The long anticipated vote on the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act will take place on or about Wednesday, May 4, in the U.S. House. As reported before, Congress eliminates funding for abortion each year through a series of patchwork amendments to numbers of bills. Abortions are not prohibited in some major new programs created by Obamacare. H.R. 3 would replace this leaky patchwork with a permanent, government-wide prohibition on federal funding of abortion and federal subsidies for health plans that cover abortion.
The No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act is sponsored by Congressman Chris Smith (R-NY) and Congressman Dan Lipinski (D-Il), the co-chairs of the House Pro-Life Caucus. As an aside, Lipinski, one of the few remaining true pro-life Dems, already has a pro-abortion challenger in the 2012 primary.
You can contact your Congressman here. Please act today!
After the excruciating and embarrassing revelations of the horrors which occurred in a Philadelphia abortion clinic over many years, one would think that reasonable people could agree that abortion clinic inspections comparable to what other medical clinics are required to undergo would be a piece of cake. Not so, says the ACLU-PA and Planned Parenthood. They are teaming up to vigorously fight what is described as a modest piece of legislation, HB 574, which would require abortion facilities to follow the same safety standards that govern other ambulatory surgical facilities.
Philadelphia abortionist Kermit Gosnell is charged with eight murders related to extremely late-term abortions where he delivered the babies alive and then severed their spinal cords with a scissors. Past blogs have detailed the grisly events which occurred in the Gosnell abortion clinic. Not only is Gosnell under indictment, but abortion clinics in other states associated with Gosnell have been closed down. Gosnell’s abortion clinic was not inspected for 17 years.
This has not phased the ACLU and Planned Parenthood who are fighting the Pennsylvania proposal tooth and nail. I make mention of this because in Wisconsin, legislation will be introduced shortly to regulate and inspect abortion clinics. How big a fight will PP of Wisconsin put up? Expect it to be very, very big.
Trig Palin is a little boy. He has never run for public office nor made a public statement. Without question, he should be off-limits to anyone trying to score a cheap political point. But, that didn’t stop the pro-abortion blog Wonkette from trashing Trig.
Sarah Palin posted a birthday poem she wrote to her son called “Sweet Angel Boy.” She queries what he might be dreaming about: Is it Mom’s hugs, Dad’s strong hands, sisters who play with him, a big brother who carries him on his shoulders? It is a touching poem written by a loving Mom about her beautiful son.
Wonkette, which regularly toasts Palin, couldn’t resist and posted the following: “What’s he dreaming about? Nothing. He’s retarded.” Wonkette said Trig was “somewhat alive.”
How crass to talk about a little boy with disabilities in such a demeaning fashion! There is nothing right about what Wonkette did. Kudos to Papa John’s, Vanguard and Huggies for removing its advertising from this vile website.
Rock on, Trig!! Happy birthday!!! You’re the best!!!
Rep. Paul Ryan and the President have put forth different plans for the future of Medicare. Both plans provide uncertainty for Medicare recipients. From a financial standpoint, it is clear that Medicare as we know it is unsustainable in the future, especially since Baby Boomers are reaching Medicare eligibility in huge numbers. Which plan is worse for seniors?
Ryan Plan
Ryan’s Path to Prosperity, which was passed by the U.S. House last week, would leave Medicare unchanged for Americans over 55. For those under 55, Medicare would change in that individuals would receive purchasing power to buy their own plans. Insurance companies would vie competitively for their business. Those who can afford more would receive less purchasing power from the government and those who need more assistance would receive more purchasing power. Some believe that Medicare recipients will pay more for their health care than under the current plan.
President’s Plan
Under Obamacare, an Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) would determine levels of health care spending. Rich Lowry wrote in the National Review that: “What Pres. Barack Obama’s budget speech last week lacked in details, it made up for in an obnoxious faith in the surpassing wisdom of unelected experts.” Lowry points out that Obamacare will significantly squeeze Medicare through arbitrary reductions in payments to providers. What this means is fewer health care dollars available for patients. In his speech last week, the President proposed squeezing the program even further by “holding…cost growth…to GDP [gross domestic product] plus 0.5 percent beginning in 2018, through strengthening the Independent Payment Advisory Board,” says Lowry. The feared effect of this proposal is that providers will be driven out of the program and rationing of health care will result. Under the guise of “quality” and “efficiency,” doctors who defy the IPAB limits to provide lifesaving care will be disqualified from the insurance plans. Americans will be limited in the amount of money they can devote to their own health care.
Ryan’s plan envisions giving seniors more control over their health care, while the President’s decidedly results in less control and even potential denial of health care. Wisconsin Right to Life is not officially endorsing the Ryan plan. WRTL is definitely opposed to the President’s plan.
Planned Parenthood of the Heartland (PPH) had a ribbon cutting ceremony last Friday to open a new abortion clinic in Omaha, NE. At the same time, PPH announced an $11.5 million capital campaign over the next five years to open 12 new clinics in Iowa and Nebraska.
The new clinics are in smaller communities, leading to speculation that PPH plans to use its web-cam abortion system to provide RU 486 chemical abortions in rural communities. According to Dr. Randy O’Bannon of National Right to Life, “By January of 2011 sixteen of PPH’s clinics in Iowa were tied into the web-cam system.” PPH reported that over 2,000 women received web-cam abortions in Iowa.
Ironically, the new Omaha abortion clinic opened on the same day that the U.S. Senate voted to continue taxpayer funding of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and its local affiliates. “Planned Parenthood tries to argue that none of the money it receives from the federal government goes towards abortions,” says O’Bannon. “But every dollar they receive to cover their operating expenses enables them to collect and spend money for other projects. Like bringing abortion to Omaha, and perhaps in the near future, to a dozen other cities in Nebraska and Iowa.”
A poll commissioned by the Susan B. Anthony Fund finds that 54% of Americans do not want family planning dollars going to organizations that perform abortions. Importantly, 43% strongly oppose use of taxpayer dollars in this manner while only 20% strongly support.
The Polling Company results reveal the following:
82% of those who are pro-life oppose this funding
26% of those who are pro-choice oppose this funding
Women oppose by a 51-40% margin
Latinos oppose by a 47-45% margin
African-Americans oppose by a 62-26% margin
Independents oppose by a 52-36% margin
Ages 18-34 oppose by a 54-38% margin
Republicans oppose by a 77-20% margin
Democrats oppose by a 55-38% margin
Those in the 35-44 age range were the only age category in support of funding Planned Parenthood
In summary, there is broad support in America as a whole and in key demographic populations to strip Planned Parenthood of the over $360 million it receives in federal and state taxpayer dollars each year. The survey interviewed 1,000 Americans with a margin of error of +/- 3%. Read poll results here.
Just a little over a year ago, the issue of taxpayer funding of abortion almost doomed the passage of Obamacare. It’s hard to forget the valiant effort put up for months by Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mi) and a band of Democrats — abortion had to come out or they would not support Obamacare. At the very last moment, Stupak caved when Obama issued a phony Executive Order stating there would be no abortion coverage. We were all outraged by this reversal, and many of those Democrats lost their seats. Stupak himself decided not to seek re-election.
Fast forward to last week and a similar scenario. The stakes were incredibly high as negotiators for the House, Senate and the President worked feverishly for a deal that would prevent a government shutdown. What was the holdup? Once again — abortion. Republican leaders were insisting that as part of the government funding measure for the remainder of the 2011 fiscal year, taxpayer dollars to Planned Parenthood had to be eliminated. Obama and Reid said no deal — they were willing to give up billions in spending cuts to hold on to dollars for Planned Parenthood. A major article in today’s Wall Street Journal states that Obama was willing to shut down the government so that Planned Parenthood could remain on the taxpayer’s dole. Amazing!
Very soon, three huge measures dealing with abortion will be voted upon in Congress:
1. The No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, H.R.3, will get a vote in the House this week.
2. The Senate will vote on a measure to defund Planned Parenthood. This bill has already passed in the House.
3. The Senate will vote on a measure to repeal Obamacare. This bill has already passed in the House.
Wisconsin Right to Life is humbled and gratified that our elected officials, even after almost four decades, recognize that the assault on unborn children through abortion is a powerful cultural issue which will not go away. It is truly the human rights cause of our times and we are proud to be at the center of it.
Late last week, Congressional leaders reached an agreement on funding the federal government for this fiscal year which ends September 30, 2011. Three major right-to-life proposals were part of the negotiating process between the two houses of Congress and the President. This is the outcome:
A rider to prohibit abortion providers from receiving federal taxpayer dollars was eliminated from the agreed-upon measure. This rider would have effectively ended taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood. Senator Harry Reid did, however, agree to allow a Senate vote on a separate bill to defund Planned Parenthood at a later time. The separate bill is likely to pass in the House of Representatives but its success in the Senate is uncertain. If it passes in the Senate, President Obama is very likely to veto it. This bill is a different measure than the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act (H.R. 3) which will be voted on in the House this week.
Republicans attempted to add a repeal of Obamacare to the budget measure but were unsuccessful. Senator Reid agreed also to a vote in the Senate on the repeal which has already passed in the House. It is not known if there are enough votes in the Senate to repeal the health care law and the President is certain to veto a repeal if it is passed.
A rider to prohibit use of taxpayer dollars for the performance of abortions in the District of Columbia remains part of the agreed-upon measure and is likely to become law.
In Wisconsin, it is imperative that a huge outpouring of contacts be made with Senator Herb Kohl urging him to vote to defund Planned Parenthood. Wisconsin Right to Life will be leading this effort. The best way to be involved is to join our E-Voice online network here.
On April 12 and 13, the U.S. House of Representatives will vote on a major right-to-life bill. H.R.3, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, would permanently prohibit the use of your federal taxpayer dollars to fund abortions across the entire federal government. This bill is authored by Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Congressman Dan Lipinski (D-IL).
For the past 30 years, Congress has restricted federal funding of abortions by amending a patchwork of bills every year. Year after year, National Right to Life and its affiliates like Wisconsin Right to Life have supported amendments to a myriad of federal laws to prevent such funding. None of these amendments apply to Obamacare where federal subsidies for abortion are permissible.
H.R. 3 would replace this leaky patchwork with a permanent prohibition on federal funding of abortion and federal subsidies for health plans that cover abortion. It would apply to both long-existing programs and new programs created by Obamacare.
You can take action to support H.R. 3 by clicking here.
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