Obama Wrongly Says Senator Backs Pro-Euthanasia Provisions in Health Care
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- President Barack Obama mentioned the name of a Georgia senator during his defense of the health care bills in a New Hampshire town hall on Tuesday. But, Sen. Johnny Isakson doesn't appreciate Obama erroneously using him to justify problematic provisions in the House version of the bill. The House version of the government-run health care system, HR 3200, contains sections that are causing concern for pro-life advocates. The bill would financially reward physicians who have end-of-life discussions with patients, even if they encourage patients to consider assisted suicide or to revoking life saving medical treatment or food and water. In an attempt to diffuse the opposition, Obama said the House provision was endorsed by at least one Republican lawmaker and cited Isakson by name. There's just one thing wrong with Obama's characterization of Isakson's position -- it's wrong. "Isakson vehemently opposes the House and Senate health care bills, and he played no role in drafting language added to the House bill by House Democrats calling for the government to incentivize doctors by offering them money to conduct end-of-life counseling," Isakson's office said initially. Later, Isakson went further. “This is what happens when the President and members of Congress don't read the bills. The White House and others are merely attempting to deflect attention from the intense negativity caused by their unpopular policies. I never consulted with the White House in this process and had no role whatsoever in the House Democrats’ bill,” Isakson said. Full story at LifeNews.comObama Admin Used Pro-Abortion, Conspiracy Sites to Say Pro-Lifers Extremists
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The results of an organization's Freedom of Information Act request reveal the Obama administration relied on pro-abortion and conspiracy theory web sites to compile its report saying pro-life advocates may be "right-wing extremists." In April, the Department of Homeland Security warned law officials across the country about a supposed rise in "right-wing extremist activity," saying the poor economy and presence of a black president could spark problems. In response to the report, the conservative group Americans for Limited Government filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request demanding to know how DHS had arrived at that conclusion. The group calls the DHS response "stunning" because officials admit that they relied on a range of web sites, including mainstream media web pages, to compile the report. The web site listed the most on which the Obama administration compiled its report is whatdoesitmean.com -- a conspiracy theory web site that contends the government of the United States has been in direct contact with extra-terrestrial aliens through sophisticated radio waves. Full story at LifeNews.com
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The results of an organization's Freedom of Information Act request reveal the Obama administration relied on pro-abortion and conspiracy theory web sites to compile its report saying pro-life advocates may be "right-wing extremists." In April, the Department of Homeland Security warned law officials across the country about a supposed rise in "right-wing extremist activity," saying the poor economy and presence of a black president could spark problems. In response to the report, the conservative group Americans for Limited Government filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request demanding to know how DHS had arrived at that conclusion. The group calls the DHS response "stunning" because officials admit that they relied on a range of web sites, including mainstream media web pages, to compile the report. The web site listed the most on which the Obama administration compiled its report is whatdoesitmean.com -- a conspiracy theory web site that contends the government of the United States has been in direct contact with extra-terrestrial aliens through sophisticated radio waves. Full story at LifeNews.comAdvanced Care Planning Provisions in Health Care Bill Could Pressure Patients
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A leading pro-life group says there may not be "death panels" in the national health car restructuring bill that Congress is considering, but the language of the legislation is cause for concern. The National Right to Life Committee says the advanced care planning provisions are problematic enough to oppose them. The cause of the controversy is Section 1233 of HR 3200, the government-run health care plan that the House will consider when it returns from its August recess. The measure would pay physicians to give Medicare patients end-of-life counseling every five years or sooner if the patient has a terminal diagnosis. NRLC executive director David O'Steen says the section of the bill could unduly influence patients to make decisions that would result in revoking lifesaving medical treatment or something as basic as food and water. "I'm not aware of 'death panels' in the bill," O'Steen told the Associated Press. "I'm not aware of anything that says you will be hauled before a government bureaucrat." "But we are concerned ... it doesn't take a lot to push a vulnerable person — perhaps unwittingly — to give up their right to life-sustaining treatment," he explained.Full story at LifeNews.comMember of Congress Admits House Health Care Bill Includes Abortion Funding
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- While abortion advocacy groups like Planned Parenthood and NARAL, with help from their friends in the mainstream media, have attempted to explain away how the government-run health care plans would pay for abortions, one of their own finally admitted that to be the case. During a Monday town hall event, pro-abortion Rep. Zoe Lofgren, a California Democrat, acknowledged that the Congressional bills include abortion funding. "Abortion will be covered as a benefit by one or more of the healthcare plans available to Americans, and I think it should be," she said. In a video provided to LifeNews.com by pro-life advocate David Schmidt, local pro-life advocate Ignacio Reyes asks Lofgren about the health care plan. He says he wants to know if the plan would be "covering abortion, which we know that 90 percent of abortions are purely elective, not medically necessary. Why is this being covered when abortion is clearly not health care." Full story at LifeNews.comCongressman: Pro-Life Advocates Who Oppose Health Care Bill are "Political Terrorists"
Indianapolis, IN (LifeNews.com) -- An Indiana congressman has called pro-life advocates who oppose the pro-abortion health care bills pending in Congress, "political terrorists." Indiana Right to Life is calling on Democratic Rep. Baron Hill to apologize for his insensitive remarks. A Washington Post report on Monday indicates Hill made his comments when defending his decision not to hold any town hall meetings open to his constituents to discuss the pending government-run health care bills. "What I don't want to do is create an opportunity for the people who are political terrorists to blow up the meeting and not try to answer thoughtful questions," Hill said. Indiana Right to Life President Mike Fichter told LifeNews.com on Wednesday that it wants the ninth district congressman to apologize for referring to persons who oppose the controversial health care reform proposals as "political terrorists." "Congressman Hill's inflammatory rhetoric is an elitist insult to all of his constituents who thoughtfully and respectfully disagree with him and his party's leadership on issues such as mandated abortion coverage in Democratic health care reform proposals," he said. Full story at LifeNews.comACTION: Contact Rep. Baron Hillby going to https://forms.house.gov/
Catholic Bishops Tell Congress: Fix House Health Care Bill, it Funds Abortions
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Saying that the current version of the health care bill pending in the House would undermine historic laws preventing taxpayer funding of abortion, the nation's Catholic bishops sent members of Congress their third letter on Tuesday asking that abortion funding be excluded. Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia urged preservation of “longstanding federal policies that prevent government promotion of abortion and respect conscience rights," in the new missive. He called current House health care legislation “seriously deficient” on the issue of mandated coverage and funding of abortion. Rigali is the chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Committee on Pro-Life Activities and he reaffirmed the bishops’ position that genuine health care reform that respects life and dignity is urgently needed. He criticized the America’s Affordable Health Choices Act (H.R. 3200) for delegating to the Secretary of Health and Human Services “the power to make unlimited abortion a mandated benefit in the ‘public health insurance plan’ the government will manage nationwide.” Full story at LifeNews.comStats Show U.S. Experienced Birth Decline in 2008 as Abortions Likely Rose
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- New statistics show the number of births declined in 2008 as the economic downturn began to take hold. The figures lead to a grim prediction, supported by significant circumstantial evidence surfacing in the last 12-18 months, showing abortions are likely on the rise. The National Center for Health Statistics indicates the nation saw 4,247,000 births last year, which is a 68,000 drop from the 2007 figures. Although they both added more people during that time, California and Florida saw the largest drop in the birth rates. Carol Hogue, an Emory University professor of maternal and child health and epidemiology, says the nation's economic issues are likely the cause of the lower birth numbers. "I wasn't surprised," Hogue told AP of the preliminary numbers. The figures could be higher by the time they are finalized because the major portion of the drop in births occurred in the latter part of 2008. Still, the drop broke a trend that saw births increase throughout the Bush administration from 2002 until 2007, when they set a record. Full story at LifeNews.com
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A new report indicates the disabled are left behind when it comes to national emergency and disaster plans, even though President George W. Bush called for better planning in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The Wednesday report from the National Council on Disability is sparking national outrage. Four patients were alleged to have been killed via euthanasia in the wake of the storm, but two nurses both saw their charges dismissed when they agreed to testify before a grand jury against a physician. Ultimately, the office of former Attorney General Charles Foti confirmed no charges would be filed against Dr. Anna Pou either when a grand jury refused to return any indictments against her. The cases prompted more attention to the plight of the disabled in national disasters and emergencies. It resulted in President Bush issuing an executive order urging federal and local governments, as well as private organizations, to do more to consider the disabled when making such preparations and plans. But the new report, according to the Washington Times, finds most plans have no provisions for the disabled. Full story at LifeNews.comMissouri Sen. McCaskill Won't Back Abortion in Health Care, Record Contradicts
Hillsboro, MO (LifeNews.com) -- Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill participated in a health care forum on Tuesday during which she denied that any abortion funding exists in the Senate version of the government-run health care plan. She pledged to oppose the abortion funding but her record suggests otherwise. During the event, which saw McCaskill booed repeatedly for supporting the pro-abortion health care plan, the Missouri Democrat denied abortion funding appears in the Senate bill. A St. Louis Beacon report indicated the "crowd rejected her repeated denials" and, not getting far with the coverup, McCaskill took another approach. She said that if abortion funding provisions wound up in the final bill the Senate votes on, which it already does, she would vote against the health care plan. McCaskill's pledge to vote against the bill if it funds abortions caught the eye of Sam Lee, the director of Campaign Life Missouri. "If this is correct – that Sen. McCaskill said she would never vote for a bill that forces Americans to pay for abortions – it would represent a complete reversal of her life-long political position in support of tax-funded abortion," he told LifeNews.com. Full story at LifeNews.comVirginia Pro-Life Candidate McDonnell Still Leads After Deeds Attacks on Abortion
Richmond, VA (LifeNews.com) -- After attacking pro-life Virginia gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell on abortion, a new poll shows pro-abortion candidate Creigh Deeds hasn't made any headway. A Rasmussen survey released today shows McDonnell with roughly the same lead as he had before Deeds went on the offensive Monday. McDonnell has opened a nine-point lead over his Democratic opponent in the race for governor, which is one of the few marquee matchups in the 2009 election cycle. The poll shows McDonnell leading Deeds 47% to 38% with three percent of voters preferring some other candidate and 12 percent undecided. These figures reflect an improvement for McDonnell as Rasmussen had McDonnell's lead at just three percent one month ago. Since then, he has gained three percentage points of support while Deeds has lost three percentage points. When “leaners” are included, those who initially indicate no preference for either of the candidates but answer a follow-up question and say they are leaning towards a particular candidate, McDonnell leads 49% to 41%. Full story at LifeNews.comSouth Dakota Planned Parenthood May Lose License, Fails to Follow Abortion Law
Sioux Falls, SD (LifeNews.com) -- Planned Parenthood operates the only abortion business in the state of South Dakota, but it is in danger of losing its medical license. That's because state officials say the abortion center is not following a new law that requires it to inform women that the abortion will destroy the life of their unborn child. Specifically, Planned Parenthood is required to tell women, which it would not otherwise, that "the abortion will terminate the life of a whole, separate, unique, living human being." The state health department drafted a letter to the abortion business on August 7 saying that, during an inspection in May, it failed to properly inform women of the effects of an abortion. The letter, according to an Argus Leader newspaper report, gives Planned Parenthood until August 22 to submit a plan to correct its failure to follow state law. The abortion business says it doesn't have to follow the law because it has filed a lawsuit asking a judge for an injunction to be able to leave women in the dark about what an abortion does. Full story at LifeNews.com
Sioux Falls, SD (LifeNews.com) -- Planned Parenthood operates the only abortion business in the state of South Dakota, but it is in danger of losing its medical license. That's because state officials say the abortion center is not following a new law that requires it to inform women that the abortion will destroy the life of their unborn child. Specifically, Planned Parenthood is required to tell women, which it would not otherwise, that "the abortion will terminate the life of a whole, separate, unique, living human being." The state health department drafted a letter to the abortion business on August 7 saying that, during an inspection in May, it failed to properly inform women of the effects of an abortion. The letter, according to an Argus Leader newspaper report, gives Planned Parenthood until August 22 to submit a plan to correct its failure to follow state law. The abortion business says it doesn't have to follow the law because it has filed a lawsuit asking a judge for an injunction to be able to leave women in the dark about what an abortion does. Full story at LifeNews.comNorth Dakota Judge Refuses to Overturn Abortion-Ultrasound Law, Clarifies Section
Fargo, ND (LifeNews.com) -- A judge in North Dakota has refused to grant a request to the state's only abortion business and overturn a law that allows women to see an ultrasound before an abortion. Because he said it was awkwardly worded, Judge Douglas Herman clarified the section pertaining to hearing the baby's heartbeat. Gov. John Hoeven signed the measure into law in May after the state legislature approved it on a lopsided vote. The law requires that a woman seeking an abortion be offered the opportunity to see an ultrasound of her unborn child and hear the fetal heartbeat, which can begin as early as eighteen days after fertilization. The Red River Women's Clinic, the only abortion business in the state, filed a lawsuit to stop the law from taking effect on August 1. While most abortion businesses do an ultrasound before an abortion is done on a woman and her unborn child, that doesn't mean the mother will have a chance to see it. Full story at LifeNews.com
Fargo, ND (LifeNews.com) -- A judge in North Dakota has refused to grant a request to the state's only abortion business and overturn a law that allows women to see an ultrasound before an abortion. Because he said it was awkwardly worded, Judge Douglas Herman clarified the section pertaining to hearing the baby's heartbeat. Gov. John Hoeven signed the measure into law in May after the state legislature approved it on a lopsided vote. The law requires that a woman seeking an abortion be offered the opportunity to see an ultrasound of her unborn child and hear the fetal heartbeat, which can begin as early as eighteen days after fertilization. The Red River Women's Clinic, the only abortion business in the state, filed a lawsuit to stop the law from taking effect on August 1. While most abortion businesses do an ultrasound before an abortion is done on a woman and her unborn child, that doesn't mean the mother will have a chance to see it. Full story at LifeNews.comEncourage Friends to Sign Up for Free Pro-Life News From LifeNews.com
