LifeNews.com Pro-Life News Report
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
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Current Headlines
• Surgeon General Koop Urges No Vote on Kagan Based on Abortion Manipulation
• Report: Obama Has Spent $23 Million Backing Pro-Abortion Kenya Constitution
• Kagan Approval Lowest of Any Recent Supreme Court Pick Before Cmte Vote
• Review: Obama Admin Would Have Funded Abortions in HCR Without Expose'
• Petition Opposing Pro-Abortion Elena Kagan Gets 8K Signatures, Sent to Senate
• Adoption Figures in U.S. Increase Thanks to Adoptions After Haiti Earthquake
• Michigan Abortions Drop 14% in 2009 to Record Low Despite Poor Economy
• Pennsylvania Poll: Pro-Life Pat Toomey Still Leads Pro-Abortion Joe Sestak
• Ohio Republicans Ask Gov. Strickland to Stop Abortion Funding in Health Care
• Iowa Planned Parenthood Should be Subject to State Audit, Pro-Life Group Says
• Washington Voters Could Replace Pro-Abortion Senator Patty Murray, Poll Shows
• Pro-Life News: University, Victoria, Oklahoma, Alaska, Abortion, Austin, Texas
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Surgeon General Koop Urges No Vote on Kagan Based on Abortion Manipulation
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop has written an extensive letter to members of the Senate calling for a no vote on the Supreme Court nomination of Elena Kagan. The letter focuses attention on the Clinton administration memos Kagan authored showing her attempting to manipulate abortion opinion.
Specifically, Koop refers to the ways in which Kagan influenced the language of a 1997 statement by American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists on partial-birth abortions.
Whereas ACOG found no occasion in which the three-day-long abortion procedure is medically necessary for women, Kagan pressured ACOG to include language saying there may be instances where it is and the Supreme Court eventually relied on that language to overturn state bans on the abortion procedure.
That eventually kept partial-birth abortions legal for several years longer until the Supreme Court reversed itself when considering a national ban Congress approved with medical findings that partial-birth abortions are medically unnecessary.
In his letter, Koop calls "unethical" and "disgraceful" Kagan's effort to persuade the medical group to change its expert opinion to conform to her political demands.
"She was willing to replace a medical statement with a political statement that was not supported by any existing medical data," writes Koop.
"Kagan's political language, a direct result of the amendment she made to ACOG's Policy Statement, made its way into American jurisprudence and misled federal courts for the next decade," he said. Full story at LifeNews.com
Report: Obama Has Spent $23 Million Backing Pro-Abortion Kenya Constitution
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A new report issued by the Inspector General (IG) for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) reveals the Obama administration has spent over $23 million for activities in Kenya to influence voters there to support a new constitution that would allow virtually unlimited abortions.
The nation currently protects women and unborn children from abortions, but a constitution voters will consider on August 4 would change the historic pro-life laws of the African nation.
Rep. Chris Smith, a key pro-life congressman who is the Ranking Member of the Africa and Global Health Subcommittee, has been working with other lawmakers and the IG s office to investigate grants the Obama administration has provided to Kenyan groups promoting the Yes vote campaign for the new constitution.
In a new report Smith released to LifeNews.com on Friday, he says U.S. taxpayers are now footing the bill for those pro-abortion efforts to the tune of $23 million, far above previous estimates.
Previous estimates had indicated that $2 million was being spent, then that was updated to $11 million and now the figure identified by the IG s office exceeds $23 million, he said.
The Obama Administration should not be spending $23 million in American tax dollars on the specific Yes campaign, pushing a determined outcome on the proposed constitution in Kenya, Smith said.
The U.S. government can be supportive of the process, helping to secure a free and fair referendum. But we must respect the Kenyan people and let them decide for themselves. U.S. dollars should not be used to tell the Kenyan people how to vote," he added. Full story at LifeNews.com
Kagan Approval Lowest of Any Recent Supreme Court Pick Before Cmte Vote
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A new Gallup poll shows just a plurality of Americans support Elena Kagan's nomination to the Supreme Court. The new survey also finds support for the pro-abortion Solicitor General is lower than the support for any recent previous Supreme Court nominee days before their committee vote.
Kagan will receive a vote from the Senate Judiciary Committee this week and Gallup shows just 44 percent of Americans support her nomination compared with 34 percent who opposed her.
That 10 percent net approval is lower than the 46-32 percent split and 14 percent net approval Gallup found in May.
Among the general public, a majority of self-identified Democrats, 68%, favor Kagan's confirmation, compared with 43% of independents and 21% of Republicans. A majority of Republicans, 60%, are opposed.
But Gallup also found Kagan is not striking a chord with the public compared with prior nominees.
"If confirmed, Kagan would be the first successful nominee in recent years whose nomination was backed by less than a majority of Americans in the final poll before the Senate confirmation vote," the polling firm noted.
A higher percentage of Americans backed pro-abortion Sonia Sotomayor, 55 percent, Samuel Alito, 54 percent, John Roberts, 60 percent, pro-abortion Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 50 percent, and Clarence Thomas, 58 percent. Full story at LifeNews.com
Review: Obama Admin Would Have Funded Abortions in HCR Without Expose'
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Last week, the Obama administration came under heavy fire from a pro-life group that discovered, in three states, officials had approved paying for abortions under new high risk insurance programs created under the national health care law President Barack Obama signed.
The National Right to Life Committee exposed the abortion funding and the Obama administration responded at first by claiming the executive order Obama signed prohibits the funding NRLC uncovered.
Then, Obama officials revised the statement to say they promised the high risk insurance programs would not fund abortions in Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Maryland or any other states.
Douglas Johnson, the legislative director for the National Right to Life Committee who uncovered the abortion funding, reviewed last week's back and forth with LifeNews.com today.
He said the dustup proves the point his organization and other pro-life groups made that the health care bill funded abortions, the executive order was insufficient to prevent that, abortion funding would have happened without NRLC exposing it, and the public will have to take the Obama administration at its word that abortion funding will not occur in the future.
"First, the assurances that were offered in March by certain congressional Democrats, and by their guardians among the interest groups, that the final health care bill contained adequate pro-life safeguards, were patently false. All the major pro-abortion groups are now openly proclaiming what National Right to Life said all along -- neither the law Obama signed, nor his executive order on abortion, prohibit federal funding of abortion in the high-risk program," Johnson explained. Full story at LifeNews.com
Petition Opposing Pro-Abortion Elena Kagan Gets 8K Signatures, Sent to Senate
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A petition co-sponsored by Students for Life of America and LifeNews.com opposing the nomination of Elena Kagan for the Supreme Court, ultimately received almost 8,000 signatures. SFLA officials took copies of the signatures today to members of the Senate for whom they were intended.
This afternoon, pro-life students are hand-delivering the 7,800 petitions a day before the Senate Judiciary Committee is slated to vote on her confirmation.
America does not need another activist justice on the Supreme Court, but rather one who respects the Constitution and individual rights, including those of the pre-born," SFLA director Kristan Hawkins remarked. "Confirming Kagan could mean 30 more years of legalized abortion in the United States even though a majority of Americans are now pro-life.
Hawkins complained that, while working for the Clinton Administration, Kagan was a strong advocate for partial birth abortion and cloning -- going so far as to change scientific data to influence President Clinton to veto the partial-birth abortion ban.
People signing the petition told their senators: "I urge you to oppose President Obama s nomination of Elena Kagan for U.S. Supreme Court Justice. As a pro-life citizen, I believe that the pro-choice Ms. Kagan is the wrong choice for a U.S. Supreme Court Justice." Full story at LifeNews.com
Adoption Figures in U.S. Increase Thanks to Adoptions After Haiti Earthquake
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Due to the increased attention about adoptions resulting from January's earthquake crisis in Haiti and other external factors, Bethany Christian Services says it is seeing significant growth and interest in the U.S. adoption market.
The large adoption agency says overall international and domestic adoption placements are up 26 percent over the same time period in 2009.
The pro-life movement has promoted adoption for decades along with parenting as one of the positive alternatives for women considering abortion.
The organization is reporting intercountry adoption placements are up 66 percent and similar adoption inquiries are ahead by more than 5,000 requests during the same six month time period of 2009. That totals an unprecedented 10,567 inquiries during that time period.
Bethany ascribes these increases in part to the Haiti crisis and the need to find safe homes for children who lost one or both parents during the earthquake.
"The figures Bethany released show strong improvement as we confront the global orphan crisis, but the need still remains as there are still an incredible number of orphaned children who wait for their 'forever family'," said Bill Blacquiere, president of Bethany Christian Services. Full story at LifeNews.com
Michigan Abortions Drop 14% in 2009 to Record Low Despite Poor Economy
Lansing, MI (LifeNews.com) -- The poor economic conditions in Michigan were supposed to elevate the number of abortions, but recently-released statistics from the Michigan Department of Community Health reveal otherwise. The number of abortions performed in Michigan decreased in 2009.
The report shows 22,357 abortions done in Michigan during 2009 compared to 25,970 Michigan abortions reported in 2008, a drop of 13.9 percent or 3,613 abortions.
Since 1987, there has been a 54.4 percent decrease in the number of abortions done in Michigan annually and they have decreased in four of the last six years.
The number of abortions performed in 2009 represents the lowest annual total of reported abortions in Michigan since abortion businesses were required to start reporting information in 1979.
Right to Life of Michigan president Barbara Listing told LifeNews.com she is ecstatic about the news.
"We are extremely grateful for the continuing decrease in Michigan abortions despite the hard economic times we've faced in Michigan," she said. "The fact that fewer mothers are having abortions in Michigan shows more and more women are coming to the realization that abortion is not the answer for an unplanned pregnancy." Full story at LifeNews.com
Pennsylvania Poll: Pro-Life Pat Toomey Still Leads Pro-Abortion Joe Sestak
Harrisburg, PA (LifeNews.com) -- The new numbers in the high-profile Pennsylvania Senate race remain relatively unchanged from last month -- which means pro-life candidate Pat Toomey continues to lead pro-abortion candidate Joe Sestak. This is one of several Senate races that provide pro-life advocates with a potential pickup.
The winner will replace pro-abortion. Sen Arlen Specter, whom Sesak defeated in the Democratic primary earlier this year.
The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of likely voters shows Toomey with 45% support, while Sestak earns 38% of the vote. Six percent back another candidate and 12 percent are undecided.
Last month, Toomey held a near-identical 45% to 39% lead and that consistency in the results leads pollster Scott Rasmnussen to say the race is stabilizing in Toomey's favor.
"In fact, except for a brief surge after his mid-May victory over incumbent Arlen Specter in the state s Democratic Senate Primary, support for Sestak has remained in the 36% to 40% range in matchups with Toomey back to February. In those same surveys, Toomey has received 42% to 47% of the vote," he said. Full story at LifeNews.com
Ohio Republicans Ask Gov. Strickland to Stop Abortion Funding in Health Care
Columbus, OH (LifeNews.com) -- In the wake of a dustup last week that saw pro-life groups uncover how the Obama administration planned to fund abortions in new high risk health insurance programs created by the new federal health care program, Republicans in Ohio have asked Gov. Ted Strickland to make sure there is no funding.
Ohio s Republican congressional delegate today wrote a letter to Strickland asking him to ensure Ohio does not go down the same road as Pennsylvania, New Mexico and Maryland.
The National Right to Life Committee uncovered how those three states planned to use federal taxpayer dollars for abortions, and now the Obama administration has promised that will not happen.
The signers acknowledged the new promise to make sure the high risk pools cover only abortions allowed under the Hyde Amendment.
However, since the amendment does not apply to the new health care program Obama signed into law, they asked for Strickland to make sure Ohio doesn't fund abortions since their is no formal prohibition of it in place federally. Full story at LifeNews.com
Iowa Planned Parenthood Should be Subject to State Audit, Pro-Life Group Says
Des Moines, IA (LifeNews.com) -- Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, an abortion business that does abortions in Iowa using the controversial tele-medicine procedure, should be subject to a state audit. That's the formal request the pro-life group Operation Rescue made with Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller.
With the organization giving women the dangerous RU 486 (mifepristone) abortion drug via a telemed process with no physician present, OR has alleged for months that PPH is putting women's health at risk.
Now, on the heels of a May federal Governmental Accounting Office report showing $2.3 billion dollars in taxpayer money has been doled out to Planned Parenthood organizations nationwide from 2002-2008, Planned Parenthood's own financial reports show that only $657.1 million has been spent, leaving 1.8 billion dollars in tax funds not accounted for in its reports.
Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, based in Des Moines, has been the recipient of Title X funds as well as money from other federal programs. Thousands of tax dollars have been disbursed directly to PPH through the Iowa Attorney General's office, and OR president Troy Newman suggests some of the missing money could be headed to PPH. Full story at LifeNews.com
Washington Voters Could Replace Pro-Abortion Senator Patty Murray, Poll Shows
Olympia, WA (LifeNews.com) -- Voters in Washington state are apparently open to the idea of replacing longtime pro-abortion Sen. Patty Murrary. The results of a Rasmussen Reports poll released Friday shows Washington clearly belongs in the list of 10-12 states that have the potential to put pro-life advocates in charge of the Senate.
"Washington's Senate race looks increasingly like a referendum on incumbent Democrat Patty Murray," pollster Scott Rasmussen says.
That's because the poll found both Republican hopefuls Dino Rossi and Clint Didier earn the support of 48 percent of voters compared with 45 percent for Murray. Less than 10% of voters in both cases prefer some other candidate in the race or are undecided.
In June, Murray and Rossi, who is pro-life, were tied as they have been in virtually every survey this year. Since the beginning of the year, Murray has earned 46% to 48% of the vote, while Rossi's support has ranged from 46% to 49%.
Rasmussen says those numbers showing Murray falling short of 50 percent should present her campaign significant concerns. Full story at LifeNews.com
Pro-Life News: University, Victoria, Oklahoma, Alaska, Abortion, Austin, Texas
University of Victoria Pro-Life Student group Gets Concession From Student Union
Victoria, British Columbia (LifeNews.com) -- The University of Victoria Students Society has resolved a dispute with Youth Protecting Youth, a campus pro-life group. in May, YPY filed a lawsuit in the British Columbia, Canada Supreme Court against the student union saying its members faced discrimination and censorship.
Oklahoma Judge Extends Order Prohibiting Enforcement of New Ultrasound Law
Oklahoma City, OK (LifeNews.com) -- A judge has extended an order that prohibits the enforcement of the new Oklahoma law that would allow women a chance to see an ultrasound of their unborn child before an abortion.
Alaska Governor: Pro-Life Sean Parnell Leads Democrat Ethan Berkowitz
Juneau, AK (LifeNews.com) -- The Republicans have it for now, with the three leading GOP candidates remaining well ahead of both Democratic hopefuls in the Alaska governor race.
Austin, Texas Bus Driver Lost Job After Refusing to Take Woman for Abortion
Austin, TX (LifeNews.com) -- A former bus driver has sued the Capital Area Rural Transportation System, charging that the nine-county transit service discriminated against him based on his religion when he was fired for refusing to drive women to a Planned Parenthood clinic in January for an abortion.
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