary citizens.

“‘The Justice Dept. is committed to protecting access to reproductive services,’ Associate Atty. Gen. Vanita Gupta said in a statement, according to the Post,” writes Ms. Sadler.

The announcement follows action by the President himself, signing on July 8 an executive order, notes Ms. Sadler, “directing federal agencies to protect and expand access to ‘medication abortion’ and ‘convene private pro bono attorneys, bar associations and public service organizations’ to provide legal counsel for women seeking abortions and doctors committing abortions.” We question his authority to use the power of the Presidency to enlist such attorneys and “public service organizations” to “provide legal counsel” for anyone!

Predictably, the president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Alexis McGill Johnson, “lauded the [DOJ] task force in a July 12 statement,” reports Ms. Sadler.

“According to [Ms.] Johnson,” reports LifeSiteNews, “the DOJ task force represents ‘a meaningful step in providing a framework for enforcing federal protection for those helping patients navigate access to abortion, and we look forward to seeing its work quickly take shape.’ …

“The DOJ has drawn fire from Republicans,” notes Ms. Sadler, “who say federal officials have failed to do enough to respond to the violence against pro-life organizations and intimidation of pro-life Supreme Court justices by pro-abortion protesters.” That, after all, is actually their duty.

Did Dobbs Come Just in Time?

July 5, 2022, The Point commentary from the Colson Center

             What looks like good news for a nation in the midst of a demographic crisis isn’t really. Recently, the Wall Street Journal reported that “US births increased last year for the first time in seven years.”

             In 2020, the US fertility rate dipped to 1.64 – the lowest “since the government began tracking it in the 1930s.” In 2021, the rate increased for the first time since 2014, to 1.66.

             Though that sounds like good news, that’s a lower spike than we’d historically expect during something that keeps everyone at home, such as a pandemic. One economist has called it a “minor blip” that “still leaves us on a long-term trajectory towards lower births.” That’s because the replacement rate is at least 2.1, and some scholars think 1.7 is the threshold of no return.

             Nations that fail to replace their population face economic stagnation and social instability. A society committed to adult happiness over the future and the well-being of children will be a nation that fails to replace its population.

             In other words, birth rates are more than statistics and historic predictors. They reflect a nation’s priorities, values and worldview.

Their Agenda, Laid Bare

July 13, 2022, Action Alert from Eagle Forum

             On Friday, July 15^th, the US House of Representatives is poised to vote on two abortion bills: the Women’s Health Protection Act (HR-8296) and the Ensuring Access to Abortion Act (HR-8297). Both bills are an attempt to undermine the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Org. decision by encroaching on states’ rights.

             First, HR-8296 legalizes all abortions nationwide. In doing so, it will end every pro-life provision in state and federal law. The bill states that healthcare providers and women seeking an abortion have a “statutory right to abortion” without limitation or requirement. The abortion lobby and radical anti-Life Washington politicians want to make abortion for any reason up until the moment of birth the law of the land.

             Specifically, the Women’s Health Protection Act:

• Prevents states from enacting gestational limits on abortion

• Allows abortion after viability if an abortionist finds “continuation of pregnancy would pose a risk to the pregnant patient’s life or health” (undefined)

• Eliminates all waiting periods in state law

• Removes all health and safety standards for abortion clinics and providers including the requirement that abortion providers have “hospital transfer arrangements”

• Prohibits counseling regarding alternatives to abortion and calls such counseling “medically inaccurate”

• Bans state requirements for ultrasounds before abortion

• Makes it illegal to limit prescriptions for abortion drugs and enact regulations regarding the provision of “abortion services via telemedicine”

• Prohibits limits on abortion for sex-selection or disability diagnosis

• Directs the courts to strike down any state regulations that “deter some patients from accessing abortion services.” In other words, all abortion laws must be pro-abortion, not “pro-choice.”

             Then, HR-8297 strips all individuals of their conscience rights and usurps standing state and federal laws. Under this bill, no one will be able to prevent an abortion from occurring even [if] the woman is being trafficked or abused. The language explicitly protects anyone assisting in an abortion even if they transport a woman across state lines. Proponents are disregarding the safety and dignity of mothers and their babies just to win a political fight.

             The US already has some of the most egregious abortion laws in the world. Our policies on abortion place us in the ranks of China and North Korea, two countries that the world agrees violate human rights! Indeed, technology and science tell us that by six weeks a baby has a heartbeat. By ten weeks, babies have arms, legs, fingers and toes. By 15 weeks, babies can taste and make facial expressions, yawn, hiccup and suck their thumbs.

             It’s time our legislators recognize that abortion ends in the destruction of a human life. …

House Voting Records

HRes-1224 – Rule for Consideration of HR-8296 & HR-8297 to Make Abortion Legal & to Interfere with States’ Laws on Abortion – July 13, 2022 – Adopted 217-204 (Democrats in italics; new Members in ALL CAPS)

Voting “no”/pro-Life: Aderholt, Carl, Moore, Palmer, Rogers/AL; Biggs, Gosar, Lesko, Schweikert/AZ; Crawford, Hill, Westerman, Womack/AR; Calvert, Conway, Garcia, Issa, Kim, LaMalfa, McCarthy, McClintock, Obernolte, Steel, Valadao/CA; Boebert, Buck, Lamborn/CO; Bilirakis, Buchanan, Cammack, Diaz-Balart, Donalds, Dunn, Franklin, Gaetz, Gimenez, Mast, Posey, Rutherford, Salazar, Steube, Waltz, Webster/FL; Allen, Carter, Clyde, Ferguson, Greene, Hice, Loudermilk, Scott/GA; Fulcher, Simpson/ID; Bost, R.Davis, Kinzinger, LaHood, Miller/IL; Baird, Banks, Bucshon, Hollingsworth, Pence, Walorski/IN; Feenstra, Hinson, Miller-Meeks/IA; Estes, LaTurner, Mann/KS; Barr, Comer, Guthrie, Massie, Rogers/KY; Graves, Higgins, Johnson, Letlow, Scalise/LA; Harris/MD; Bergman, Huizenga, McClain, Meijer, Moolenaar, Upton, Walberg/MI; Emmer, Fischbach, Stauber/MN; Guest, Kelly, Palazzo/MS; Graves, Hartzler, Long, Luetkemeyer, Smith, Wagner/MO; Rosendale/MT; Bacon, Flood, Smith/NE; Amodei/NV; Smith, VanDrew/NJ; Garbarino, Jacobs, Katko, Malliotakis, Stefanik, Tenney, Zeldin/NY; Bishop, Budd, Cawthorn, Foxx, Hudson, McHenry, Murphy, Rouzer/NC; Armstrong/ND; Balderson, Chabot, Davidson, Gibbs, Gonzalez, Johnson, Jordan, Joyce, Latta, Turner, Wenstrup/OH; Bice, Cole, Hern, Lucas, Mullin/OK; Bentz/OR; Fitzpatrick, Joyce, Keller, Kelly, Meuser, Perry, Reschenthaler, Smucker, Thompson/PA; Duncan, Mace, Norman, Timmons, Wilson/SC; Johnson/SD; Burchett, DesJarlais, Fleischmann, Green, Harshbarger, Kustoff, Rose/TN; Arrington, Babin, Burgess, Carter, Cloud, Crenshaw, Ellzey, Fallon, FLORES, Gohmert, Gonzales, Gooden, Jackson, McCaul, Nehls, Pfluger, Roy, Sessions, Taylor, VanDuyne, Weber, Williams/TX; Curtis, Moore, Owens, Stewart/UT; Cline, Good, Griffith, Wittman/VA; Herrera-Beutler, Newhouse, Rodgers/WA; McKinley, Miller, Mooney/WV; Fitzgerald, Gallagher, Grothman, Steil, Tiffany/WI; and Cheney/WY.

Voting “yes”/anti-Life: Sewell/AL; Gallego, Grijalva, Kirkpatrick, O’Halleran, Stanton/AZ; Aguilar, Barragan, Bass, Bera, Brownley, Carbajal, Cardenas, Chu, Correa, Costa, DeSaulnier, Eshoo, Garamendi, Gomez, Harder, Huffman, Jacobs, Khanna, Lee, Levin, Lieu, Lofgren, Lowenthal, Matsui, McNerney, Napolitano, Panetta, Peters, Porter, Roybal-Allard, Ruiz, Sanchez, Schiff, Sherman, Speier, Swalwell, Takano, Torres, Vargas, Waters/CA; Crow, DeGette, Neguse, Perlmutter/CO; Courtney, DeLauro, Hayes, Himes, Larson/CT; Blunt-Rochester/DE; Castor, CHERFILUS-McCORMICK, Crist, Demings, Deutch, Frankel, Lawson, Murphy, Soto, Wasserman-Schultz, Wilson/FL; Bishop, Bourdeaux, Johnson, McBath, D.Scott, Williams/GA; Case, Kahele/HI; Bustos, Casten, Foster, Garcia, Kelly, Krishnamoorthi, Newman, Quigley, Rush, Schakowsky, Schneider, Underwood/IL; Carson, Mrvan/IN; Axne/IA; Davids/KS; Yarmuth/KY; Carter/LA; Golden, Pingree/ME; Brown, Hoyer, Mfume, Raskin, Ruppersberger, Sarbanes, Trone/MD; Auchincloss, Clark, Keating, Lynch, McGovern, Moulton, Neal, Pressley, Trahan/MA; Dingell, Kildee, Lawrence, Levin, Slotkin, Stevens, Tlaib/MI; Craig, McCollum, Omar, Phillips/MN; Thompson/MS; Bush, Cleaver/MO; Horsford, Lee, Titus/NV; Kuster, Pappas/NH; Gottheimer, Kim, Malinowski, Norcross, Pallone, Pascrell, Payne, Sherrill, Sires, Watson-Coleman/NJ; Leger-Fernandez, Stansbury/NM; Bowman, Clarke, Espaillat, Higgins, Jeffries, Jones, C.Maloney, S.Maloney, Meeks, Meng, Morelle, Nadler, Ocasio-Cortez, Rice, Suozzi, Tonko, Torres, Velazquez/NY; Adams, Butterfield, Manning, Price, Ross/NC; Beatty, Brown, Kaptur, Ryan/OH; Blumenauer, Bonamici, DeFazio, Schrader/OR; Boyle, Cartwright, Dean, Doyle, Evans, Houlahan, Lamb, Scanlon, Wild/PA; Cicilline, Langevin/RI; Clyburn/SC; Cohen, Cooper/TN; Allred, Castro, Cuellar, Doggett, Escobar, Fletcher, Garcia, Gonzalez, Green, Jackson-Lee, Johnson, Veasey/TX; Welch/VT; Beyer, Connolly, Luria, McEachin, Scott, Spanberger, Wexton/VA; DelBene, Jayapal, Kilmer, Larsen, Schrier, Smith, Strickland/WA; and Kind, Moore, Pocan/WI.

Not voting: Brooks/AL; Thompson/CA; D.Davis/IL; Spartz/IN; Herrell/NM; Carey/OH; Rice/SC; and Brady & Granger/TX.

HRes-1224 – Procedural Vote to End Debate & Vote – July 13, 2022 – Passed 218-208 (Democrats in italics; new Members in ALL CAPS)

Voting “no”/pro-Life: Aderholt, Brooks, Carl, Moore, Palmer, Rogers/AL; Biggs, Gosar, Lesko, Schweikert/AZ; Crawford, Hill, Westerman, Womack/AR; Calvert, Conway, Garcia, Issa, Kim, LaMalfa, McCarthy, McClintock, Obernolte, Steel, Valadao/CA; Buck, Lamborn/CO; Bilirakis, Buchanan, Cammack, Diaz-Balart, Donalds, Dunn, Franklin, Gaetz, Gimenez, Mast, Posey, Rutherford, Salazar, Steube, Waltz, Webster/FL; Allen, Carter, Clyde, Ferguson, Greene, Hice, Loudermilk, Scott/GA; Fulcher, Simpson/ID; Bost, R.Davis, Kinzinger, LaHood, Miller/IL; Baird, Banks, Bucshon, Hollingsworth, Pence, Walorski/IN; Feenstra, Hinson, Miller-Meeks/IA; Estes, LaTurner, Mann/KS; Barr, Comer, Guthrie, Massie, Rogers/KY; Graves, Higgins, Johnson, Letlow, Scalise/LA; Harris/MD; Bergman, Huizenga, McClain, Meijer, Moolenaar, Upton, Walberg/MI; Emmer, Fischbach, Stauber/MN; Guest, Kelly, Palazzo/MS; Graves, Hartzler, Long, Luetkemeyer, Smith, Wagner/MO; Rosendale/MT; Bacon, Flood, Smith/NE; Amodei/NV; Smith, VanDrew/NJ; Garbarino, Jacobs, Katko, Malliotakis, Stefanik, Tenney, Zeldin/NY; Bishop, Budd, Cawthorn, Foxx, Hudson, McHenry, Murphy, Rouzer/NC; Armstrong/ND; Balderson, Chabot, Davidson, Gibbs, Gonzalez, Johnson, Jordan, Joyce, Latta, Turner, Wenstrup/OH; Bice, Cole, Hern, Lucas, Mullin/OK; Bentz/OR; Fitzpatrick, Joyce, Keller, Kelly, Meuser, Perry, Reschenthaler, Smucker, Thompson/PA; Duncan, Mace, Norman, Timmons, Wilson/SC; Johnson/SD; Burchett, DesJarlais, Fleischmann, Green, Harshbarger, Kustoff, Rose/TN; Arrington, Babin, Brady, Burgess, Carter, Cloud, Crenshaw, Ellzey, Fallon, FLORES, Gohmert, Gonzales, Gooden, Granger, Jackson, McCaul, Nehls, Pfluger, Roy, Sessions, Taylor, VanDuyne, Weber, Williams/TX; Curtis, Moore, Owens, Stewart/UT; Cline, Good, Griffith, Wittman/VA; Herrera-Beutler, Newhouse, Rodgers/WA; McKinley, Miller, Mooney/WV; Fitzgerald, Gallagher, Grothman, Steil, Tiffany/WI; and Cheney/WY.

Voting “yes”/anti-Life: Sewell/AL; Gallego, Grijalva, Kirkpatrick, O’Halleran, Stanton/AZ; Aguilar, Barragan, Bass, Bera, Brownley, Carbajal, Cardenas, Chu, Correa, Costa, DeSaulnier, Eshoo, Garamendi, Gomez, Harder, Huffman, Jacobs, Khanna, Lee, Levin, Lieu, Lofgren, Lowenthal, Matsui, McNerney, Napolitano, Panetta, Peters, Porter, Roybal-Allard, Ruiz, Sanchez, Schiff, Sherman, Speier, Swalwell, Takano, Thompson, Torres, Vargas, Waters/CA; Crow, DeGette, Neguse, Perlmutter/CO; Courtney, DeLauro, Hayes, Himes, Larson/CT; Blunt-Rochester/DE; Castor, CHERFILUS-McCORMICK, Crist, Demings, Deutch, Frankel, Lawson, Murphy, Soto, Wasserman-Schultz, Wilson/FL; Bishop, Bourdeaux, Johnson, McBath, D.Scott, Williams/GA; Case, Kahele/HI; Bustos, Casten, D.Davis, Foster, Garcia, Kelly, Krishnamoorthi, Newman, Quigley, Rush, Schakowsky, Schneider, Underwood/IL; Carson, Mrvan/IN; Axne/IA; Davids/KS; Yarmuth/KY; Carter/LA; Golden, Pingree/ME; Brown, Hoyer, Mfume, Raskin, Ruppersberger, Sarbanes, Trone/MD; Auchincloss, Clark, Keating, Lynch, McGovern, Moulton, Neal, Pressley, Trahan/MA; Dingell, Kildee, Lawrence, Levin, Slotkin, Stevens, Tlaib/MI; Craig, McCollum, Omar, Phillips/MN; Thompson/MS; Bush, Cleaver/MO; Horsford, Lee, Titus/NV; Kuster, Pappas/NH; Gottheimer, Kim, Malinowski, Norcross, Pallone, Pascrell, Payne, Sherrill, Sires, Watson-Coleman/NJ; Leger-Fernandez, Stansbury/NM; Bowman, Clarke, Espaillat, Higgins, Jeffries, Jones, C.Maloney, S.Maloney, Meeks, Meng, Morelle, Nadler, Rice, Suozzi, Tonko, Torres, Velazquez/NY; Adams, Butterfield, Manning, Price, Ross/NC; Beatty, Brown, Kaptur, Ryan/OH; Blumenauer, Bonamici, DeFazio, Schrader/OR; Boyle, Cartwright, Dean, Doyle, Evans, Houlahan, Lamb, Scanlon, Wild/PA; Cicilline, Langevin/RI; Clyburn/SC; Cohen, Cooper/TN; Allred, Castro, Cuellar, Doggett, Escobar, Fletcher, Garcia, Gonzalez, Green, Jackson-Lee, Johnson, Veasey/TX; Welch/VT; Beyer, Connolly, Luria, McEachin, Scott, Spanberger, Wexton/VA; DelBene, Jayapal, Kilmer, Larsen, Schrier, Smith, Strickland/WA; and Kind, Moore, Pocan/WI.

Not voting: Boebert/CO; Spartz/IN; Herrell/NM; Ocasio-Cortez/NY.