Wednesday, February 15, 2012

LifeNews.com Pro-Life News Report 2/16/12

LifeNews.com Pro-Life News Report
Wednesday, February 15, 2012

For pro-life news updated throughout the day, visit LifeNews.com.

Current Headlines

Top Stories
• Members of Congress Demand Bill to Stop Obama s Mandate
• Catholic Bishops Support Measure to Stop Obama Mandate

• Sebelius: Didn t Talk to Bishops About Obama Mandate

• Barbara Boxer: Right to Insurance Trumps Religious Freedom

More Pro-Life News
• Setting the Record Straight on the Blunt Amendment
• CBS Promotes Biased Poll on Obama Anti-Conscience Mandate
• Pro-Life Groups to Hold Nationwide Rally Against Obama Mandate
• People With Disabilities Offer a Thread for Weaving Joy
• Planned Parenthood Video: Black Genocide a Vital Service
• Website Has 1,000 Documents on Abortion Practitioner Abuses
• Planned Parenthood Bullies Food Pantry Group to Support It
• What if Arguments for Abortion Were Applied to Infants?
• You Can t Claim to be a Christian and Support Abortion
• Pro-Life Breast Cancer Survivor to Komen: De-Fund Planned Parenthood

---> Tell Obama: Stop This Pro-Abortion Mandate - Sign the Petition and pass it on!


Members of Congress Demand Bill to Stop Obama s Mandate
More than 50 members of Congress banded together at a press conference today to demand legislation to stop the new mandate pro-abortion President Barack Obama put in place forcing religious employers to pay for insurance coverage including birth control and abortion-inducing drugs.

Congressman Jeff Fortenberry held a press conference today with supporters of the bipartisan, bicameral Respect for Rights of Conscience Act. His legislation would protect the religious liberty and conscience rights of every American who objects to being forced by the strong-arm of government to pay for drugs and procedures recently mandated by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Rep. Chris Smith, the head of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus said Obama s slick public relations offensive on Friday contained neither an accommodation nor a compromise nor a change in his coercion rule.

The final rule promulgated Friday remains a direct, obnoxious, unprecedented government attack on the conscience rights of religious entities and anyone else who for moral reasons cannot and will not pay for abortion inducing drugs such as ella or contraception and sterilization procedures in their private insurance plans, Smith said. Obama is arrogantly using the coercive power of the state to force faith-based charities, hospitals, and schools to conform to his will at the expense of conscience. http://www.lifenews.com/2012/02/15/members-of-congress-demand-bill-to-stop-obamas-mandate/

Catholic Bishops Support Measure to Stop Obama Mandate
The U.S. Senate urgently needs to support legislation that would apply longstanding federal law on conscience protection to Obamacare. That s the message from the nation s Catholic bishops to members of Congress.

The chairman of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is pressing for a pro-life remedy to the Obama mandate that requires religious groups to pay for coverage for their employees including birth control and drugs that may cause abortions.

In a February 15 letter to all senators, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston explained how the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act (S. 1476) is especially needed since a new mandate by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will force almost all health insurance plans to cover all FDA-approved contraceptives, including drugs that can cause an early abortion, and sterilizations. http://www.lifenews.com/2012/02/15/catholic-bishops-support-measure-to-stop-obama-mandate/

Sebelius: Didn t Talk to Bishops About Obama Mandate
During questioning today before a U.S. Senate panel, pro-abortion HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius admitted she did not contact the nation s Catholic bishops before issuing a revised Obamacare mandate they strongly oppose.

The original mandate required religious groups to pay for insurance coverage containing birth control and drugs that can induce abortions and the revise mandate requires them to refer women to insurance companies for free coverage.

According to a Politico report, pro-life Sen. Orrin Hatch, a Utah Republican, queried Sebelius about the discussions leading up to the adoption of the revised mandate.

I did not speak with the Catholic bishops, Sebelius told Hatch. I know that the president has spoken to the bishops on several occasions, yes.

Hatch followed up by asking whether the administration or Obama campaign officials spoke with abortion rights groups including Planned Parenthood, the American Civil Liberties Union and NARAL Pro-Choice America. http://www.lifenews.com/2012/02/15/sebelius-didnt-talk-to-bishops-about-obama-mandate/

Barbara Boxer: Right to Insurance Trumps Religious Freedom
Barbara Boxer, the leading pro-abortion member of the U.S. Senate, made some comments in a recent MSNBC interview that are sparking outrage across the Internet today. Boxer essentially says the right to insurance trumps religious rights and freedoms.

The comments came during an interview concerning the controversial mandate pro-abortion President Barack Obama put in place recently requiring religious groups to pay for insurance coverage for birth control and drugs that may cause abortions.

As the Washington Examiner reports: Senator Boxer warned yesterday that if the HHS contraception mandate was repealed it would set a dangerous precedence of religious rights trumping the right to be insured. http://www.lifenews.com/2012/02/15/barbara-boxer-right-to-insurance-trumps-religious-freedom/

Setting the Record Straight on the Blunt Amendment
As pro-abortion groups and Democrats in the U.S. Senate step up their attacks on the Blunt Amendment, the amendment pro-life Sen. Roy Blunt is offering to restore conscience protections Obama s new mandate takes away, his office is refuting some of the common misconceptions.

THE CLAIM: Senator Blunt s amendment would allow anyone to deny coverage of any health care for any reason. It would take us back to the medical dark ages.

THE FACTS: This is unequivocally false. Senator Blunt s amendment simply restores conscience protections that existed before President Obama s flawed health care law the same protections that have existed for more than 220 years since the First Amendment was ratified. http://www.lifenews.com/2012/02/15/setting-the-record-straight-on-the-blunt-amendment/

CBS Promotes Biased Poll on Obama Anti-Conscience Mandate
CBS News is coming under fire for conducting and promoting a biased poll on the question of Obama s new mandate that requires religious groups to pay for insurance coverage for birth control and abortion-inducing drugs.

The CBS News poll is at odds with two other surveys showing a majority or plurality of Americans believe religious organizations and employers should have the right to refuse to provide coverage for birth control and abortion-causing drugs that violate their religious or moral views. That s because CBS never mentioned that the employers have a conscientious objection to the coverage.

As Conn Carroll of the Washington Examiner points out, CBS asked the following polling question: And what about for religiously affiliated employers, such as a hospital or university- do you support or oppose a recent federal requirement that their health insurance plans cover the full cost of birth control for their female employees? http://www.lifenews.com/2012/02/15/cbs-promotes-biased-poll-on-obama-anti-conscience-mandate/

Pro-Life Groups to Hold Nationwide Rally Against Obama Mandate
Dozens of pro-life organizations across the nation are teaming up for a rally termed Stand Up for Religious Freedom to protest the mandate pro-abortion President Barack Obama put in place that forces religious groups to pay for birth control and drugs that may cause abortions.

On March 23 at Noon, concerned citizens will gather outside federal buildings in cities across the United States to rally in defense of religious freedom and stand up against the HHS Mandate.

On January 20, the Obama administration made it clear that the new HHS mandate requiring employers to provide free contraceptives, sterilization and abortifacient drugs through their insurance plans would be imposed on religious institutions, says Eric Scheidler of Pro-Life Action League, the main organization coordinating the rallies. The HHS provided a religious exemption so narrow that it would exclude Catholic hospitals, universities and charities, forcing these institutions to act in direct opposition to Catholic teaching through the health care plans they provide. http://www.lifenews.com/2012/02/15/pro-life-groups-to-hold-nationwide-rally-against-obama-mandate/

People With Disabilities Offer a Thread for Weaving Joy
While some people resent the imperfection, the inconvenience, and the expense of persons with disabilities, others see in them an invitation to learn how to love deeply without counting the cost. God will demand an accounting. http://www.lifenews.com/2012/02/15/people-with-disabilities-offer-a-thread-for-weaving-joy/

Looking for a Pro-Life Speaker?
Looking for a pro-life speaker for your next banquet, conference or convention? LifeNews.com editor and CEO Steven Ertelt is available to speak to your pro-life group or crisis pregnancy center to present a message about how the pro-life community is winning the abortion battle. Mr. Ertelt can help you fill a spot for a keynote speaker or workshop presenter for your event and help you stay below budget at the same time. For more information, email news@LifeNews.com


Planned Parenthood Video: Black Genocide a Vital Service
A new video released by Planned Parenthood is nothing short of an infomercial for their continuing Negro Project, called A Vital Service . http://www.lifenews.com/2012/02/15/planned-parenthood-video-black-genocide-a-vital-service/

Website Has 1,000 Documents on Abortion Practitioner Abuses
A new web site operated by Operation Rescue and Pro-Life Nation has cataloged more than 1,000 documents showing abuses by abortion practitioners. http://www.lifenews.com/2012/02/15/website-has-1000-documents-on-abortion-practitioner-abuses/

Planned Parenthood Bullies Food Pantry Group to Support It
One thing we learned from the Komen/Planned Parenthood fiasco is that it may be easier to say no to the mob than Planned Parenthood. We saw it again recently in Green Bay, WI,. This one didn t make much news, but created a local social network bully fest. http://www.lifenews.com/2012/02/15/planned-parenthood-bullies-food-pantry-group-to-support-it/

What if Arguments for Abortion Were Applied to Infants?
You would get something that sounds like this. http://www.lifenews.com/2012/02/15/what-if-arguments-for-abortion-were-applied-to-infants/

You Can t Claim to be a Christian and Support Abortion
While it s accurate to discuss abortion as doctrine of demons, for no power of God could ever endorse the killing of innocent children, the next phrase Paul writes here is disturbing because it s talking about believers. http://www.lifenews.com/2012/02/15/you-cant-claim-to-be-a-christian-and-support-abortion/

Pro-Life Breast Cancer Survivor to Komen: De-Fund Planned Parenthood
As a pro-life activist who also happens to be a breast cancer survivor, I was encouraged by the Susan G. Komen Foundation s recent announcement that it no longer would fund grants to Planned Parenthood Federation of America affiliates. I had never before been able to support Komen s Race For The Cure or buy any of its pink merchandise. http://www.lifenews.com/2012/02/15/pro-life-breast-cancer-survivor-to-komen-de-fund-planned-parenthood/

 

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