LifeNews.com Pro-Life News Report
Friday, September 24, 2010
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Current Headlines
• Pro-Life Groups Applaud GOP Pledge Against Tax-Funded Abortions, ObamaCare
• Senate Defeats Motion to Allow Vote on Disclose Act Hurting Pro-Life Free Speech
• Senate Democrats Approve Pro-Abortion Obama Judges on Party-Line Votes
• Abortion Practitioner Brigham Accused of More Violations by New Jersey Officials
• Tea Party Activists Worried About Economy Should Consider the Cost of Abortion
• Abortion "Doctor" in Florida Arrested and Jailed for Avoiding Criminal Trial
• Sarah Palin Helps Pro-Life Group raise Funds for Television Ads Against Abortion
• New York Senate Polls Show Pro-Life DioGuardi Catching Pro-Abortion Gillibrand
• Missouri Poll Shows Pro-Life Roy Blunt Clearly Leading Carnahan for Senate
• Minnesota Pro-Life Group Endorses Tim Tinglestad for State Supreme Court
• Doctors to UN: Reduce Maternal Mortality by Helping Women, Not Backing Abortion
• U. California Wants to Stop Lawsuit Against Obama's Embryonic Research Funding
• UN Forced to Accept Lower Maternal Mortality Numbers Without More Abortions
• 40 Days for Life Prayer Campaign Motivating Pro-Life Advocates in Several States
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Pro-Life Groups Applaud GOP Pledge Against Tax-Funded Abortions, ObamaCare
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- House Republican leaders unveiled their new Pledge to America document today that contains a promise to push for a permanent ban on federal funding of abortions should voters replace the pro-abortion Democrats who currently control Congress with GOP lawmakers.
"We will permanently end taxpayer funding of abortion and codify the Hyde Amendment," the Pledge to America promises.
"We will establish a government-wide prohibition on taxpayer funding of abortion and subsidies for insurance coverage that includes abortion, this includes enacting into law what is known as the Hyde Amendment. We will also enact into law conscience protections for health care providers, including doctors, nurses, and hospitals," the draft document says.
The action plan includes a pledge to repeal and replace the recently enacted Obama health care law, which contains taxpayer funding of abortions that pro-life groups had to work overtime to stop in three states so far.
The National Right to Life Committee commended the Republican leadership for introducing a plan of action that contains the promotion of pro-life principles.
"We welcome the Republican leadership's commitment to repeal and replace the Obama health care law, which is a top priority for the pro-life movement because that law, when fully implemented, would result in the rationing of lifesaving medical treatments, and an array of federal subsidies for abortion as well," NRLC legislative director Douglas Johnson told LifeNews.com.
"In addition, a permanent government-wide prohibition on federal funding of abortion is long overdue, and we applaud the inclusion of that legislation in this action plan," he said. Full story at LifeNews.com
Senate Defeats Motion to Allow Vote on Disclose Act Hurting Pro-Life Free Speech
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The Senate today defeated a motion for a second time to end a Republican filibuster and allow a vote on a campaign finance bill pro-life groups opposed. The DISCLOSE Act would place stringent limits on the ability of grassroots groups to communicate to the public about legislation and elections.
Senate Republicans filibustered the legislation and Democrats held a cloture vote in July where they needed 60 votes to be able to stop the filibuster and move towards a vote on the bill itself.
However, they were unable to peel off any Republicans to support the cloture vote and lost by a 57-41 margin.
This time around, Senate Democrats failed to find enough votes for cloture on a closer 59-39 margin, just one vote shy of the 60 needed to end debate. Republicans were able to keep their party caucus together as liberals like Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine voted to sustain the filibuster.
Douglas Johnson, the legislative director for the National Right to Life Committee told LifeNews.com earlier in the week he didn't think Democrats would find the additional vote needed to pass the bill.
He said the DISCLOSE Act is a "desperate attempt to prevent citizen groups from disseminating messages to the public that might contain unflattering information about the Administration, the congressional Democratic leadership, and the legislation they have been pushing." Full story at LifeNews.com
Senate Democrats Approve Pro-Abortion Obama Judges on Party-Line Votes
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Senate Democrats, on largely party-line votes today, approved three pro-abortion judges President Barack Obama put forward for key judicial positions. The Senate Judiciary Committee approved the nominations of Goodwin Liu, Edward Chen and Louis Butler, for appeals court and district court positions.
If confirmed, Goodwin Liu would secure a place on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit.
They also approved Louis Butler Jr., a former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice, for the Western District of Wisconsin; and Edward Chen, a U.S. magistrate judge, for the Northern District of California.
The committee had previously backed all four nominees and did so again after Republicans prevented floor votes on the nominees and forced Obama to resubmit their names for the nominations. Leading conservative and pro-life writers and groups have presented concerns about all three.
The votes signal Democrats believe they can find a way to overcome a Republican filibuster against the judges, even though they were unsuccessful in overcoming GOP filibusters this week against a bill allowing abortions at U.S. military bases and another limiting free speech. Full story at LifeNews.com
Abortion Practitioner Brigham Accused of More Violations by New Jersey Officials
Trenton, NJ (LifeNews.com) -- New Jersey officials are accusing embattled abortion practitioner Steven Chase Brigham of more violations. He is already under the microscope in three states for putting women at risk with botched legal abortions and taking women from one state to another to avoid health and safety regulations.
Brigham severely injured a teenage girl in a botched abortion.
He is not allowed to do late-term abortions in New Jersey, one of the four states in which he owns an abortion business, because he doesn't meet the state's medical requirements. As a result, he has started late-term abortions for women there and transported them via rental care to his Maryland abortion centers to complete the abortions.
One abortion using this method went so poorly, Brigham was forced to take the teenager to a local Maryland hospital -- and she eventually had to be airlifted to Johns Hopkins Medical center because the abortion caused a perforated uterus and it required immediate surgery.
Now, the New Jersey attorney general's office has accused Brigham of violating standards of care for two additional women seeking abortions at his centers. One case involves a woman from Canada whose Down syndrome child was killed in a late-term abortion.
Officials want Brigham's license suspended or revoked and Brigham has agreed to stop practicing medicine in New Jersey until the New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners holds a hearing next month in his case. Full story at LifeNews.com
 Medical professionals are on the frontlines of battle in life issues. From abortion to assisted suicide and euthanasia and all issues in between we are challenged in the workplace to defend our beliefs and risk our employment. The National Association of Pro-life Nurses has been here for nurses since the beginning of this battle. Join with us in our efforts to protect those voices. www.nursesforlife.org |
Tea Party Activists Worried About Economy Should Consider the Cost of Abortion
by Tom Glessner
Abortion is a moral and spiritual issue. It is an intense political and social issue. It is also a constitutional and legal issue that has divided the nation, splintered political parties, and emotionally devastated millions of people, both men and women.
Abortion is also an economic issue. The economic crisis we now face is caused by numerous factors that all relate to flawed governmental policies. However, the current economic crisis and, indeed, our economic future as a nation are impacted by the very uncomfortable fact that since 1973 (when the Supreme Court gave us constitutionally mandated abortion-on-demand) more than 52 million unborn children have been killed by abortion.
What impact has this massive destruction of human life had on our current economic situation? A very interesting study called The Cost of Abortion
(www.thecostofabortion.com) gives some insight to this question. The conclusions of this study are staggering and should be taken into consideration by all political leaders who see the state of the economy as the primary issue motivating voters in the upcoming election.
This study begins with the figures for the total numbers of surgical abortions carried out in the United States from 1973 to 2007. An assumption is made that one-half of these aborted children would be female and, based upon figures from the Centers for Disease Control, each female at age 25 would have an average of a single child.
The study then combines these calculations to generate a number of missing persons from the USA from 1973 to 2007. The Gross Domestic Product per capita for each year is then multiplied by the number of missing persons . Accordingly, the sum of lost GDP from 1973 to 2007 due to surgical abortion is nearly $37 trillion. Full story at LifeNews.com
Abortion "Doctor" in Florida Arrested and Jailed for Avoiding Criminal Trial
Orlando, FL (LifeNews.com) -- An abortion practitioner in Florida has been arrested and jailed after pro-life advocates tipped off police about his whereabouts. Police surrounded the Orlando Women's Center abortion business last night and arrested Randall Whitney on an open arrest warrant for failure to appear at his criminal trial on September 7.
Whitney was also charged with resisting a police officer and is currently held in the Orlando Jail without bond.
Whitney was initially arrested and charged in March with felony assault on a pregnant woman after he slapped an abortion patient who complained when he repeatedly failed to properly administer an injection into her arm.
The pro-life group Operation Rescue informed LifeNews.com today that, after Whitney failed to appear at his felony criminal trial and an arrest warrant issued, pro-life advocates who have frequently helped women outside the Orlando Women's Center business noticed Whitney began sleeping in his vehicle to avoid police.
They notified police and, upon his arrest, eyewitnesses said Whitney threatened pro-life advocates and told them they would "be sorry" for notifying the police of his whereabouts.
Whitney has faced license suspension and probation in the past and has been accused of doing abortions beyond the state limits Florida has on the books. He has been accused of improperly using ultrasound to determine fetal age and doing abortions at that point. Full story at LifeNews.com
Sarah Palin Helps Pro-Life Group raise Funds for Television Ads Against Abortion
Kansas City, MO (LifeNews.com) -- Hours before appearing before the Vitae Foundation Pro-Life Benefit Dinner on September 13, former Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin was running around Kansas City so she could fax a parental consent form to the Alaska DMV in order that her 16-year-old daughter, Willow, could get her driver s test.
You know, they (minors) can't take an aspirin at school without parental consent, yet girls could go out and get an abortion without parental consent and notification. That s how messed up things are right now, Gov. Palin told the 1,345 people gathered at Kansas City s Convention Center for Vitae s Annual Pro-Life Dinner.
We have an opportunity to right some of these things and that s what we're doing here tonight, to talk about what we can do to start embracing that culture of life in America that is so absolutely necessary, the former Alaska Governor stated.
Gov. Palin came to Kansas City to speak for the Vitae Foundation, a national non-profit organization that uses resources of education, marketing psychology and mass communication to reach out to women experiencing unplanned pregnancies and help them find abortion alternatives. Full story at LifeNews.com
New York Senate Polls Show Pro-Life DioGuardi Catching Pro-Abortion Gillibrand
Albany, NY (LifeNews.com) -- New polls in New York in the race for Hillary Clinton's old Senate seat finds pro-life former congressman Joe DioGuardi catching up to pro-abortion candidate incumbent Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. The race has not been in the limelight the way other close Senate races have been but the new polls may change that.
DioGuardi, fresh from winning the Republican nomination, pulled within 6 points of Gillibrand in a survey released Thursday and within the margin of error in another.
A Quinnipiac University poll showed Gillibrand leading 48-42 percent with both getting significant support from their respective parties and splitting independent voters.
Meanwhile, a new Survey USA poll showed Gillibrand leading by a more narrow 45-44 percent margin, picking up strong support in New York City but trailing throughout the rest of the state. Full story at LifeNews.com
Missouri Poll Shows Pro-Life Roy Blunt Clearly Leading Carnahan for Senate
Jefferson City, MO (LifeNews.com) -- Pro-life Senate candidate Roy Blunt has a clear lead against pro-abortion Robin Carnahan according to the latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of likely voters in the Show Me state. He has maintained his lead from the last survey the respected polling firm took in August. The poll has Blunt picking up 52% support, while Carnahan, Missouri s secretary of state, gets 44% of the vote.
A total of 5 percent of Missouri voters favor another candidate or are still undecided.
Two weeks ago, Blunt led Carnahan by a 53% to 43% margin when leaners were included in the totals. Leaners are 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.
"Results before leaners are added find Blunt with a 50% to 41% edge over Carnahan, showing little change over the past two weeks. From September of 2009 through late August, support for Blunt ranged from 44% to 51% in results excluding leaners. Carnahan s support ranged from 40% to 46% over the same period," Rasmussen said.
While 75% of Blunt s supporters are certain of their vote this November, 67% of Carnahan s backers say the same. Full story at LifeNews.com
St. Paul, MN (LifeNews.com) -- Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life, a statewide pro-life organization opposing abortion has endorsed candidate Tim Tinglestad for the Minnesota Supreme Court. The election for the seat is important given the state high court's decision to stick taxpayers with the bill for abortions for poor women. MCCL told LifeNews.com today that Tinglestad has been campaigning hard around the state and is gaining support among Minnesota voters who are tired of the courts legislating from the bench.
We are excited to have a well qualified candidate for our state s highest court who believes in our constitution and we believe he would not attempt to interpret it in a way that its authors never intended," says Leo LaLonde, president of Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life.
Last December, Minnesota marked having its tax dollars paying for abortions for 14 years.
More than 47,000 unborn babies have been killed in Minnesota since the December 15, 1995 Minnesota Supreme Court Doe v. Gomez ruling. Full story at LifeNews.com
Doctors to UN: Reduce Maternal Mortality by Helping Women, Not Backing Abortion
New York, NY (LifeNews.com/CFAM) -- Medical experts blasted the UN s abortion-first approach in a maternal-health presentation to UN delegates last week. Coming on the eve of a UN summit on development issues, the expert panel urged governments to focus on basic medical care rather than abortion to reduce pregnancy-related deaths.
It is egregious to suggest to mothers that the only way to save their lives is to kill their babies," said Dr. Robert Walley, head of MaterCare International. "They have the right to health care. They have no voice when they are dead."
Controversy has dogged the maternal health goal since heads of state established it at the Millennium Summit in 2000. The heads of state explicitly rejected language used by many Western countries to mean abortion, despite intense lobbying for its inclusion at that time and at the subsequent 2005 follow up summit. Even so, subsequent UN-sponsored meetings like the Women Deliver conference in May focused almost exclusively on access to abortion as the way to improve maternal health.
Panelists last week criticized the World Health Organization (WHO) for insisting that as long as an abortion is legal, it would always be considered "safe . The WHO definition of abortion as unsafe or safe is not a medical but legal definition, said Dr. Donna Harrison, an OB/GYN Full story at LifeNews.com
U. California Wants to Stop Lawsuit Against Obama's Embryonic Research Funding
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Regents for the University of California are hoping to intervene in the lawsuit scientists filed against the Obama administration for forcing taxpayers to finance embryonic stem cell research. They want to protect their federal funding, but attorneys for the scientists say even Obama officials don't want them involved.
The University of California Regents have filed a motion to intervene in an effort to try to protect their patent interests against the lawsuit filed to stop federal funding of research involving the destruction of living human embryos.
The Obama administration has appealed a judge's decision to issue a temporary injunction against the funding wile the lawsuit itself moves ahead through the courts.
Tom Hungar, who has argued this case before the federal district court and the Court of Appeals, told LifeNews.com he filed papers with the court today to ask them to reject UC's efforts to intervene.
"After more than one year of litigation relating to the issues presented in this appeal, the Regents of the University of California now seek to intervene on appeal as of right, even though their objectives and their interests are identical to those of the [federal] government," he said. Full story at LifeNews.com
UN Forced to Accept Lower Maternal Mortality Numbers Without More Abortions
New York, NY (LifeNews.com/CFAM) -- UN leadership capitulated on key maternal health figures last week, conceding pregnancy-related deaths have fallen faster than recently reported. A new report abandons statistics fiercely defended just months ago. In April, an independent research team showed that UN leaders had for years inflated the number of maternal deaths to a half-million worldwide.
The new UN report mirrors the independent Lancet study, putting the number around 350,000 and falling. The change highlights the tension between the UN's dual roles in research and policy making, as one researcher told of jetting overnight to make statistics match policy.
The UN finds itself having to accept the lower maternal death figures just as UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon tries to rally $169 billion in new funding for maternal and child health.
The independent report was an embarrassment for the World Health Organization, said Dr. Donna Harrison, president of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Harrison said WHO's credibility had suffered when the small research team produced more accurate data. Full story at LifeNews.com
40 Days for Life Prayer Campaign Motivating Pro-Life Advocates in Several States
Reports from opening events at local 40 Days for Life campaigns are rolling in ... WOW!
Not only is this the biggest campaign ever, but more and more people are getting involved in local efforts from the very start!
Here are just a few examples ...
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA:
One of the speakers at the Indianapolis kickoff talked about embracing the crosses that come with praying at an abortion center for 40 days. The people attending the event had an opportunity to sacrifice their personal comfort almost immediately: a two-and-a-half mile walk to the local Planned Parenthood abortion center -- in a rainstorm!
"The Holy Spirit must have been at work," said Joseph, one of the coordinators. Full story at LifeNews.com
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