| Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Former Planned Parenthood Director
Returns Home to Testify for AUL-Inspired,
Pro-Life Bill in Texas
Former Planned Parenthood director Abby Johnson (above) testified Tuesday before the Texas Senate in Austin on behalf of legislation that would further regulate abortion-causing drugs, such as RU486. The measure, HB 3408 and SB1790, was inspired by model legislation developed by Americans United for Life and sponsored by Rep. Jodie Laubenberg and Sen. Dan Patrick. Abortion-causing drugs have been a growing part of Planned Parenthood’s business model (click here to read more.) AUL President and CEO Dr. Charmaine Yoest noted, “Women and girls are increasingly vulnerable to dangerous drugs cavalierly distributed in ways that the drug manufacturers do not advise. This kind of off-label drug use can have deadly consequences.” The bill before the Senate would regulate the dispensing of abortion inducing drugs and would require that they can only be dispensed in accordance with the FDA drug label. It would also require that a physician do a physical examination of the woman before prescribing the sometimes-deadly drugs. Now a pro-life heroine, Abby Johnson addressed the legislation both from her professional experience running a Texas abortion clinic and from her personal life story, having gone through an RU486 abortion herself. To read Abby’s story told to the Texas senators, click here. ![[object Object]](http://action.aul.org/images/content/pagebuilder/11657.jpg)
Countdown to Key Life Vote in the House 
Rep. Chris Smith (at left) & Rep. Dan Lipinski introduced H.R. 3. As the memories of spring breaks fade next week, the House may consider H.R. 3, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act early. This key vote could again lay a foundation for getting the American taxpayer out of the business of subsidizing abortion. In March, AUL’s Sr. Vice President William Saunders submitted a comment to the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures noting that H.R. 3 eliminates the need for appropriations riders (such as the Hyde Amendment which must be renewed annually), regulations (which can be overturned by new administrations), and executive orders (which exist at the will of a president). Americans United for Life Action President and CEO Dr. Yoest called HR. 3 “one of the most important pieces of pro-life legislation on the subject of taxpayer involvement in a generation.” “This bill stops the game-playing in the budget,” Dr. Yoest noted. “It is important because the abortion industry has made it clear that its agenda includes targeting vulnerable, annual, attachments to appropriations bill that force taxpayers to fund abortion providers. In H.R. 3 Americans can be ensured of consistent protection throughout federal law, and they can know that no tax credits provide a financial incentive for abortion.” Click here to read AUL’s full comment on this important legislation. Five Truths About Planned Parenthood That
The Washington Post Did Not Want You to Learn  This week, in a prominent National Review column, Dr. Charmaine Yoest addressed some misinformation prominently reported in the Washington Post.
As the 2012 budget battles began almost before the ink had dried on short-term spending bills, Clare Coleman took to the pages of the Washington Post in a piece called “Five Myths About Planned Parenthood” and attempted to argue that defunding the nation’s largest abortion provider was an ignoble goal for members of Congress looking to cut the bloated federal budget. She continued with her arguments in an on-line conversation sponsored by the Post as well. Coleman said she wanted to address “misperceptions” about the abortion industry giant. The Washington Post continued with their support of her message with a front-page story from reporter Sandhya Somashekhar who worked to paint a picture of Planned Parenthood services that minimized the role abortion plays at affiliates of the nation’s largest abortion provider. And though AUL approached various sections at the Washington Post to request space for the other side of this key debate on what kind of services Planned Parenthood really offers, that request was denied. But readers to the National Review can learn “5 Truths About Planned Parenthood,” beginning with the most obvious: Planned Parenthood is the nation’s largest abortion provider, performing (and profiting from) one out of every four abortions in the United States. To read the entire article, click here.
In the News
On April 11 and 12, leaders of the World Congress of Families, including AUL's Senior Vice President Bill Saunders (included in the above picture), gathered in Fort Worth, Texas at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. World Congress of Families is a worldwide leader in the movement to defend human life. In Fort Worth, WCF leaders planned for future congresses in Asia, Oceania, and Europe. AUL’s Mary Harned weighs in on a Massachusetts website that promotes abortion to teens. To read more, click here. The Charlotte Observer highlighted AUL Sr. Vice President Bill Saunders speech to Belmont Abbey in a piece that ran over Easter weekend. To read more, click here.
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