Wednesday, December 15, 2010 This Week's Feature COURT SIDES WITH BOEHNER & AUL IN OHIO CASE
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Christmas came early in Ohio last week when the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas upheld an Ohio law requiring a 24-hour reflection time before a woman can obtain an abortion. Incoming U.S. Speaker of the House John Boehner, on hearing of the victory, celebrated the ruling and noted that he and Ohio Reps. Steve Chabot, Bob Latta, Jim Jordan and Jean Schmidt had been part of the case in which AUL filed an amicus brief. Click here to read Rep. Boehner’s news release. At the heart of the case is a girl who at age 14 became pregnant by her 21-year-old soccer coach. After being pressured by the coach to have an abortion, the girl called a local Planned Parenthood clinic and gave them the coach’s telephone number, claiming it was her “father’s” number. Later, well aware of the girl’s age and of the possibility that she had been the victim of a sexual crime, Planned Parenthood performed the abortion, which was paid for by her coach. Planned Parenthood did not notify or receive consent from the child’s parents, nor did it ensure that the phone number she provided was truly her father’s number. Still to come: the court has yet to rule on whether Planned Parenthood broke the law by failing to notify the girl’s parents before she had the abortion. To read more on the case, click here. On The Docket EUTHANASIA IN THE NEWS: IS DEATH A “TREATMENT?” ![[object Object]](http://action.aul.org/images/content/pagebuilder/11596.jpg)
It appears that California is once again in the crosshairs of Compassion & Choices (“C&C”), the pro-euthanasia organization that routinely attempts to bully state legislatures and courts into allowing physician-assisted suicide. The organization has filed a new lawsuit in California (Hargett v. Vitas), claiming that a terminally ill patient did not receive proper care by her hospice at the end of her life. Many of C&C’s claims ring true in this case: it is true that physicians often fail to provide the best palliative care and pain management for their terminally-ill patients. That is why AUL advocates for better physician education through its “Pain Management Education Act.” C&C has not yet claimed that physician-assisted suicide should have been available to the patient. But knowing that C&C never misses an opportunity to push its euthanasia-driven agenda, we remain suspicious of its true motives. AUL will be monitoring the case as it moves forward. Click here to read more about AUL’s model legislation. BURRIS BOMBS: AUL REPORTS A WIN FOR MILITARY PERSONNEL 
After months of hard work on Capitol Hill, pro-life forces scored a victory on Friday when pro-life Senators John McCain, Mitch McConnell and others blocked the Department of Defense (DoD) Authorization bill. The bill included language allowing military hospitals and personnel to be used for elective abortions (paid for by tax dollars.) The 57-40 vote in the U.S. Senate fell three votes short of the 60 votes the bill’s proponents needed to move it forward. As a result, the controversial Burris Amendment that would allow elective abortions in military hospitals and with military personnel was defeated. AUL CEO and President Dr. Charmaine Yoest commended the Senators for their “commitment to protecting our men and women in the military so that they do not become the means to advance abortion advocates’ goal of taxpayer-funded abortion-on-demand.” To read more, click here. NEW LEADERS IN THE HOUSE SAY LIFE IS THEIR CHOICE 
When Congress comes back in session, four pro-life leaders will take the helm of the U.S. House of Representatives. “Finally, the House leadership reflects the majority of Americans who are also pro-life,” said Dr. Yoest. She noted that that “Speaker-elect John Boehner told me he wanted to be the most pro-life Speaker ever” and has been a friend and ally of AUL. In the top spots are: Rep. John Boehner (R-OH), as Speaker of the House; Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) as Majority Leader; Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R- CA) as Majority Whip; and Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX ) as chairman of the House Conference. The House Republican Steering Committee selected Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI) as chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over federal health policy. Repealing President Obama’s pro-abortion health care law will be “priority No. 1,” Upton told reporters. Pro-life leader Rep. Joe Pitts (R-PA) was selected as chair of the pivotal Health Subcommittee, where many life-related issues will be debated. And Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL) will serve as co-chairs of the Bipartisan Congressional Pro-Life Caucus. “We now have a leadership team in place on the House side ready and willing to work with AUL on the issues that affect us all, born and unborn,” said Dr. Yoest. 
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