Life Advocacy Briefing

ObamaCare Repeal

THE U.S. HOUSE VOTED AGAIN last Thursday – as it did in the previous Congress – to repeal ObamaCare. The measure, HR-45, was filed Jan. 3 by Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN), together with 126 co-sponsors. Thursday’s vote was 229 to 195 after a full afternoon of debate. This was the first Life-related roll call vote we have observed in the House since the new Congress took office in January.

Before the bill was passed and after the rule for its consideration was adopted, a motion to recommit to committee was defeated on a 190-to-230 roll call; the motion was designed to stall or even kill the bill. We publish the final passage voting record at the close of this Life Advocacy Briefing and will publish procedural roll calls in subsequent editions.

Gosnell Guilty

PHILADELPHIA ABORTIONIST KERMIT GOSNELL WAS FOUND GUILTY last Monday on three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of three babies he had delivered alive and then killed as his method of late-term abortion. The jury found him guilty of involuntary manslaughter – not of first-degree murder as charged – in the death of one of his adult customers.

By agreement with the prosecutor, Mr. Gosnell was excused from the death penalty in return for a commitment not to appeal the verdicts. As a result, the convicted abortionist/murderer will spend the rest of his life behind bars.

According to media reports, the defendant looked shocked when the verdicts were returned.  Undoubtedly he had expected society to tolerate the killings. His attitude appeared to be that he was merely carrying out the service he had undertaken by contract.

He could not conceive that a jury of decent American citizens – three-quarters of whom are said to have characterized themselves as “pro-choice” before the trial began – could unanimously revolt against the ethic that says a killing is justified if arranged by the victim’s mother. It remains to be seen whether American voters – relatively few of whom have followed the trial, thanks to unconscionable media blackouts – will now wrestle with the question: Why should so obviously heinous a crime be legalized (as it was by the infamous Roe v. Wade ruling and its companion Doe v. Bolton Supreme Court ruling) when the victim is not yet born but is just as fully a victim of a brutal killing? The Gosnell verdict is clearly just and required in a nation whose foundation is justice, underscoring the injustice of the Supreme Court’s grievous abortion edicts. The time has come.

Gosnell Business a House of Horrors? How About These?

LILA ROSE’s LIVE ACTION TEAM HAS TAKEN ITS VIDEO CAMERAS UNDERCOVER into abortuaries before, turning over rocks and revealing the nature of this industry, documenting the practices and attitudes of staff. Life Advocacy Briefing cautions sensitive readers concerning the nature of recent discoveries on the Live Action tour. The latest in a series of exposés was released this month featuring late-term abortionist LeRoy Carhart, currently under official investigation in the death of Jennifer Morbelli at his Germantown, Maryland, shop. “At one point,” according to LifeSiteNews.com, “Carhart confirms to Live Action’s [pregnant, undercover] investigator that she will be carrying a dead baby inside her for three days. When the mom asks if the baby will begin to decay, Carhart says, ‘No, it’s like putting meat in a Crock-Pot, OK?’ The child merely ‘gets softer.’”

Carhart was also videotaped advising the investigator, in the event of an emergency, to call him instead of 911, because “‘they’ll take you to the hospital, right? They won’t bring you to the clinic,’” indicating his staff would decide whether more extensive assistance were required. This practice of insulating himself from hospital involvement appears to have played a role in Mrs. Morbelli’s death. When she called, he did not answer; he was already out of state.

Live Action released video last month featuring Cesare Santangelo of the Washington, DC, Surgi-Clinic, assuring the 26-week pregnant undercover reporter that, if his abortion procedure failed and she delivered “‘before we got to the termination part of the procedure here, we would not help it. Legally, we would be obligated to help it,’ he acknowledged. But ‘it’s too early to survive, usually,’ he said. ‘It will expire shortly after birth. … It’s all in how vigorously you do things to help a fetus survive at this point,’” quoted by LifeSiteNews. Live Action issued a press release with their video calling for a full investigation and prosecution, if appropriate, saying “Cesare Santagelo and the Washington Surgi-Clinic have been caught on tape agreeing to deny medical care to a viable child who survives an abortion, violating District of Columbia [law], first-degree murder.”

At the Dr. Emily Women’s Health Center in the Bronx, New York, Live Action recorded an abortion counselor “say[ing] that if the baby is breathing or twitching after the abortion, it would be put ‘in a container — like a jar’ with a toxic solution,” reports Cheryl Wetzstein in the Washington Times. “‘The solution will make it stop. It’s not going to be moving around in the jar. … That’s the whole purpose of the solution,’ said the counselor.”

Live Action’s investigations show all too clearly that Kermit Gosnell is not an aberration but a representative of the abortion industry and that America’s policies must change as more of these horrors come to light.

Abortion Backers Trump Lee Resolution

BEFORE SEN. MIKE LEE’s Senate Resolution 133 could be heard by the Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) rushed in with a substitute resolution, S-Res 134-IS, to offer the Senate a smear of pablum on which to express concern about “abusive, unsanitary or illegal healthcare practice” without the discomfort of naming abortion or specifically Philadelphia murderer Kermit Gosnell.

Mr. Blumenthal, a former state attorney general, was joined in his ambush by Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Al Franken (D-MN), listed as co-sponsors.

The Lee resolution, on which we reported last week, is now being co-sponsored by 27 Senators but has now become extremely unlikely to be considered in view of the sham substitute.

No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion, Period

PRO-LIFE CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS ARE PUTTING THE PEDAL TO THE METAL in light of the growing public awareness of the true face of abortion following the Kermit Gosnell murder conviction. They have filed the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act in both House and Senate.

The announcement came last week from the co-chairmen of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, Representatives Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Dan Lipinski (D-IL), as well as Senate sponsor Roger Wicker (R-MS). At this writing, HR 7 had picked up 111 co-sponsors, with S-946 co-sponsored by 21 Senators. Life Advocacy Briefing lists the co-sponsors later in this edition, encouraging readers to thank those listed or to urge their own Members to sign on to the appropriate bill; Members may be contacted by calling the Capitol switchboard at 1-202-224-3121.

Want Tax-Exempt Status? Abortion Promotion Required

PRO-LIFE ORGANIZATIONS ARE TURNING UP AS VICTIMS in last week’s Internal Revenue Service scandals. The Thomas More Society, a public interest law firm based in Chicago, asserts that several “recent cases they have handled support mounting accusations that demonstrate the IRS’s abuse of pro-life organizations.” The law firm cites IRS practices in stalling and suppressing legitimate applicants, with agents requiring one organization’s board to sign statements that these leaders “do not picket/protest or organize groups to picket or protest outside of Panned Parenthood,” according to Thomas More’s special counsel Sally Wagenmaker. Another charity that supported “40 Days for Life” and “Life Chain” events was “subjected to repeated and lengthy unconstitutional requests for information about the viewpoint and content of its educational communications, volunteer prayer vigils and other protected activities,” according to the Society.

Cherish Life Ministries’ founder Peter Shinn has told LifeSiteNews his organization was denied tax-exempt status when the IRS “determined [it] to be a ‘political organization’ because of its position on abortion.” According to the LifeSiteNews story, Shinn questioned the decision and was told “that to be considered an ‘educational’ organization, his group would have to present both sides of the abortion argument, with the agent saying, ‘When you’re educating, you have to educate on all aspects.’” Shinn notes that Planned Parenthood enjoys a 501(c)3 status and has not been directed, as he has, to apply as a 501(c)4 advocacy group instead, nor, apparently, to express views critical of itself.

Quoteworthy

Pro-Life Action League’s Ann Scheidler in a May 14, 2013, commentary posted at www.ProLifeAction.org: “The Gosnell case forces America to look at the underlying conundrum of a society that accepts abortion as a legitimate choice, thereby admitting that the unborn baby has no standing among us. … It’s time to end this experiment with legal abortion. It’s not working.”

Quoteworthy II

Jeanneane Maxon, external affairs vice president, Americans United for Life, in a commentary published May 15, 2013, in the Washington Times: “It is clear the time is now to protect women and children victimized by Big Abortion by enacting common-sense clinic regulations, informed consent requirements, mandated reporting of sexual abuse, parental involvement in young girls’ abortion decisions and legal protections for born-alive infants. … With this tragedy, America can no longer ignore the impact of what occurs in abortion clinics. The facts and evidence are at hand, and we are now obliged to render our own verdict. Will we turn a blind eye to the horrors occurring every day across our country inside the houses of Big Abortion, or will we model the courageous example of the Gosnell jury and provide justice?”

Co-Sponsors for No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion

In the Senate (S-946), co-sponsors with Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS): GOP Senators Boozman/AR, Rubio/FL, Coats/IN, Grassley/IA, Moran & Roberts/KS, Paul/KY, Vitter/LA, Cochran/MS, Blunt/MO, Fischer & Johanns/NE, Burr/NC, Portman/OH, Coburn/OK, Graham/SC, Thune/SD, Cornyn/TX, Lee/UT, and Barrasso & Enzi/WY.

In the House (HR-7), co-sponsors with Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ): GOP Representatives Aderholt, Bachus, Rogers & Roby/AL; Franks, Salmon & Schweikert/AZ; Crawford, Griffin & Womack/AR; Royce/CA; Lamborn/CO; Buchanan, Miller, Nugent, Ros-Lehtinen, Southerland & Webster/FL; Broun, Gingrey, Westmoreland & Woodall/GA; R. Davis, Hultgren, Schock & Shimkus/IL; Messer, Stutzman & Walorski/IN; King/IA; Huelskamp, Pompeo & Yoder/KS; Guthrie & Rogers/KY; Alexander, Boustany, Cassidy, Fleming & Scalise/LA; Harris/MD; Amash, Benishek, Bentivolio, Huizenga, Rogers & Walberg/MI; Bachmann & Kline/MN; Harper, Nunnelee & Palazzo/MS; Hartzler, Long & Wagner/MO; Fortenberry & Smith/NE; Garrett/NJ; Pearce/NM; King/NY; Ellmers, Foxx, Holding, Jones & Meadows/NC; Cramer/ND; Gibbs, Johnson, Jordan, Latta, Tiberi & Wenstrup/OH; Bridenstine, Lankford & Mullin/OK; Kelly, Marino, Pitts & Rothfus/PA; Duncan, Gowdy, Mulvaney & Wilson/SC; Black, Blackburn, Fincher, Fleischmann & Roe/TN; Barton, Brady, Burgess, Carter, Conaway, Flores, Marchant, McCaul, Neugebauer, Olson, Poe, Sessions, Thornberry & Weber/TX; Bishop & Stewart/UT; Goodlatte & Wolf/VA; McKinley/WV, and Duffy/WI.

And Democratic Representatives LaMalfa/CA, Lipinski/IL and Rahall/WV.

House Voting Record

Final Passage – HR-45 – Repeal of ObamaCare – May 16, 2013 – Passed 229 to 195 (New Members in ALL CAPS; Democrats in italics)

Voting “yes” / pro-Life: Aderholt, Bachus, Bonner, Brooks, Roby, Rogers/AL; Young/AK; Franks, Gosar, Salmon, Schweikert/AZ; COTTON, Crawford, Griffin, Womack/AR; Calvert, COOK, Denham, Hunter, Issa, McCarthy, McClintock, McKeon, Gary Miller, Nunes, Rohrabacher, Royce, VALADAO/CA; Coffman, Gardner, Lamborn, Tipton/CO; Bilirakis, Buchanan, Crenshaw, DeSANTIS, Diaz-Balart, Mica, Miller, Nugent, Posey, RADEL, Rooney, Ros-Lehtinen, Ross, Southerland, Webster, YOHO, Young/FL; Broun, COLLINS, Gingrey, Graves, Kingston, Price, A. Scott, Westmoreland, Woodall/GA; Simpson/ID; R. DAVIS, Hultgren, Kinzinger, Roskam, Schock, Shimkus/IL; BROOKS, Bucshon, MESSER, Rokita, Stutzman, WALORSKI, Young/IN; King, Latham/IA; Huelskamp, Jenkins, Pompeo, Yoder/KS; BARR, Guthrie, Massie, Rogers, Whitfield/KY; Alexander, Boustany, Cassidy, Fleming, Scalise/LA; Harris/MD; Amash, Benishek, BENTIVOLIO, Camp, Huizenga, Miller, Rogers, Upton, Walberg/MI; Bachmann, Kline, Paulsen/MN; Harper, Nunnelee, Palazzo/MS; Graves, Hartzler, Long, Luetkemeyer/MO; DAINES/MT; Fortenberry, Smith, Terry/NE; Amodei, Heck/NV; Frelinghuysen, Garrett, Lance, LoBiondo, Runyan, Smith/NJ; Pearce/NM; COLLINS, Gibson, Grimm, Hanna, King, Reed/NY; Coble, Ellmers, Foxx, HOLDING, HUDSON, Jones, McHenry, McIntyre, MEADOWS, PITTENGER/NC; CRAMER/ND; Chabot, Gibbs, Johnson, Jordan, JOYCE, Latta, Renacci, Stivers, Tiberi, Turner, WENSTRUP/OH; BRIDENSTINE, Cole, Lankford, Lucas, MULLIN/OK; Walden/OR; Barletta, Dent, Fitzpatrick, Gerlach, 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; Barton, Brady, Burgess, Carter, Conaway, Culberson, Farenthold, Flores, Gohmert, Granger, Hall, Hensarling, Marchant, McCaul, Neugebauer, Olson, Poe, Sessions, Smith, Stockman, Thornberry, WEBER, WILLIAMS/TX; Bishop, Chaffetz, Matheson, STEWART/UT; Cantor, Forbes, Goodlatte, Griffith, Hurt, Rigell, Wittman, Wolf/VA; Hastings, Herrera-Beutler, McMorris-Rodgers, Reichert/WA; Capito, McKinley/WV; Petri, Ribble, Ryan, Sensenbrenner/WI; Lummis/WY.

Voting “no” / anti-Life: Sewell/AL; Barber, Grijalva, Kirkpatrick, Pastor, SINEMA/AZ; Bass, Becerra, BERA, BROWNLEY, Capps, CARDENAS, Chu, Costa, Davis, Eshoo, Farr, Garamendi, Hahn, Honda, HUFFMAN, LaMALFA, Lee, Lofgren, Lowenthal, Matsui, McNerney, Geo. Miller, Napolitano, NEGRETE-MCLEOD, Pelosi, PETERS, Roybal-Allard, RUIZ, Linda Sanchez, Loretta Sanchez, Schiff, Sherman, Speier, SWALWELL, TAKANO, Thompson, VARGAS, Waters, Waxman/CA; DeGette, Himes, Perlmutter, Polis/CO; Courtney, DeLauro, ESTY, Larson/CT; Carney/DE; Brown, Castor, Deutch, Frankel, GARCIA, Grayson, Hastings, MURPHY, Wasserman-Schultz, Wilson/FL; Barrow, Bishop, Johnson, D. Scott/GA; GABBARD, Hanabusa/HI; BUSTOS, D. Davis, DUCKWORTH, ENYART, Foster, Gutierrez, KELLY, Lipinski, Rush, Schakowsky, Schneider/IL; Carson, Visclosky/IN; Braley, Loebsack/IA; Yarmuth/KY; Richmond/LA; Michaud, Pingree/ME; Cummings, DELANEY, Edwards, Hoyer, Ruppersberger, Sarbanes, VanHollen/MD; Capuano, Keating, KENNEDY, Lynch, McGovern, Neal, Tierney, Tsongas/MA; Conyers, Dingell, KILDEE, Levin/MI; Ellison, McCollum, Nolan, Peters, Peterson, Walz/MN; Thompson/MS; Lacy, Cleaver/MO;HORSFORD, Titus/NV; KUSTER, Shea-Porter/NH; Andrews, Holt, Pallone, Pascrell, Payne, Sires/NJ; Lujan, GRISHAM/NM; Bishop, Clarke, Crowley, Engel, Higgins, Israel, JEFFRIES, Lowey, Maffei, C. Maloney, S. MALONEY, McCarthy, Meeks, MENG, Nadler, Owens, Rangel, Serrano, Slaughter, Tonko, Velazquez/NY; Butterfield, Price, Watt/NC; BEATTY, Fudge, Kaptur, Ryan/OH; Blumenauer, Bonamici, DeFazio, Schrader/OR; Brady, CARTWRIGHT, Doyle, Fattah, Schwartz/PA; Cicilline, Langevin/RI; Cohen, Cooper/TN; CASTRO, Cuellar, Doggett, GALLEGO, A.Green, G.Green, Hinojosa, Jackson-Lee, E.B. Johnson, O’ROURKE, VEASEY, VELA/TX; Welch/VT; Connelly, Moran, Scott/VA; DelBene, HECK, KILMER, Larsen, McDermott, Smith/WA; Rahall/WV; Kind, Moore, POCAN/WI.

Not voting:  Campbell/CA; Lewis/GA; Labrador/ID; Quigley/IL; Markey/MA; WAGNER/MO; Boehner/OH; Clyburn/SC; S. Johnson/TX; Duffy/WI.