Life Advocacy Briefing

Stop the Targeting!

THE PRO-LIFE GROUP 40 DAYS FOR LIFE HAS FILED A LAWSUIT against the US Dept. of Justice (DOJ), reports S.A. McCarthy for The Washington Stand, “for ‘malicious/retaliatory prosecution, abuse of process, false arrest and related claims’ committed against pro-life advocate and Catholic father of seven Mark Houck.”  Mr. Houck was acquitted in January 2023 in a unanimous jury verdict.

The lawsuit is the first evidence we have seen of American citizens fighting back against the Biden Regime’s relentless legal campaign sheltering the abortion cartel even from ordinary citizens exercising their right of free speech on public sidewalks. And it comes in the wake of punitive federal prosecutions against pro-life citizens which have resulted in lengthy incarcerations for the crime of acting to protect the lives of innocent unborn children and the safety of their mothers. 

“In a statement to The Washington Stand,” writes Mr. McCarthy, “40 Days for Life CEO and president Shawn Carney said, ‘For two decades, 40 Days for Life worked closely with the great men and women at the FBI and DOJ to protect our volunteers and those who disagree with us in the public square. Our peaceful law-abiding efforts never changed.’ He continued, ‘What changed? The Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and the weaponization of the DOJ against pro-life Americans and Catholics skyrocketed. … The bigotry and selective prosecution of our government cannot silence us to peacefully and legally share our beliefs in the public square.’”

Meanwhile, the DOJ has demonstrated once again the need for such pushback, filing a lawsuit against peaceful pro-life protestors immediately after securing lengthy prison sentences against the same Rose Rescue participants for violation of the so-called FACE (Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances) Act, which is designed to advance the deadly business of abortionists.

Just Repeal It!

REP. CHIP ROY HAS FILED HR-5577 TO REPEAL THE FEDERAL ‘F.A.C.E.’ ACT. The bill is pending in the House Judiciary Committee.

Along with the Texas Republican, the bill is co-sponsored by 42 GOP colleagues: Representatives Barry Moore (AL); Andy Biggs, Elijah Crane, Paul Gosar & Debbie Lesko (AZ); Doug LaMalfa (CA); Ken Buck & Doug Lamborn (CO); Anna Paulina Luna, John Rutherford, Gregory Steube & Daniel Webster (FL); Andrew Clyde & Mike Collins (GA); Mary Miller (IL); Jim Banks (IN); Clay Higgins (LA); Eric Burlison (MO); Matthew Rosendale (MT); Adrian Smith (NE); Christopher Smith (NJ); Nicholas Langworthy (NY); David Rouzer (NC); Warren Davidson (OH); Josh Brecheen (OK); Jeff Duncan (SC); William Timmons (SC); Mark Green (TN); Diana Harshbarger (TN); Brian Babin, Michael Burgess, Michael Cloud, Dan Crenshaw, Lance Gooden, Nathaniel Moran, August Pfluger & Keith Self (TX); Burgess Owens (UT); Ben Cline & Bob Good (VA) and Alexander Mooney (WV).

A like measure has been filed in the Senate by Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) under the title “Restoring the First Amendment & Right to Peaceful Civil Disobedience Act. S-3017 is in the Senate Judiciary Committee and is co-sponsored by GOP Senators Mike Braun (IN), Cindy Hyde-Smith & Roger Wicker (MS), Josh Hawley (MO) and J.D. Vance (OH).

We encourage our readers to contact Rep. Roy and Sen. Lee to thank them for this urgently needed, clearly Constitutional proposal and to contact home-district Representatives and home-state Senators urging them to support – even co-sponsor – the respective bills and to thank those who are listed here as co-sponsors for standing up for the free-speech and assembly rights of peaceful pro-life citizens. Capitol switchboard: 202-224/3121.

Clear & Present Danger

THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (W.H.O.) IS FINALIZING WORDING of a “dangerous international accord,” warns Ben Johnson in a lengthy commentary for The Washington Stand, which is fashioned as a response to a pandemic.

Called the WHO Pandemic Agreement, the document began as a draft treaty, but the Biden Regime, notes Mr. Johnson, “lobbied WHO to rename the Pandemic Treaty as an “Agreement” so that it can adopt the measure without Senate ratification (which a treaty requires). The US is a member of the WHO, having joined in 1948, when the world was responding to World War II by coalescing international organizations such as the United Nations, supposedly to promote freedom.

“In March 2021,” writes Mr. Johnson, “WHO members called for a new international pandemic ‘treaty’ and began writing the first draft of the ‘legally binding treaty’ on Dec. 7, 2022. After the Biden Administration signaled that it could not win Senate ratification as required by the Constitution, WHO transformed the ‘treaty’ into the “WHO Pandemic Agreement’ and released the negotiating text of the document last October.

“All 194 WHO member nations were expected to vote on the agreement at the 77^th World Health Assembly from March 27 to June 1,” reports Mr. Johnson. “However, WHO’s Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) failed to produce the full text of an agreement by the end of its last session on May 10, so WHO members will instead decide how, or whether, to continue the process.” Let us pray.

Much of the report details how the camouflaged treaty would compel the citizens of participating countries to follow draconian public health edicts in the event of a pandemic – or in the aftermath of one. We invite readers who are concerned about such issues to read the entire commentary; we consider Mr. Johnson’s report to be of great importance. We focus below on the section affecting abortion policy, acknowledging the critical nature of the public health aspects as well. The report, which has been developing since January, can be found on the Internet at https://washingtonstand.com/commentary/explainer-whos-pandemic-agreement-threatens-national-sovereignty-free-speech-and-life. The Washington Stand’s website features an entire section devoted to “World Health Organization” on the homepage of the site.

From The Washington Stand report updated in May: “WHO: Abortion is ‘Essential’ During Pandemics” –

“The new text inserts requirements for ‘equitable access to … quality routine and essential healthcare services … during pandemics’ (Article 6:2a; see also Article 7:1). Although it is not explicitly mentioned in the pandemic agreement, it is vital to understand that WHO considers abortion an essential service. In March 2022, WHO released a new ‘Abortion care guideline’ stating that both chemical and surgical abortion should continue even during global health crises. ‘In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic … WHO has included comprehensive abortion care in the list of essential health services,’ said the document.

“WHO opened 2024 with a bulletin calling on member states to ‘counteract conservative opposition’ and ‘enact progressive laws and policies’ on abortion, homosexuality and prostitution. ‘Countries must repeal laws that criminalize homosexuality, sex work and HIV transmission,’ stated a bulletin titled ‘Advancing the “sexual” in sexual and reproductive health and rights: a global health, gender equality and human rights imperative,’ co-written by WHO’s director-general, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus.

“The WHO Pandemic Agreement seemingly signals that it will smuggle a liberal sexual agenda by invoking the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which the agreement classifies as aiming ‘to achieve gender equality’ (Introduction, 5). The SDGs also commit all signatories, by 2030, to ‘ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive healthcare services, including for family planning’ (3.7).

“WHO bureaucrats could weaponize the seemingly innocuous phrase ‘gender equality’ to support abortion-on-demand and transgender ideology. In fact, Ghebreyesus used just this language in a WHO bulletin officially released on Jan. 1, 2024, which folded ‘sexual rights’ into ‘gender equality’ and stated, ‘People with diverse sexual orientations and gender identities often face stigma and discrimination.’ Stonewall, a British LGBT pressure group, interprets a reference to ‘other status’ (SDG 10.2) as granting special rights to people who identify as homosexual or transgender.

“In this context, the WHO Pandemic Agreement’s requirement for nations to ‘ensure decent work and a safe and healthy environment for other essential workers that provide essential public goods and services during pandemic emergencies’ could be turned into a mandate for the government to guard and protect abortionists from peaceful pro-life sidewalk counselors or pediatric gender clinics carrying out transgender surgeries from concerned parents. (See Article 7:5.) The aforementioned WHO guidelines would say abortion and, likely, transgender procedures constitute ‘essential medical care’ during pandemics. Other concerns include those posed by Canada’s single-payer healthcare system, where courts ruled Christian healthcare providers must refer patients to life-ending ‘Medical Assistance in Dying.’”

Another Biden Judge Confirmed

THE SENATE HAS CONFIRMED Seth Aframe to serve as a judge of the 1^st Circuit Court of Appeals, based in New Hampshire. The May 20 vote was 49 to 40. At the close of this Life Advocacy Briefing, we publish the voting record on confirmation and the roll call on the cloture motion which brought the nomination to a vote.

Among the controversies raised in his background, according to the Vetting Room, an independent legal blog which analyses federal judicial nominees, was a move in which the nominee – now judge – in his staff position with the 1^st Circuit, “successfully persuaded the 1^st Circuit,” reports the Vetting Room, “that the [US] Dept. of Health & Human Services had appropriately withheld internal emails and redacted portions of manuals produced in a Freedom of Information Act request relating to the provision of a grant to Planned Parenthood.” That’s enough hint for us!

A Win in Minnesota

THE MINNESOTA LEGISLATURE HAS ADJOURNED ITS 2024 SESSION without action on a proposed ballot initiative for a so-called “Equal Rights Amendment” to guarantee abortionists a place to continue their grisly trade.

The proposal, titled “SF-37,” reports Calvin Freiburger for LifeSiteNews, would have submitted to voters “an amendment to the Minnesota Constitution stating, ‘All persons shall be guaranteed equal rights under the laws of this state. The state shall not discriminate against any person in intent or effect on account of one or more of the following,’ then proceeding to list race, color, national origin, ancestry, disability or ‘sex, including but not limited to: making and effectuating decisions about all matters relating to one’s own pregnancy or decision whether to become or remain pregnant; gender identity or gender expression; or sexual orientation.’”

The proposal did pass the House “early Sunday,” notes Mr. Freiburger, “but was not taken up by the State Senate before the deadline. State Democrats,” he reports, “say they will try again next year if they win and retain enough seats in the November elections.”

Catching the Torch

THE NEXT GENERATION of pro-life Americans is fighting for their freedom to assemble and for their freedom of speech.

The case in point is in Noblesville, Indiana, where a high school student, whose identity is protected in court documents, has petitioned the 7^th Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn a lower court decision, reports Samantha Kamman for the Christian Post (CP), which affirmed Noblesville High School’s “derecognition of its Students for Life of America [SFLA] chapter.”

The student “had attempted to start an SFLA chapter in 2021,” writes Ms. Kamman. After receiving permission from the principal, the student was successful in enlisting “more than 30 people” for the chapter “at the school’s fall activities fair, according to a statement from Alliance Defending Freedom,” which has taken the appeal to the 7^th Circuit along with the Charitable Allies law firm.

“‘Students don’t forfeit their free speech when they walk into the school building,’ the ADF stated,” quoted by the CP. “‘All students have the constitutional right to express their ideas without fear of being silenced by school officials and having their clubs derecognized.’”

It appears the club ran into resistance from administrators following its publication of photos of students – not necessarily from the school in question – holding signs in front of the US Supreme Court. Scary signs, carrying such slogans as “I Reject Abortion,” “I Am the Pro-Life Generation” and, no doubt the most “offensive” of all: “Defund Planned Parenthood.” Shocking!

District Judge Sarah Evans Barker, in her March ruling upholding the shuttering of the club, said in her ruling, reports Ms. Kamman, “school officials felt that the poster [containing the photos] was too ‘political.’ The Dean of Students, Jeremy Luna,” notes the CP, “instructed [the founding student] to fix the posters, saying that the flyer could not include a ‘picket’ where people held signs that stated ‘Defund Planned Parenthood.’”

Apparently, there was also school resistance to the presence of a parent during a club gathering, suggesting that Noblesville High School has another problem in its policies in addition to its censorship of posters.

Sick Priorities

May 16, 2024, report by Focus on the Family’s Daily Citizen

             Peaceful pro-life activist Lauren Handy has been sentenced to nearly five years in federal prison, plus three years’ probation, for her participation in a protest at an abortion clinic in Washington, DC. Two other pro-life activists were also given lengthy prison sentences for their role in the protest.

             A federal jury in Washington … convicted Handy on Aug. 29, 2023, for violating the FACE (Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances) Act and for “Conspiracy Against Rights.”

             According to the Christian Post, on Oct. 22, 2020, Handy and nine other activists used chains, ropes and bike locks to tie themselves together, using their bodies to block access to the Washington Surgi-Clinic. They were attempting to prevent the clinic from performing abortions that day.

             Handy and the other activists were concerned that the clinic’s abortionist, Cesare Santangelo, was likely violating the Born Alive Infant Protection Act by refusing to provide life-saving care to infants born alive after a failed abortion, and/or the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act. The remains of several later-term aborted babies were discovered by Ms. Handy and her associates, supporting their claims.

             One of the infants who died, or was killed, was more than 30-weeks’ gestation – well beyond the point of viability. In other words, there is substantial evidence that Santangelo was performing illegal abortions. US Rep Jim Jordan has requested a Congressional inquiry on the aborted children. Santangelo has not yet been charged with any crime.

             Yesterday, 81-year-old leftist U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly – an appointee of former President Bill Clinton – sentenced Handy to four years and nine months in prison.

Senate Voting Records

Cloture motion to end debate on nomination of Seth Aframe as Appellate Judge of the 1^st Circuit – May 16, 2024 – Adopted 52 to 43 (Democrats in italics; “Independents” marked “I”)

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

Voting “yes”/anti-Life: Murkowski/AK, Kelly & Sinema(I)/AZ, Butler & 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/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, Manchin/WV, Baldwin/WI.

Not voting: Crapo/ID, Marshall/KS, Kennedy/LA, Hawley/MO, Menendez/NJ.

Confirmation of Seth Aframe as Appellate Judge of the 1^st Circuit – May 20, 2024 – Adopted 49-40 (needing a majority) (Democrats in italics; “Independents” marked “I”)

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

Voting “yes”/anti-Life: Murkowski/AK, Kelly & Sinema(I)/AZ, Butler & Padilla/CA, Bennet & Hickenlooper/CO, Blumenthal & Murphy/CT, Carper & Coons/DE, Ossoff/GA, Hirono & Schatz/HI, Duckworth & Durbin/IL, Collins & King(I)/ME, Cardin & VanHollen/MD, Markey & Warren/MA, Peters & Stabenow/MI, Smith/MN, Cortez–Masto & Rosen/NV, Hassan & Shaheen/NH, Booker/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, Manchin/WV, Baldwin/WI.

Not voting: Tuberville/AL, Rubio/FL, Warnock/GA, Marshall & Moran/KS, Kennedy/LA, Klobuchar/MN, Hawley/MO, Tester/MT, Menendez/NJ, Scott/SC, Hagerty/TN.