Life Advocacy Briefing

Another One Confirmed

THIS ONE IS NOT A JUDGE, but she can still do a lot of damage – to unborn children and their mothers, to women worldwide and to America on the world stage.

As we noted briefly last week, Geeta Rao Gupta was confirmed May 11 as Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues. This is a strategic post from which the Biden Regime will continue to press abortion on other nations. She was confirmed with the vocal backing of Planned Parenthood, so we know what to expect.

Her record in various United Nations posts on a variety of issues should have made her nomination too hot even for the Senate to handle and may explain why it took some 18 months for her to be confirmed.

Bearing in mind that she will be “representing” the United States in this pivotal, global spokesman role, our readers – especially those whose Senators voted “yes” – would do well to check the details of her advocacy for legalization of prostitution, her outspoken advocacy for abandonment of the Mexico City policy by which the USA denies foreign aid to organizations that promote or commit abortion and her promotion of homosexuality. Such details can be found via the Center for Family & Human Rights at https://c-fam.org/friday_fax/appointee-on-womens-issues-supports-legal-prostitution.

C-Fam also published a report in December, 2021, when Pres. Biden first nominated this radical, in which writers Lisa Correnti and Rebecca Oas PhD quoted the president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America saying “she was ‘excited’ by the nomination.” That report, among other things, notes Ms. Gupta’s employment in 2010 by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which is notorious for massive financial support for radical pro-abortion and anti-population strategies.

We publish the voting record at the close of this Life Advocacy Briefing. The vote was 51 to 47. This confirmation should never have happened.

Our Tax Dollars at Work – to Undermine our Youth & Families

THE OFFICE OF POPULATION AFFAIRS in the US Dept. of Health & Human Services (HHS) is turning its attention to “adolescent health activities” and, reports Calvin Freiburger for LifeSiteNews, citing The Washington Stand as source, “is promoting a variety of resources ostensibly geared toward ‘building on young people’s strengths and potential, encouraging meaningful youth engagement in adolescent health activities and highlighting key topics in adolescent health.’”

In case that gobbledygook bureaucratese is not sufficient to stand up the hairs on the back of our readers’ necks, it might suffice to warn that the “resources” are supplied by such outfits as the Reproductive Health National Training Center.

The materials, notes Mr. Freiburger, advise “‘reproductive health’ workers to, among other things, confirm that they are using a minor’s own phone number rather than their parents’, reassure them that they will not share the minors’ personal information, offer ‘flexibility and expanded hours for scheduling of virtual visits,’ begin meetings by asking if the minor is alone in the room or if other family members are within earshot, explaining to parents that ‘just as with visits at the clinic, part of the visit is devoted to one-on-one time with the young person.’” And the instructions, Mr. Freiburger warns, “suggest that minors use vague yes/no answers or type comments in chat boxes rather than speak them aloud.

“The document then shares several suggestions from minors themselves, such as having them take calls in bathroom or cars and use headphones so others in the house cannot hear what the ‘health’ worker is saying. It also,” notes Mr. Freiburger, “offers ‘creative’ ideas for delivering contraceptives to minors, such as mail delivery in unmarked packaging, curbside pickup at clinics or other community locations, or mobile vans for delivery to neighborhoods.”

Should any of us be surprised? As Mr. Freiburger comments, “Pres. Joe Biden, Vice Pres. Kamala Harris and White House Press Sec’y Karine Jean-Pierre have all recently articulated variations of the sentiment that children ultimately belong to society as a whole, which critics say is indicative of disrespect for parents’ right to have the primary and final say over significant impacts on their children’s development, and a preference for the government to supersede their authority.

“That bias is particularly concerning to many Americans,” writes Mr. Freiburger, “in light of the Biden Administration’s full-throated support for abortion on demand and the surgical and chemical ‘transitioning’ of children suffering from gender dysphoria.”

Oregon State Senators Stand Up for Life

SOMETHING REMARKABLE IS HAPPENING IN OREGON, of all places.

“Oregon’s legislative session has crashed on the rocks,” states Associated Press (AP) writer Andrew Selsky, “amid the GOP boycott of the Senate over an abortion and transgender care bill.”

The last time the Senate was able to convene was May 2. Since then, Senate President Rob Wagner (D) has not been able to muster a quorum. On May 31, Sen. Wagner attempted again to reconvene the Senate, reports Mr. Selsky, “but a roll call again showed that nine Republicans and a member of the Independent Party of Oregon were absent without being excused, preventing a quorum and putting on ice votes on Democratic priority measures. … In what has become a Groundhog-Day ritual in the past four weeks,” writes Mr. Selsky, “[Sen.] Wagner then banged the gavel to close the aborted session. He said he’d try again the next day.

“But Sen. Tim Knopp, leader of the minority Senate Republicans,” reports AP, “says the boycott will end only on the last day of the legislative session, June 25, to pass ‘bipartisan’ legislation and budget bills. [But] Wagner,” notes Mr. Selsky, “says Democratic priorities, including a sweeping measure to guarantee abortion rights, are not negotiable.”

Oregon’s Democrat Governor, Tina Kotek, has attempted to intervene. She said last Wednesday, reports AP, “that her talks to end the impasse have failed and that [Sen.] Knopp wants the abortion and gender-affirming bill ‘substantially amended or dead.’” Good for him!

Daleiden Appeals to the Supreme Court

ATTORNEYS FOR INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST DAVID DALEIDEN have asked the US Supreme Court to consider his appeal of lower court rulings that, notes the Thomas More Society, “permanently prohibit Daleiden from publishing video he took of National Abortion Federation tradeshows and that awarded NAF over $6 million in attorneys’ fees and costs. …

“Peter Breen, Thomas More Society executive vice president and head of litigation, explained,” notes the news release, “that the petition describes how the lower courts ran roughshod over Daleiden’s First Amendment rights and made impermissible value judgments against Daleiden’s videos, claiming that there was minimal public interest in showing those videos.

“‘The First Amendment prohibits courts from stopping journalists from publishing their work, other than in the most extreme cases, but here, the courts were quick to denigrate David Daleiden’s videos and speech and to silence him on an issue of supreme public importance,’ stated Breen” in the release. “‘The American people have a right to see all of the relevant information on an issue, not just what certain judges think they should see and hear. These are not private videos – they’re videos of an 800-person abortion trade show that Mr. Daleiden was invited to attend,’ shared Breen.

“‘David Daleiden is one of the most notable undercover journalists of our time, reporting on one of the most contentious political issues of our day,’” said Mr. Breen, a former Illinois state representative. “‘If the high-profile work of someone of David’s stature can be banned, no undercover journalist is safe from the risk of ruinous financial sanctions and never-ending lawsuits. The Supreme Court must step in to save undercover journalism.’ …

“The petition states,” explains the Thomas More news release, “that Daleiden should be allowed to freely introduce the court-banned video footage in his defense to the pending criminal charges against him, instigated by then-California Attorneys General Kamala Harris and Xavier Becerra at the behest of NAF and Planned Parenthood.

Celebrate June!

IT IS NOT AN OFFICIALLY DECLARED OBSERVANCE – so far as we know – but we join with Family Research Council’s Owen Strachan in claiming the month of June as “Life Month.”

After all, it was during the month of June, just a year ago, that the US Supreme Court ruled it could find no right to abort an unborn child in the US Constitution, reversing the deadly rulings in Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton which had wrapped the abortion cartel in sheep’s clothing nearly 50 years before.

Though the high court failed to find the right to Life in the Constitution’s 5^th and 14^th Amendments, at least the majority of justices acknowledged the authority of state governments to take action protecting their tiniest residents – and their sometimes confused, sometimes victimized mothers – and that ruling in the Dobbs case warrants continued celebration.

So, when some in America are taking pride in risky lifestyles, let us all celebrate June as Life Month.

Michigan Governor Signs Abortion Coverage Mandate

MICHIGAN GOV. GRETCHEN WHITMER (D) SIGNED A LAW in mid-May barring Michigan employers from firing or retaliating against employees as a result of an elective abortion. The bill passed both legislative houses on tight party-line votes.

Said a spokesman for the Michigan Catholic Conference, which opposed the bill: “‘We believe the [law] will require non-self-insured employers to pay for abortion coverage if they offer employees coverage for childbirth. Thus, the bill creates an abortion mandate on some employers,’ he continued,” quoted by Joseph Summers for LifeSiteNews.

State of Washington Crosses a Line

June 1, 2023, Life Issues Radio commentary by Life Issues Institute president Bradley Mattes

             The Washington Attorney General’s office has put pro-life individuals and pregnancy centers in the crosshairs. They’ve launched a “reproductive rights complaint form” on the state website. Anyone can file a complaint if the person feels they’ve experienced “harassment” at an abortion mill or experiences “deception, [or] harassment…at a crisis pregnancy center.” Pharmacies that refuse to provide abortion pills will also be targeted.  Harassment has been defined as praying outside abortion centers and offering alternatives to mothers.

             Planned Parenthood praised the form saying “protests” at abortion mills have doubled.

             Those targeted by complaints may result in an investigation against them. It’s nothing short of weaponizing Washington state government against anyone who opposes abortion.

Where We Are, a Year Later

May 29, 2023, LifeSiteNews commentary by Jonathon VanMaren

             Next month [June] will mark one year since the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. The Dobbs decision, as many predicted, brought about an escalation in the abortion wars, as state-level battles took on enormous significance. The outcomes, for pro-lifers, have been a very mixed bag – but the abortion industry has sustained some real blows over the past year as well.

             For starters, pro-life laws are working. According to a Bloomberg report, [in] Arkansas, Alabama, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia and Wisconsin, there were only 265 abortions per month from July to December of 2022 – a 96% drop from the abortion rate during April and May. A key reason for this is the fact that the Dobbs decision resulted in the closure of many abortion clinics, and the “average American now lives 275 miles further” away from a clinic.

             Data have long shown that the further a woman must travel to procure an abortion, the more likely she is to seek other options instead. One reason that shutting down abortion facilities has been a key tactic of the pro-life movement is because the evidence from both pro-life and pro-abortion sources indicates that abortion-minded women do not simply find other clinics – many will seek life-affirming options, instead. The closure of more abortion centers post-Dobbs has exacerbated that trend.

             Reports that have been affirmed by pro-life statisticians indicate that a minimum of 32,250 fewer abortions were committed in the United States in the six months after Roe fell. A new report from NPR highlights another significant victory for the pro-life movement.

             According to top Planned Parenthood officials, the country’s largest abortion provider is now preparing to restructure their national office and “lay off dozens of staff members, with a new focus on helping local affiliates.” Unions have been told to expect layoffs of up to 10-20% of the national workforce, or a minimum of 80 people. Union officials stated that Planned Parenthood’s leaders are “pushing out some of our movement’s brightest minds. This comes at a time where reproductive freedom is in jeopardy and when our members are struggling under difficult economic conditions.”

             That is very good news for the pro-life movement, as it indicates the scale of the economic damage done to Planned Parenthood by Dobbs. With pro-life laws passed in more than a dozen states, the abortion giant has diversified by selling transgender cross-sex hormones and facilitating sex “changes,” but abortion has always been its number-one money maker. Planned Parenthood noted that it will redouble its political efforts, pouring campaign cash into the coffers of those who will work to create more friendly regimes in which their corporation can function. They are also planning to invest $70 million in its affiliates.

             Meanwhile, Planned Parenthood is also snarled in several expensive legal battles. They are currently being sued by an unnamed pro-life activist for allegedly defrauding [the] Medicaid system; if they lose, they could have to pay out more than $1.8 billion, more than enough to bankrupt the organization at a national level. Planned Parenthood, for [its] part, is still desperately suing to block pro-life laws from taking effect, most recently trying to stop South Carolina’s “Fetal Heartbeat & Protection from Abortion” law. Much is riding on the outcome of these cases.

             The roadmap for both the abortion movement and the pro-life movement going forward is chaotic and far from clear – but it is important for pro-lifers to recognize the wins as well as the losses.

Senate Voting Records

Cloture motion to end debate on nomination of Geeta Rao Gupta as Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues – May 5, 2023 – Adopted 50 to 44 (Democrats in italics; “Independents” marked “I”)

Voting “no”/pro-Life: Britt/AL Sullivan/AK, Boozman & Cotton/AR, Rubio & Scott/FL, Crapo & Risch/ID, Braun & Young/IN, Ernst & Grassley/IA, Marshall/KS, McConnell & Paul/KY, Cassidy & Kennedy/LA, Hyde-Smith & Wicker/MS, Hawley & Schmitt/MO, Daines/MT, Fischer & Ricketts/NE, Budd & Tillis/NC, Cramer & Hoeven/ND, Vance/OH, Lankford & Mullin/OK, Graham/SC, Rounds & Thune/SD, Blackburn & Hagerty/TN, Cornyn & Cruz/TX, Lee & Romney/UT, Capito & Manchin/WV, Barrasso & Lummis/WY.

Voting “yes”/anti-Life: Murkowski/AK, Kelly & Sinema(I)/AZ, Padilla/CA, Bennet & Hickenlooper/CO, Blumenthal & Murphy/CT, Carper & Coons/DE, Ossoff & Warnock/GA, Hirono & Schatz/HI, Duckworth & Durbin/IL, Collins & 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 & Fetterman/PA, Reed & Whitehouse/RI, Welch/VT, Kaine & Warner/VA, Cantwell & Murray/WA, Baldwin/WI.

Not voting: Tuberville/AL, Feinstein/CA, Moran/KS, Scott/SC, Sanders(I)/VT, Johnson/WI.

Confirmation of Geeta Rao Gupta as Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues – May 11, 2023 – Confirmed 51 to 47 (Democrats in italics; “Independents” marked “I”)

Voting “no”/pro-Life: Britt & Tuberville/AL Sullivan/AK, Boozman & Cotton/AR, Rubio & Scott/FL, Crapo & Risch/ID, Braun & Young/IN, Ernst & Grassley/IA, Marshall & Moran/KS, McConnell & Paul/KY, Cassidy & Kennedy/LA, Hyde-Smith & Wicker/MS, Hawley & Schmitt/MO, Daines/MT, Fischer & Ricketts/NE, Budd & Tillis/NC, Hoeven/ND, Vance/OH, Lankford & Mullin/OK, Graham & Scott/SC, Rounds & Thune/SD, Blackburn & Hagerty/TN, Cornyn & Cruz/TX, Lee & Romney/UT, Capito & Manchin/WV, Johnson/WI, Barrasso & Lummis/WY.

Voting “yes”/anti-Life: Murkowski/AK, Kelly & Sinema(I)/AZ, Padilla/CA, Bennet & Hickenlooper/CO, Blumenthal & Murphy/CT, Carper & Coons/DE, Ossoff & Warnock/GA, Hirono & Schatz/HI, Duckworth & Durbin/IL, Collins & 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 & Fetterman/PA, Reed & Whitehouse/RI, Sanders(I) & Welch/VT, Kaine & Warner/VA, Cantwell & Murray/WA, Baldwin/WI.

Not voting: Feinstein/CA, Cramer/ND.