LifeNews.com Pro-Life News Report
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
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Current Headlines
• Democrats Will Use Supreme Court Battle to Attack Justices Who Oppose Unlimited Abortion
• Kagan, Garland, Sears Seen by Pro-Lifer as Most Likely Pro-Abortion Supreme Court Picks
• House Republican Leader Boehner Says Repealing Pro-Abortion Health Care Top Priority
• New Abortion Law in Nebraska on Fetal Pain Could Weaken Roe v. Wade Further
• Officials Hiding Report Showing How Obama Administration Wrongly Tracked Abortion Groups
• Governor Tim Pawlenty Draws Cheers, Jeers for Declaring April Abortion Recovery Month
• Pro-Life Groups Applaud Passage, Signing of Nebraska Abortion Screening, Fetal Pain Bills
• Pro-Life Enthusiasm at High Levels Despite Barack Obama's Extensive Abortion Advocacy
• Tennessee House Passes Bill to Opt Out of Abortion Funding in Obama Health Care Law
• Kansas Pro-Life Group Urging Governor Parkinson to Sign Bill Limiting Late-Term Abortions
• Poland President Lech Kaczynski Mourned by Pro-Life Groups After Tragic Crash
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Democrats Will Use Supreme Court Battle to Attack Justices Who Oppose Unlimited Abortion
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A new report indicates Democrats in the Senate plan to use the upcoming battle over a Supreme Court nominee as a chance to attack the four conservative members of the high court who oppose abortion. Any nominee President Barack Obama puts forward will likely join the group of four abortion advocates for a 5-4 pro-abortion majority.
While another abortion battle is expected on the upcoming nomination -- with pro-life and pro-abortion groups dueling over the Roe v. Wade decision and the 52 million abortions it spawned -- another battle may take place.
Politico reports today that Senate Democrats want to use the nomination fight as a chance to air their grievances with the conservatives.
They will apparently bash Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Clarence Thomas, Antonin Scalia and Samuel Alito for moving the court to the right.
Together with Justice Anthony Kennedy, who supports Roe but has also gone along with modest limits and restrictions on abortion, the five judges overturned a 2000 decision on partial-birth abortions that saw Justice Sandra Day O'Connor write an opinion striking down a Nebraska ban on partial-birth abortions.
With Roberts and Alito on board, Kennedy wrote a new opinion in the Carhart case that reversed the earlier ruling and saw the court validate the ban on the gruesome abortion procedure.
Now, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy told Politico that the upcoming Supreme Court confirmation process gives abortion advocates a chance to attack those conservative justices. Full story at LifeNews.com
Kagan, Garland, Sears Seen by Pro-Lifer as Most Likely Pro-Abortion Supreme Court Picks
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- When President Barack Obama names a successor to retiring pro-abortion Justice John Paul Stevens, a respected pro-life leader says he thinks the nominee will be one of three pro-abortion judicial candidates. Tom McClusky of the Family Research Council predicts Elena Kagan, Merrick Garland or Lee Ward Sears will get the nod.
Stevens announced on Friday that he will retire from his seat this summer, opening one of the high court seats vacated by a member of the 5-4 pro-abortion majority.
Obama has said he will select a nominee within weeks to replace Stevens. While several names has surfaced, McClusky, he Senior Vice President of Family Research Council and FRC Action, has a set of predictions he released today.
First on the list, given the best odds for becoming the nominee, is Elena Kagan.
As LifeNews.com has profiled, the Solicitor General in the Obama administration has already sparked strong opposition from Senate Republicans.
Kagan was the dean of Harvard Law school and has spent most of her career in academia and government -- in part as a legal counsel in the administration of pro-abortion President Bill Clinton --and prior to becoming the attorney for the Obama administration before the Supreme Court.
"Kagan currently serves as Solicitor General of the United States and while her confirmation garnered very few Republican votes she does have some conservative supporters," McClucksy, who gives her 2-1 odds of becoming the nominee, says. Full story at LifeNews.com
House Republican Leader Boehner Says Repealing Pro-Abortion Health Care Top Priority
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The Republican leader in the House who could become Speaker if the GOP topples Democrats in November says the number one priority for his party is repealing the pro-abortion health care law. Rep. John Boehner said yesterday that such a move is the "No. 1 priority" for Republicans.
Boehner said on a local radio show in Ohio that repealing the pro-abortion health care law would be the first focus of a Republican-led Congress if voters put his party in power after November.
"They got everything else in the entire bureaucracy that they need to control our healthcare system ... with the signing of this bill," Boehner said during an interview on WFLA's "Bud Hedinger Show." "That s why repealing this bill has to be our No. 1 priority."
"I ve never seen a bill pass the House of Representatives that the American people knew about, that the American people had discussed, debated, and had decided no,'" Boehner said.
"This is why the anger that s out there, frustration that s out there, and frankly, I think, a lot of this is now turning to resolve resolving that the American people are going to do something about this," he added.
The majority of Americans remain strongly opposed to the pro-abortion health care bill, in large part because of the massive taxpayer funding of abortion it contains, and polls show they support the lawsuits filed against it and repealing the bill.
The strategy of "repeal and replace" has became a slogan of sorts for pro-life advocates and pro-life candidates looking to unseat the abortion backers who voted for the measure in the House and Senate. Full story at LifeNews.com
New Abortion Law in Nebraska on Fetal Pain Could Weaken Roe v. Wade Further
Lincoln, NE (LifeNews.com) -- The Nebraska legislature has signed off on a bill that Governor Dave Heineman will sign today that could head to the courts and ultimately weaken further the Roe v.Wade Supreme Court decision that has resulted in 52 million abortions. The bill bans abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy based on the well-established concept of fetal pain.
By a vote of 44-5, the Nebraska unicameral legislature this morning gave final passage to the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act introduced by Speaker Mike Flood.
The legislation has been hailed by pro-life advocates across the country for its innovative approach and focusing the public's attention on unborn babies who have been medically documented as pain capable at 20 weeks gestation.
National Right to Life attorney Mary Spaulding Balch told LifeNews.com that the bill could make its way to the Supreme Court to alter national abortion law further and set a wide-ranging precedent.
"Although it will be a case of first impression, there are strong grounds to believe that five members of the current U.S. Supreme Court would give serious consideration to Nebraska s assertion of a compelling state interest in preserving the life of an unborn child whom substantial medical evidence indicates is capable of feeling pain during an abortion," she said.
The ban on partial-birth abortions that made its way to the Supreme Court twice brought home the pro-life message that abortion kills an unborn child and was responsible for shifting public opinion on abortion squarely into the pro-life category. It also paved the way for states to, for the first time since Roe, ban at least some abortions.
The Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act could see the same group of five members of the Supreme Court uphold it as constitutional and allow more abortions to be prohibited. Full story at LifeNews.com
Officials Hiding Report Showing How Obama Administration Wrongly Tracked Abortion Groups
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The Wisconsin state Justice Department will not release a report revealing more details about how the Obama administration improperly conducted a threat assessment on pro-life and pro-abortion groups in Wisconsin. The assessment came before a rally last year in response to the University of Wisconsin Hospital board decided to allow abortions.
In February 2009, pro-life advocates planned to protest the hospital's decision to open up a new Madison Surgery Center doing abortions.
The Department of Homeland Security admitted in February that it conducted the assesment and an internal memo AP obtained said the Obama administration "destroyed all of the copies of the assessment after an internal review found it violated intelligence gathering guidelines about 'protest groups which posed no threat to homeland security.'"
The assessment was reportedly only shared with the director of Wisconsin's intelligence-sharing center and local police in Middleton, Wisconsin, the site of the rally.
Wisconsin officials say the report will stay under wraps.
Their decision to refuse to release the report comes after the Middleton police department refused a similar request from AP to release its copy.
AP says the police department would not release the report because it contains sensitive law enforcement information and Wisconsin officials are keeping its copy private saying that releasing it could jeopardize its relationship and sharing of information with other law enforcement agencies. Full story at LifeNews.com
Governor Tim Pawlenty Draws Cheers, Jeers for Declaring April Abortion Recovery Month
St. Paul, MN (LifeNews.com) -- Tim Pawlenty, the pro-life Minnesota governor and potential 2012 Republican presidential candidate, is drawing cheers and jeers from pro-life and pro-abortion groups for declaring April as a month to help women negatively affected by their abortions.
As LifeNews.com first reported two weeks ago, Pawlenty and Texas Gov. Rick Perry both declared April as Abortion Recovery/Awareness Month.
Lisa Dudley, Director of Operation Outcry, a group that helps women who regret their abortions speak out, told LifeNews.com at the time that Pawlenty's move showed he has an "understanding of the consequences of abortion" and a " willingness to protect women and the unborn."
Pawlenty's proclamation encourages and promotes healing opportunities and raises awareness of the aftermath of abortion experienced by individuals and families,
It also recognizes that many Minnesota organizations offer support and recovery services to those who have had abortions or who have been impacted by abortion and that many organizations in Minnesota promote policies that reinforce a culture of life and hope.
Abortion recovery programs help individuals heal by providing counseling, support groups, encouragement, the proclamation says.
Now, Pawlenty is coming under fire from abortion advocacy groups Planned Parenthood and NARAL, which claim Pawlenty is merely pandering to pro-life groups. Full story at LifeNews.com
Pro-Life Groups Applaud Passage, Signing of Nebraska Abortion Screening, Fetal Pain Bills
Lincoln, NE (LifeNews.com) -- Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman signed two pro-life bills into law today -- one measure that bans abortions after 20 weeks based on the notion of fetal pain and another that screens women to prevent them from becoming victims of forced or pressured abortions.
Saying the Nebraska legislature may have changed the course of the nation's abortion debate with its 44 to 5 passage today of LB 1103, the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, Julie Schmit-Albin, director of Nebraska Right to Life, hailed its passage.
"The Nebraska Legislature took a bold step today which should ratchet up the abortion debate across America." said Schmit-Albin. "LB 1103 bans abortion at 20 weeks gestation based on medical documentation that unborn babies are capable of feeling pain at that point and beyond."
"What we didn't know in 1973 when Roe v. Wade was foisted upon the nation; we know now through the technological advances of in-utero surgery and 4-D ultrasound. Nebraska has a compelling interest in protecting unborn babies who feel pain at this gestation because we have a late term abortionist, LeRoy Carhart, performing abortions through at least 24 weeks here," she said.
Meanwhile, a ground-breaking bill ensuring that women will receive specific information about the possible physical and psychological complications of abortion was passed yesterday by the Nebraska legislature on a 40-9 vote. Full story at LifeNews.com
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Pro-Life Enthusiasm at High Levels Despite Barack Obama's Extensive Abortion Advocacy
by Maria Vitale
Reports of the death of the pro-life movement have been greatly exaggerated. Following the election of President Barack Obama, some observers had openly questioned whether the pro-life movement was still viable. After all, Obama had the direst pro-abortion record of any candidate ever elected to the White House. He had stubbornly opposed such common sense measures as the Born Alive Infants Protection Act, which simply ensured that the life of a baby would be protected after birth, even if the child had been targeted for abortion.
And Obama has continued his support for legal abortion as President. He appointed a pro-Roe Supreme Court Justice, along with abortion advocates for a number of other high-level posts. His administration promoted an unlimited right to abortion at a United Nations meeting. He had the audacity to release a statement supporting Roe on the January 22nd anniversary of the decision which has resulted in the deaths of more than 50 million preborn children and the scarring and maiming of countless mothers. Full story at LifeNews.com
Tennessee House Passes Bill to Opt Out of Abortion Funding in Obama Health Care Law
Nashville, TN (LifeNews.com) -- The Tennessee state House has approved legislation to have the state opt out of using state tax money to pay for abortions in state health care exchanges. The bill responds to the federal legislation Congress approved and President Barack Obama signed into law that includes massive taxpayer funding of abortion.
In a dramatic show of opposition to taxpayer funding of abortion, a strong bi-partisan majority of pro-life Tennessee House members passed HB 2681, which strictly limits the use of public funds in health exchanges mandated by the new federal health plan.
Lawmakers approved the bill, which helps protect pro-life Tennessee residents from some abortion funding, on a 70-23 vote.
The language of the measure states: "No health care plan required to be established in this state through an exchange pursuant to federal health care reform legislation enacted by the 111th Congress shall offer coverage for abortion services."
Tennessee Right to Life worked feverishly for passage of the measure and told LifeNews.com it appreciates the victory.
"Tennessee is a strongly pro-life state," said Brian Harris, president of the pro-life group. "Following years of a pro-abortion minority squelching the voices of the majority, our legislators have boldly expressed our state's commitment to life," Harris said. "We thank each pro-life member for their leadership and their courage." Full story at LifeNews.com
Kansas Pro-Life Group Urging Governor Parkinson to Sign Bill Limiting Late-Term Abortions
Topeka, KS (LifeNews.com) -- The fate of a bill that would place strong limits on late-term abortions in Kansas is in the fate of Governor Mark Parkinson, who has just 48 hours left to sign or veto the legislation. Kansans for Life is urging him to sign HB 2115 or allow it to go into law without his signature.
"Our 1998 law was supposed to keep post-viable abortions banned (except for very dire circumstances, but it hasn't been enforced," Kansans for Life said in an email to LifeNews.com. "Instead, according to official Kansas abortion stats, there have been 3,000 since then."
H.B. 2115 requires that state agencies honor the original legislative intent and mandate that abortionists give real, medical reasons for doing a post-viable abortion. It also gives women and their families standing to sue if they believe the woman received an illegal abortion.
KFL says getting the governor to sign the law is especially important as Nebraska-based abortion practitioner LeRoy Carhart determines what to do with his late-term abortion business that is facing new limits from the Nebraska legislature.
"Carhart of Nebraska (who still retains a Kansas medical license) said recently that a new law passed in Nebraska may cause him to move his late-term abortion clinic to another state, and Kansas is one he is considering," KFL says. "He formerly worked for George Tiller and is responsible for many of those 3,000 post-viable abortions mentioned above." Full story at LifeNews.com
Poland President Lech Kaczynski Mourned by Pro-Life Groups After Tragic Crash
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- President Lech Kaczynski of Poland died when the airplane carrying him and other top Polish governmental, business and military leaders crashed as it attempted to land at a Russian airport for a World War II memorial event. Today, leaders of two pro-life groups mourned Kaczynski's death and noted his staunch opposition to abortion.
He died Saturday in a plane crash on route to a ceremony commemorating the victims of the 1940 massacre of Polish officers in the Katyn Forest.
World Congress of Families director Larry Jacobs expressed shock and sadness at the Polish leader's death.
"President Kaczynski was one of the strongest pro- family leaders in Europe," Jacobs told LifeNews.com. "Despite intense pressure from the European Union, he stood firm for the right to life."
Concerned Women for America also joined in expressing sadness at the loss of Kaczynski's life. Janice Shaw Crouse said, "President Kaczynski was an outstanding leader for pro-life, pro- marriage, and pro-family issues in Europe." Full story at LifeNews.com
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