LifeNews.com Pro-Life News Report
Friday, September 18, 2009
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Current Headlines
• Pro-Life Groups Say Baucus Health Care Bill Contains Abortion Funding
• Plurality of Americans Want Abortion Funding Banned in Health Care Bills
• White House Mtg Doesn't Alleviate Concerns Over Abortion Funding
• Notre Dame President to Join March for Life, Form Pro-Life Task Force
• Pro-Lifers Who Exposed Planned Parenthood Made ACORN Videos
• Study Showing Abortion-Premature Birth Risk Points to Cerebral Palsy
• Latest 40 Days for Life Campaign Against Abortion Begins Next Week
• Abortion Advocates Claim Baucus Health Care Bill a Compromise
• UN General Assembly OKs Super-Agency for Women for Abortion
• European Parliament OKs Review of Lithuania Law, Could Affect Abortion
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More Pro-Life Groups Say Baucus Health Care Bill Contains Abortion Funding
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Senator Max Baucus has introduced a government-run health care plan that he hopes will become a compromise bill that can move forward. However, the initial analysis is that the bill contains both abortion funding and mandates and now more pro-life organizations are saying that is the case. National Right to Life noted yesterday that the Baucus bill -- known as the America's Healthy Future Act -- "contains an array of pro-abortion mandates and federal subsidies for elective abortion." Americans United for Life has also released an analysis saying the bill "deals with the issue of abortion by incorporating similar language to the Capps amendment to H.R. 3200, which does not explicitly exclude abortion coverage and funding; in fact, the Capps Amendment mandates abortion funding." "This bill provides $6 billion for the establishment of health insurance cooperatives which would be permitted to cover abortion," AUL president Charmaine Yoest told LifeNews.com late Wednesday. "Under the Baucus bill, abortions permitted under the Hyde amendment (currently in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother) can be mandated in the minimum benefits package," she explained. "If the Hyde Amendment is ever eliminated, the Baucus bill would mandate coverage for all abortions." Like NRLC, her group promised to oppose the Baucus bill unless it is amended to specifically exclude abortion funding and alleviate other pro-life concerns. "Real health care respects life and the pro-life community will never support any bill that does not explicitly say that abortion funding and coverage is not allowed," she said. Full story at LifeNews.com
ACTION: Contact members of the Senate Finance Committee and urge them to support amendments to make sure abortion funding and coverage are specifically excluded from the Baucus bill. You can find members of the panel here. http://finance.senate.gov/sitepages/committee.htm
Poll: Plurality of Americans Want Abortion Funding Banned in Health Care Bills
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A new poll shows a plurality of Americans want abortion funding banned in any health care "reform" legislation that becomes law. The Rasmussen survey also shows that just 13 percent want the health care bills to make it a requirement that abortions are funded. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds 48% believe any government-subsidized health care plan should be prohibited from covering abortions. Another 13 percent of Americans support abortion funding while 32% favor a more neutral approach with no requirements in either direction. The rest of those poll did not answer the question or didn't know where they stood. The Rasmussen survey found no consensus for abortion funding even from Americans who favor the government-run health care plans pending in Congress while those who oppose the plans strongly oppose abortion funding. Among those who currently support passage of the legislation, 22% want a prohibition banning abortion coverage and 22% want a mandate requiring such coverage. Forty-seven percent of the plan's supporters prefer the neutral approach, and nine percent are unsure. Among those who oppose the plan, 72% favor a prohibition against coverage of abortions while five percent favor abortion funding. Full story at LifeNews.com
White House Mtg Doesn't Alleviate Concerns Over Abortion Funds in Health Care
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The head of one of the nation's most prominent pro-life groups met with White House officials on Thursday to discuss health care and abortion funding. Charmaine Yoest tells LifeNews.com that the meeting didn't alleviate any of the concerns her group has with the three main bills in Congress. Domestic Policy Council Director Melody Barnes and White House Director for Public Liaison Tina Tchen, both of whom are strong abortion advocates, met with Yoest and AUL Action staff counsel Mary Harned. "After the meeting, we remain deeply concerned about abortion funding and the abortion mandate in health care reform," Yoest said. "Barnes reiterated the president's statement from his address before Congress," that he doesn't want abortion funded under the bills, she added. "Unfortunately, the reality on the Hill right now is a health care package that does include abortion funding," the AUL leader continued. "Without a specific statutory amendment that includes an explicit ban on federal funding and coverage, we face health care reform that does include abortion. Full story at LifeNews.com
Notre Dame President to Join March for Life, Form Pro-Life Task Force on Abortion
South Bend, IN (LifeNews.com) -- In apparent attempt to regain favor with pro-life Catholics upset that Notre Dame invited pro-abortion President Barack Obama to give its commencement address and gave him an honorary degree, university president John Jenkins says he will attend the 2010 March for Life. Jenkins is also setting up a task force to promote the pro-life perspective on campus. "Coming out of the vigorous discussions surrounding President Obama's visit last spring, I said we would look for ways to engage the Notre Dame community with the issues raised in a prayerful and meaningful way," Jenkins writes in a note to Notre Dame staff and students. "As our nation continues to struggle with the morality and legality of abortion, embryonic stem cell research, and related issues, we must seek steps to witness to the sanctity of life. I write to you today about some initiatives that we are undertaking," he said. "Each year on January 22, the anniversary of the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision, the March for Life is held in Washington D.C. to call on the nation to defend the right to life. I plan to participate in that march. I invite other members of the Notre Dame Family to join me," Jenkins continues. Full story at LifeNews.com
Pro-Lifers Who Exposed Planned Parenthood on Abortion Made ACORN Videos
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The political activists who masterminded the ACORN videos that are drawing national attention to the problems in the liberal organization are the same pro-life advocates who were behind a series of videos that have exposed the Planned Parenthood abortion business. Graduate student James O'Keefe is a national phenomenon thanks to his ACORN videos, but he got his start with Live Action pro-life activist Lila Rose. With Rose, he headed a string of videos showing how staff at Planned Parenthood abortion centers would cover up potential cases of sexual abuse and statutory rape. In some instances, Planned Parenthood staff would advise Rose about how she could get around state parental involvement laws to get a secret abortion. In one video, O'Keefe posed as Rose's 23-year old "boyfriend" and a Los Angeles Planned Parenthood staffer offered them advice on how to arrange an abortion that could cover up the alleged statutory rape. O'Keefe is a 25 year-old Fordham university student who also took part in calls Live Action orchestrated asking Planned Parenthood local affiliates if it would accept donations form someone because they supported the abortions of black babies for racist purposes. In many cases, the staff at the centers gladly accepted the donations and appeared to agree with the motivation behind them. Full story at LifeNews.com
Toronto, Canada (LifeNews.com) -- A Canadian researcher says a new study showing confirmation of the link between abortion and premature birth is significantly important. Brent Rooney says the new study from Dr. Prakesh Shah, a professor at the Department of Pediatrics at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, is a meta-analysis. That means Shah didn't conduct just one individual study but took a look 37 published studies in medical journals conducted over the years to find out an overall conclusion. Shah's analysis found women who have just one abortion in either the first or second trimester of pregnancy have a 35 percent increased risk of having a low-birth-weight baby in the next pregnancy and a 36 percent increased risk of having a baby born prematurely. Rooney talked with LifeNews.com and noted the impact of the Shah report. The practical impact is also important as Rooney's own research with medical doctors from 2007 shows there were 1,096 newborn babies in the United States born at a low birth-weight, and who developed cerebral palsy, due to their mother's prior induced abortions. The cerebral palsy link is important because "babies under 32 weeks' gestation have 55 times the cerebral palsy risk as full-term (at least 37 weeks) newborns." As a result, if abortions increase the risk of a low birth-weight baby and low birth-weigh significantly contributes to an unborn child having cerebral palsy, then the performance of abortions clearly results in more children diagnosed with the condition. Full story at LifeNews.com| Shocking isn't it? But it's the truth and the truth can change minds. |
 Minds that think Choice is fair and good only to discover it's just an excuse to kill her baby. Connecting Choice to abortion will cause many to question its seeming fairness and open their minds to the truth that Choice kills. "Please visit Choicekills.com and consider sticking the truth on your bumper." |
Latest 40 Days for Life Campaign Against Abortion Begins Nationwide Next Week
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The latest 40 Days for Life campaign isn't just the next one on the calendar, but it will be the biggest campaign in the history of the grassroots pro-life efforts it has sparked. Next Wednesday, the pro-life prayer campaign launches in 212 cities across 45 states, five Canadian provinces and in Denmark. David Bereit, the director of the national campaign, tells LifeNews.com that "participation in 40 Days for Life is not always easy and can involve sacrifice." "For 40 intense days, tens of thousands of faithful volunteers will be praying, fasting, holding peaceful vigils outside abortion facilities, and spreading the pro-life message through community outreach," he says. Bereit says the success is seen in the direct way in which pro-life people present positive abortion alternatives to women who think abortion is their only solution for an unplanned pregnancy. "Last fall, on the third day of the 40 Days for Life prayer vigil in Sarasota, Florida, a nervous Hispanic woman went to the local Planned Parenthood abortion center with her mother and brother," he relates. "The 40 Days for Life prayer volunteers offered her literature, but she didn't understand their English." "When a bilingual counselor arrived, she learned that the woman was in her 14th week of pregnancy and she was seeking a second-trimester abortion," he said. "The counselor instead offered real help to get her to one of the local pregnancy resource centers. As a result, she chose life for her baby." Full story at LifeNews.com
Abortion Advocates Claim Baucus Health Care Bill a Compromise on Funding
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- To hear abortion advocates tell the story, the new Baucus health care bill in the Senate is a significant compromise on abortion funding. There is just one problem -- the truth and the public relations ploy Planned Parenthood is employing are at odds with one another. As National Right to Life and other pro-life groups have noted, the Baucus bill expands abortion funding and includes coverage mandates. Although the bill doesn't change existing law, which allows abortion funding in rare circumstances, Planned Parenthood is claiming it has given up something as a compromise in the Baucus bill. "After months of deliberations and delays, the Senate Finance Committee has released its framework for a health care reform bill," PPFA president Cecile Richards told her troops in an email this afternoon. "Here is the bottom line ... we can't make any more concessions." "The compromise in place assures that women would not lose health care benefits that they have had for decades while also addressing concerns that no federal funds would be used for abortion. This is the bare minimum that women can accept in health care reform — we simply can't afford to give up any more," Richards claims despite the abortion funding in the bill. Full story at LifeNews.com
UN General Assembly OKs Super-Agency for Women That Could Promote Abortion
New York, NY (LifeNews.com/CFAM) -- The United Nations (UN) General Assembly voted unanimously this week to create a new, more powerful agency for women after three years of negotiations. The resolution calls for the four existing UN offices that address women's issues to be merged into a new "super agency" headed by an under-secretary-general – the third highest ranking position in the UN system, after secretary-general and deputy secretary-general. While the resolution was approved by the 192 UN member states by consensus, it was not without drama. Four states – Egypt, Iran, Sudan and Cuba – led a last-minute campaign asking UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to elaborate on the new agency's structure and present a comprehensive proposal detailing the agency's mission statement, organizational arrangements, funding and executive board before giving the go-ahead. Four existing UN offices are dedicated to women – the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), the Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues, the UN Division for the Advancement of Women and the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women. Full story at LifeNews.com
European Parliament OKs Review of Lithuania's Law, Could Affect Abortion
Strasbourg, France (LifeNews.com) -- The European Parliament is coming under fire for demanding a review of a European Union member-state's legislation providing for parental rights. The vote could eventually have an effect on nations that pass pro-life laws on abortion. "The EU is not supposed to have the power to review the domestic law of member states and this represents a new departure," Pat Buckley, international spokesman for the UK's Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, said in a statement sent to LifeNews.com. "The European Parliament has today voted to instruct its Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) to review a new law recently passed in Lithuania," he explained. " The European Parliament has been spurred to this attempt to extend its sphere of influence by the Lithuanian Parliament's move, which has not yet come into force, but which seeks to stop minority sexual groups seeking to influence children." MEPs passed the review on a roll-call vote of 349 to 218 with 46 abstentions. The British pro-life advocate said this isn't the first time the EU has cracked down on nations that advance pro-life policies. Full story at LifeNews.com
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