Life Advocacy Briefing

They’re Back!

CONGRESS RETURNS THIS WEEK FROM RECESS into an intense month of politics and action on Capitol Hill. For engaged pro-life citizens, September will likely be a month of paying attention and interceding with their public officials. Keep handy, Readers, the Capitol switchboard number, 1-202/224-3121; you’re likely to need it. Early and often, please make the calls!

Most of the upcoming action this month will begin in the Senate, which has yet to vote on most of the appropriation bills which set out the spending plan for the next fiscal year beginning Oct. 1. The House has already acted on major appropriation bills and will primarily – on matters affecting the cause of Life – await Senate action.

Here are the issues at stake in Senate appropriation bills:

In HR-2829, the Financial Services Appropriation bill, the Senate committee has dropped the traditional Smith Amendment, which protects taxpayers from subsidizing abortions through the employer contribution to the Federal Employee Health Benefits Plan, which is currently barred from offering abortion coverage. (Message to Senators: “Restore the Smith Amendment to keep the FEHBP abortion-free.”)

In HR-2764, the State/Foreign Operations Appropriation measure, the Senate committee has adopted the same problematic language as passed the House, undermining the Reagan-era “Mexico City” policy by forcing taxpayers, through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), to furnish commodities to foreign grantees which are currently ineligible for funding because of their involvement with abortion and/or abortion lobbying. (Message to Senators: “Restore the Mexico City Policy to the State/Foreign Aid budget.”)

Also in HR-2764, the State/Foreign Operations Appropriation bill, the Senate committee has gutted the two-decades-old Kemp/Kasten Amendment barring funding to outfits like the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) for their support of and/or participation in managing a program of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization, such as the vicious depopulation pogrom carried on in Red China. (Message to Senators: “Restore Kemp/Kasten; no tax money to the UNFPA.”)

S-1710, the Labor/Health & Human Services Appropriation proposal, has come out of Senate committee with a nasty provision undercutting the President’s limit on tax funding for embryo-killing experiments. (Message to Senators: “No federal funds for utilitarian experimentation. Stop killing embryonic human beings. Back ethical adult stem cell research instead.”)

Catching Up

IN JUNE WE PUBLISHED HOUSE ROLL CALLS related to House passage of S-5, the “Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act,” which seeks to tax Americans for experimentation necessitating the killing of certain embryonic human beings. The roll calls included the final passage vote and votes on two of the three procedural motions related to it. At the time, we pledged to publish the third procedural vote when space permitted and to include all the votes in our 2007 House Voting Record Index. Today, space permits, and with Congress returning from recess, this is our best opportunity to publish the vote on the last-ditch attempt to defeat the utilitarian measure by sending it back to committee. Readers will find that roll call at the close of this Life Advocacy Briefing.

‘Values’ Debate on Tap

G.O.P. PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFULS WILL SQUARE OFF in a “Values Voter” debate to be broadcast live on the Sky Angel television network at 7:30 p.m. EDT on Monday, Sept. 17. The majority of Republican Presidential candidates have agreed to appear; all known Democratic candidates for the White House have declined the Values Voter Debate Committee’s invitation to engage in a like event the following week.

The debate will originate in the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and will include participation from leading pro-family spokesmen, including Eagle Forum’s Phyllis Schlafly, American Family Assn.’s Don Wildmon, Free Congress Foundation’s Paul Weyrich and Bobby Schindler, brother of Terri Schiavo.

Women Want Respect for Life

A NATIONAL POLL TAKEN IN MID-AUGUST SHOWS women voters in America are less likely to vote for Presidential candidates who take liberal positions on various abortion law reform proposals.

The telephone survey of 600 women voters nationwide was taken by “the polling company, inc./WomenTrend” on behalf of the pro-life political action group, Susan B. Anthony List (SBA). “The margin of error,” reports LifeSiteNews.com, “is calculated at +/- 4%.”

Part of the poll was specific to the candidacy of Sen. Hillary Clinton, showing that “40% of the women,” reports LifeSite, “said they could conceivably vote for Hillary in 2008. Another 30% would vote for ‘a woman’ in 2008 but not ‘the woman’ who is actually running.” Such underwhelming support for the New York Democrat indicates her candidacy could be problematic, given that national polls have consistently shown that male voters are even more resistant to her.

But regardless of the standing of Sen. Clinton, the SBA poll offers a warning to any politician who sides with the abortion lobby while hoping to court “the women’s vote.”

“Seventy-three percent of women said they would be less likely to vote for a Presidential candidate,” reports LifeSite, “if [that candidate] voted against a law that would have made it a criminal act for an adult to take a girl younger than 18 years of age across state lines for the purpose of obtaining an abortion without her parents’ knowledge” – the Child Custody Protection Act or the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act, two bills which have met resistance particularly among Congressional Democrats and Senators.

On outlawing partial-birth abortion, reports LifeSite, the poll found “64% of women voters would be less likely to vote for a Presidential candidate who voted against” the ban.

And in a result that could be instructive to Senators as they work through the problematic appropriations bills undermining the long-standing protections for taxpayers, “68% of women,” reports LifeSite, “are less likely to vote for a Presidential candidate if [the candidate] support[s] taxpayer-funded abortion.”

Pressure Mounts on Aurora Abortuary

MORE THAN 1,200 PRO-LIFE CITIZENS SHOWED THEIR DISPLEASURE with the construction of a massive abortuary in Chicago-suburban Aurora, Illinois, on Saturday, Aug. 25, far exceeding organizers’ predictions of 500 protesters and completely dwarfing the handful – perhaps as many as a dozen – of counter-protesters fielded by the Illinois branch of the National Organization for [sic] Women (NOW).

The outpouring at the new megabortuary, slated to open Sept. 18, came in the form of picketers prayer warriors, sign carriers, and teams who leafleted the neighborhood.

Enjoying sunshine after a week of heavy rainstorms, demonstrators carried signs like “Keep Abortion Out of Aurora,” “Dads for Life,” and “Adoption, the Loving Option.” Demonstrators chanted, “Life Yes, Abortion No.”

The size of the Saturday protest startled the city officials, who claim not to have known Planned Parenthood was behind the building project until the true identity of the developer became known in July. The mayor on Monday ordered an investigation of the procedures by which Planned Parenthood – apparently under another name – gained city permission to erect its 22,000-square-foot killing center. The city could delay issuance of the expected occupancy permit, pending the outcome of the probe.

Officials appeared shocked, too, at the number of people who filled the city council chamber and the adjoining hallway for the council’s regular Tuesday night meeting. Some 400 citizens came to the meeting, with 124 – including several clergymen – signed up to speak for three minutes each. Though one alderman attempted to limit the number who could address the council, the presentations went on late into the night, and the speakers impressed observers with their articulate, well-framed arguments and appeals. Just two women, both from the same address, spoke in favor of the abortuary.

The most dramatic moment of the eveningcame when a resident of a nearby town requested everyone to get on their knees and pray; most, reports Amy Boerema of the Daily Herald, did. The Naperville man, she reports, “prayed for God to ‘soften the hearts’ of city leaders and to ‘give them Your Spirit.’” Even members of the city council bowed their heads along with the crowd.

Coverage of the protests, the council meeting and on-going developments can be viewed on the Internet at www.illinoisreview.org.

Cozy Relationship

CONTROVERSY IS STIRRING AROUND A PLANNED PARENTHOOD OUTPOST in Bellmawr, New Jersey, which “operates,” writes Courier-Post reporter Jim Walsh, “from a Camden County regional health center in the municipal complex.”

Citizens are “collecting signatures,” reports Mr. Walsh, “sending letters and expressing their displeasure to elected officials.”

The cooperative arrangement has existed for several years, according to the South Jersey Courier-Post report, but is now the focus of concern by area clergy, led by Pastor Vincent Kovlak Jr. of Bellmawr Baptist Church. “‘Planned Parenthood promotes abortion and promiscuity,’” said Pastor Kovlak, apparently in a letter to other area clergymen, quoted in the Courier-Post. “‘They are on the wrong side of God’s laws.’”

The deputy county administrator for human services, defending the arrangement, acknowledged to the Courier-Post, “the protest ‘has gained a little bit of momentum.’”

A parishioner at Bellmawr’s Mary Mother of the Church Roman Catholic Church brought it to the attention of the newspaper after parishioners, he said, “‘were all instructed to send letters.’”

No Politics Here!

THOUGH A MAJOR RECIPIENT OF TAX FUNDS based on its supposed delivery of health care services to women, Planned Parenthood of Rhode Island staged a voter registration drive last week in the vicinity of the Rhode Island state capitol in Providence.

“‘Because [next year] is an election year,’” said PP board member Jennifer Lawless, quoted in the Providence Journal by staff writer Philip Marcelo, “‘it is a good time to get involved. You have the entire year to get acquainted with the issues,’” she said. And no doubt also an entire year to be bombarded by propaganda from Planned Parenthood sent directly to those whose names and addresses they collect in their registration drive.  Ms. Lawless, notes Mr. Marcelo, “ran unsuccessfully for the 2nd District US Congress seat last year,” a seat held by Rep. James Langevin (D).

The 20 PP “volunteers” apparently had a tough time getting takers for their service. “It was nearly an hour,” writes Mr. Marcelo, “before they registered their first voter.” The Journal writer quotes a 22-year-old who did register, “‘I just never got around to [registering]. And, honestly,’” she told the reporter, “‘I’m not even going to vote.’” Oh, well.

House Voting Record

Motion to recommit S-5 to committee, attempting to block passage of the “Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act” to tax Americans for experimentation necessitating the killing of certain embryonic human babies – June 7, 2007 – Rejected 180 to 242 (Democrats in italics)

Voting “yes” / pro-Life: Aderholt, Akin, Alexander, Bachmann, Bachus, Baker, Barrett (SC), Bartlett (MD), Bilirakis, Bishop (UT), Blackburn, Blunt, Boehner, Bonner, Boozman, Boustany, Brady (TX), Brown (SC), Buchanan, Burgess, Burton (IN), Buyer, Calvert, Camp (MI), Campbell (CA), Cannon, Carter, Chabot, Cole (OK), Conaway, Costello, Crenshaw, Cubin, Culberson, Davis (KY), David Davis, Lincoln Davis, JoAnn Davis, Deal (GA), Lincoln Diaz-Balart, Mario Diaz-Balart, Donnelly, Doolittle, Drake, Dreier, Duncan, Ehlers, Ellsworth, English (PA), Everett, Fallin, Feeney, Ferguson, Forbes, Fortenberry, Foxx, Franks (AZ), Gallegly, Garrett (NJ), Gillmor, Gingrey, Gohmert, Goode, Goodlatte, Graves, Hall (TX), Hastert, Hastings (WA), Hayes, Hensarling, Herger, Hobson, Hoekstra, Hulshof, Hunter, Inglis (SC), Issa, Jindal, Johnson (IL), Sam Johnson, Jones (NC), Jordan, Keller, King (IA), King (NY), Kingston, Kline (MN), Knollenberg, Kuhl (NY), LaHood, Lamborn, Latham, Lewis (CA), Lewis (KY), Linder, Lipinski, LoBiondo, Lucas, Lungren, Manzullo, Marchant, Marshall, McCarthy (CA), McCaul (TX), McCotter, McCrery, McHenry, McHugh, McIntyre, McKeon, McMorris-Rodgers, Mica, Miller (FL), Miller (MI), Gary Miller, Mollohan, Moran (KS), Tim Murphy, Musgrave, Myrick, Neugebauer, Nunes, Oberstar, Paul, Pearce, Pence, Peterson (MN), Peterson (PA), Petri, Pitts, Poe, Price (GA), Putnam, Radanovich, Rahall, Rehberg, Renzi, Reynolds, Rogers (AL), Rogers (KY), Rogers (MI), Ros-Lehtinen, Roskam, Royce, Ryan (WI), Sali, Saxton, Schmidt, Sensenbrenner, Sessions, Shadegg, Shimkus, Shuler, Shuster, Simpson, Smith (NE), Smith (NJ), Smith (TX), Souder, Stearns, Stupak, Sullivan, Taylor, Terry, Thornberry, Tiarht, Tiberi, Turner, Walberg, Walsh (NY), Wamp, Weldon (FL), Weller, Westmoreland, Whitfield, Wicker, Wilson (SC), Wolf, Young (AK), Young (FL)

Voting “no” / anti-Life: Abercrombie, Ackerman, Allen, Altmire, Andrews, Arcuri, Baca, Baird, Baldwin, Barrow, Barton, Bean, Becerra, Berkley, Berman, Berry, Biggert, Bilbray, Bishop (GA), Bishop (NY), Blumenauer, Bono, Boren, Boswell, Boucher, Boyd (FL), Boyda (KS), Brady (PA), Braley (IA), Corrine Brown, Ginny Brown-Waite, Butterfield, Capito, Capps, Capuano, Cardoza, Carnahan, Carney, Carson, Castle, Castor, Chandler, Clarke, Clay, Cleaver, Clyburn, Coble, Cohen, Conyers, Cooper, Costa, Courtney, Cramer, Crowley, Cuellar, Cummings, Davis (AL), Davis (CA), Davis (IL), Tom Davis, DeFazio, DeGette, Delahunt, DeLauro, Dent, Dicks, Dingell, Doggett, Doyle, Edwards, Ellison, Emanuel, Emerson, Engel, Eshoo, Etheridge, Farr, Fattah, Filner, Flake, Fossella, Frank (MA), Frelinghuysen, Gerlach, Giffords, Gilchrest, Gillibrand, Gonzalez, Gordon, Granger, Al Green, Gene Green, Grijalva, Gutierrez, Hall (NY), Hare, Harman, Heller, Herseth-Sandlin, Higgins, Hill, Hinchey, Hinojosa, Hirono, Hodes, Holt, Honda, Hooley, Hoyer, Inslee, Israel, Jackson (IL), Jackson-Lee (TX), Johnson (GA), E.B. Johnson, Jones (OH), Kanjorski, Kaptur, Kennedy, Kildee, Kilpatrick, Kind, Kirk, Klein (FL), Kucinich, Lampson, Langevin, Lantos, Larsen (WA), Larson (CT), LaTourette, Lee, Levin, Lewis (GA), Loebsack, Lofgren, Lowey, Lynch, Mack, Mahoney (FL), Maloney (NY), Markey, Matheson, Matsui, McCarthy (NY), McCollum (MN), McDermott, McGovern, McNerney, McNulty, Meehan, Meek (FL), Meeks (NY), Melancon, Michaud, Miller (NC), George Miller, Mitchell, Moore (KS), Moore (WI), Moran (VA), Murphy (CT), Patrick Murphy, Murtha, Nadler, Napolitano, Neal (MA), Obey, Olver, Ortiz, Pallone, Pascrell, Pastor, Payne, Perlmutter, Platts, Price (NC), Pryce (OH), Ramstad, Rangel, Regula, Reichert, Reyes, Rodriguez, Rohrabacher, Ross, Rothman, Roybal-Allard, Ruppersberger, Rush, Salazar, Linda Sanchez, Loretta Sanchez, Sarbanes, Schakowsky, Schiff, Schwartz, Scott (GA), Scott (VA), Serrano, Sestak, Shays, Shea-Porter, Sherman, Sires, Skelton, Slaughter, Smith (WA), Snyder, Solis, Space, Spratt, Stark, Sutton, Tanner, Tauscher, Thompson (CA), Thompson (MS), Tierney, Towns, Udall (CO), Udall (NM), Upton, VanHollen, Velazquez, Visclosky, Walden (OR), Walz (MN), Wasserman-Schultz, Waters, Watson, Watt, Waxman, Weiner, Welch (VT), Wexler, Wilson (NM), Wilson (OH), Woolsey, Wu, Wynn, Yarmuth

Not voting: Cantor, Hastings (FL), Holden, Jefferson, Kagen, Pickering, Pomeroy, Porter, Ryan (OH), Tancredo