| Wednesday, April 13, 2011
AULA Applauds Speaker Boehner For Achieving Strategic Votes on Abortion Issues,
Calls on the U.S. Senate to Get the American Taxpayer Out of the Business of Abortion
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Dr. Charmaine Yoest and Speaker John Boehner
Analysis of the on-going budget battles and attempts to de-fund the abortion industry need to take into account the strategic pro-life victories achieved in the last week, observed Americans United for Life Action President and CEO Dr. Charmaine Yoest, who thanked House Speaker John Boehner this week for his leadership in gaining Senate votes on de-funding the scandal-ridden Planned Parenthood and repealing the President’s pro-abortion health care law. "Speaker Boehner achieved what most said was impossible - cutting taxpayer funding of abortion in the District of Columbia and guaranteeing votes in the Senate on both defunding Planned Parenthood and President Obama’s pro-abortion health care law,” she noted. “AULA has long worked for those goals. Now it is time for the U.S. Senate to go on record on these critical issues and to get the American taxpayer out of the business of funding abortion. Their vote will be closely watched, and AULA intends to score both as key votes.” She continued: “Americans United for Life Action calls on the Senate to defund the abortion industry – one of the most bi-partisan budget cuts available as more than 70 percent of Americans do not support using tax dollars to pay for abortions. And as AUL argued extensively during the health care debate, President Obama’s health care law includes numerous vehicles for subsidizing abortion. A vote on that critical piece of legislation is also a pro-life victory. Please let your senators know that you want your tax money out of the business of subsidizing abortion. Click here to send them a message that Life Counts in the budget. ![[object Object]](http://action.aul.org/images/content/pagebuilder/11657.jpg)
Virginia Joins Six Other States in Protecting the American Taxpayer from paying
for Abortion Coverage  Virginia became the seventh state to opt-out of subsidizing abortion coverage, which became possible through President Obama’s health care law. The other states to opt-out so far are Arizona, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee.
Twice AUL attorneys testified on the effort, and Virginia’s opt-out measure was based on AUL’s model legislation. The measure, HB2434 became law at the recommendation of Gov. Bob McDonnell who accepted the votes in both houses in favor of prohibiting insurance plans that participate in the state insurance exchange from including abortion coverage. AUL Applauds Illinois Court Striking Rule Forcing Pharmacists to Violate Their Consciences  An Illinois circuit court last week struck down a state administrative rule forcing pharmacists and pharmacies to dispense “emergency contraception” against their conscientious beliefs. Long involved in the case, AUL first represented the plaintiffs in 2005 when Morr-Fitz, Inc. vs. Blagojevich was filed.
The complaint alleged that then Gov. Rod Blagojevich violated the conscience rights of pharmacists and pharmacies by requiring them to dispense “emergency contraception” against their religious convictions. As the case has proceeded, AUL’s involvement included two amicus curiae briefs on behalf of national medical organizations in support of the plaintiffs and the conscience rights of all health care providers in the state of Illinois. Click here to read those briefs. Dr. Yoest commended the state court: “For six years, pharmacists and pharmacies have been bullied by the state of Illinois into choosing between violating their religious beliefs or violating the law. We applaud the Illinois circuit court for permanently striking this unconstitutional rule.” For more information on healthcare freedom of conscience, go here.
AUL Says Idaho Senate Bill 1070 Protects the Terminally Ill, Disabled & Elderly  Idaho was among the states that took courageous actions for life last week. Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter signed SB 1070, prohibiting assisted suicide in Idaho, a measure based on AUL’s model language, after 31 state senators and 61 state House members supported the bill.
Senator Russell M. Fulcher and Representative Clifford R. Bayer sponsored SB 1070 to supplement existing common law and statutory law by confirming that it is illegal to cause or assist in the suicide of another. David Ripley of Idaho Chooses Life joined AUL in its efforts to protect vulnerable Idahoans. For more information laws pertaining to the end of life, go here.
In the News  AUL’s William Saunders, pictured at left speaking in Boston at the Massachusetts Citizens for Life Convention, gave his intellectual analysis in a series of important speeches last week, addressing assisted suicide with the Thomas More Scholars of Belmont Abbey College, discussing doctor-assisted death at the Massachusetts Citizens for Life Convention at Boston College Law school, and then analyzing conscience rights and violations at his alma mater, Harvard University. To learn more, click here.
Charmaine Yoest discussed budget issues with the media last week, including the Wall Street Journal, and gave an in-depth discussion of the issues at National Review. To read more, click here. Life News provided behind-the-scenes reporting on how life was handled in the budget negotiations, AUL’s analysis included. Click here to read more.
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