Monthly Archives: January 2015

NRLC Pres. Tobias Recaps After Roe Anniversary Ups and Downs

Tobias,CarolNote: the following update from Carol Tobias, National Right to Life President, was sent out via email, Friday, January 23, 2015:

Yesterday, the 42nd anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision, was a day of mixed emotions, a great high and a deep disappointment.

Marches, rallies, and memorial services were held across the nation to remember the 57 million unborn children who have been lost to abortion, along with prayers, thoughts, and concern for the mothers of those children. In the nation’s capital alone, the numbers were surely in the hundreds of thousands.

Yesterday was a day of joy as we celebrated the gift of LIFE. We rejoice as we see so many young people getting involved and taking a stand for life; saying they will be a voice for the voiceless; and promising they will not let this battle end.

Yesterday was also the day we were expecting the U.S. House of Representatives to pass the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. Unfortunately, a small number of members of the House reneged on previous commitments and launched a campaign that sidetracked the bill, for now.

The No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act was a major priority for NRLC. We are pleased the House passed that bill.

If you watch House proceedings on C-SPAN, you may not notice that members use electronic voting cards to cast their vote for or against a measure. In a National Journal article about the “dispute” over the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, a reporter related this quote from an unnamed congresswoman who had helped sidetrack the bill: “I think the leadership genuinely feels bad about this… I hope that that will translate into listening to people who have voting cards instead of listening to people who don’t have voting cards.”

This congresswoman hopes that House leadership will listen to her and other members of Congress, not the voters who put them all there.

One of the most famous speeches in American history was President Lincoln’s Gettysburg address. Lincoln memorably concluded that our government was “of the people, by the people, for the people.” I wish I knew who this congresswoman was so I could send her a copy of the speech.

Another surprising aspect was the claim by Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-NC) – who gave numerous media interviews attacking the bill — that passing the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act could hurt the Republican Party with millennials (i.e., persons age 18 to 29 or so) – a claim that some journalists apparently found plausible and amplified.

Yet a November 2014 Quinnipiac University Poll asked:

“As you may know, in 2013 the House of Representatives approved legislation that would ban virtually all abortions nationwide after 20 weeks of pregnancy, except in cases of rape and incest that are reported to authorities. Would you support or oppose such legislation?”

Sixty percent of all respondents supported the legislation, compared to 33% opposed. Among those ages 18-29, there was 57% support for the legislation, with 38% opposed. In what other poll would a 19% advantage be considered a disadvantage?

This incident reminds us that politics is a messy business. But it’s also a necessary one if we are going to protect unborn babies. We remember what happened, we hold elected officials accountable, and we keep on keeping on.

I urge you to contact your representative in Congress– let them know you are disappointed in what happened, and ask that they vote to pass the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.

Sincerely,
Carol Tobias,
National Right to Life President

Latest: both DC’s and WV’s Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Acts

Pain_baby

Currently, each year many thousands of late-term babies, many of whom are viable (can survive outside the womb) are aborted — without anesthesia — and it is now known that they suffer excruciating pain as their little bodies are ripped apart, limb from limb. On Thursday, January 22, 2015 (the anniversary of the infamous Roe v. Wade/Doe v. Bolton decision by the US Supreme Court in 1973, which overturned existing laws regulating abortion and legalized abortion even up to the time of birth without regulation), Pro-Life legislators in both Washington, DC and in Charleston, WV plan to reintroduce the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which would stop abortions on preborn babies after 20 weeks, when those babies are known through medical science to feel pain.

Regarding DC’s Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act: The bill is anticipated to pass both houses. President Obama has indicated he will veto this bill. Please contact your congressman and senators and urge an override of such a veto!

Regarding WV’s Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act: Wanda Franz, President of West Virginians For Life, sent the following update on Wednesday, January 21:

Dear Friends,

John Carey, Karen Cross, and I have been to Charleston, and we are working closely with the leadership to write a bill that improves on the older version and which will be certain of passing.  Other bills can be introduced, including the one that Dave Perry introduced on January 20. He has introduced last year’s version of the bill.  It is not a bad bill and we appreciate the pro-life commitment of the sponsors. However, West Virginians for Life will be working to pass this year’s updated version of the bill. We will let you know as soon as it has sponsors and a bill number.

Wanda Franz,
President

As you may remember, last year West Virginia became the first and only state with a Democrat-controlled legislature to pass a Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (similar acts are now law in several other states, but they were all passed by Republican-controlled legislatures), however, after it was passed with overwhelming support (near the end of the session), WV Governor Earl Ray Tomblin, who claimed to be Pro-Life, vetoed the bill. (He delayed until after the session ended to do so, effectively preventing any chance for an override unless a special session was called.) Now that both the WV House of Delegates and the WV Senate are under newly elected leadership majorities, the bill is expected to pass in a manner of timing that would allow an override if the Governor should attempt another veto. We encourage you to contact your representatives in the WV House of Delegates and in the WV Senate and urge them to support the bill, and to override any veto!

UPDATE, Jan. 22 – read more at LifeNews.com.

“The US House approved legislation that will put in place a complete ban on taxpayer funding of abortions that ensures abortions are not directly funded in any federal governmental program or department. The legislation combines several policies that must be enacted every year in Congressional battles and puts them into law where they will not be in jeopardy of being overturned every time Congress changes hands from pro-life lawmakers to those who support abortions. The House voted 242-179 for the bill with 239 Republicans and three Democrats voting to ban taxpayer funding of abortions under HR7 while 178 Democrats and one Republican voted against it.” [See the ROLL CALL at the end of the LifeNew.com story.]

Icanfeelpain

Latest: both DC’s and WV’s Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Acts

Pain_baby

Currently, each year many thousands of late-term babies, many of whom are viable (can survive outside the womb) are aborted — without anesthesia — and it is now known that they suffer excruciating pain as their little bodies are ripped apart, limb from limb. On Thursday, January 22, 2015 (the anniversary of the infamous Roe v. Wade/Doe v. Bolton decision by the US Supreme Court in 1973, which overturned existing laws regulating abortion and legalized abortion even up to the time of birth without regulation), Pro-Life legislators in both Washington, DC and in Charleston, WV plan to reintroduce the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which would stop abortions on preborn babies after 20 weeks, when those babies are known through medical science to feel pain.

Regarding DC’s Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act: The bill is anticipated to pass both houses. President Obama has indicated he will veto this bill. Please contact your congressman and senators and urge an override of such a veto!

Regarding WV’s Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act: Wanda Franz, President of West Virginians For Life, sent the following update on Wednesday, January 21:

Dear Friends,

John Carey, Karen Cross, and I have been to Charleston, and we are working closely with the leadership to write a bill that improves on the older version and which will be certain of passing.  Other bills can be introduced, including the one that Dave Perry introduced on January 20. He has introduced last year’s version of the bill.  It is not a bad bill and we appreciate the pro-life commitment of the sponsors. However, West Virginians for Life will be working to pass this year’s updated version of the bill. We will let you know as soon as it has sponsors and a bill number.

Wanda Franz,
President

As you may remember, last year West Virginia became the first and only state with a Democrat-controlled legislature to pass a Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (similar acts are now law in several other states, but they were all passed by Republican-controlled legislatures), however, after it was passed with overwhelming support (near the end of the session), WV Governor Earl Ray Tomblin, who claimed to be Pro-Life, vetoed the bill. (He delayed until after the session ended to do so, effectively preventing any chance for an override unless a special session was called.) Now that both the WV House of Delegates and the WV Senate are under newly elected leadership majorities, the bill is expected to pass in a manner of timing that would allow an override if the Governor should attempt another veto. We encourage you to contact your representatives in the WV House of Delegates and in the WV Senate and urge them to support the bill, and to override any veto!

Icanfeelpain

Latest: both DC’s and WV’s Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Acts

Pain_baby

Currently, each year many thousands of late-term babies, many of whom are viable (can survive outside the womb) are aborted — without anesthesia — and it is now known that they suffer excruciating pain as their little bodies are ripped apart, limb from limb. On Thursday, January 22, 2015 (the anniversary of the infamous Roe v. Wade/Doe v. Bolton decision by the US Supreme Court in 1973, which overturned existing laws regulating abortion and legalized abortion even up to the time of birth without regulation), Pro-Life legislators in both Washington, DC and in Charleston, WV plan to reintroduce the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which would stop abortions on preborn babies after 20 weeks, when those babies are known through medical science to feel pain.

Regarding DC’s Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act: The bill is anticipated to pass both houses. President Obama has indicated he will veto this bill. Please contact your congressman and senators and urge an override of such a veto!

Regarding WV’s Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act: Wanda Franz, President of West Virginians For Life, sent the following update on Wednesday, January 21:

Dear Friends,

John Carey, Karen Cross, and I have been to Charleston, and we are working closely with the leadership to write a bill that improves on the older version and which will be certain of passing.  Other bills can be introduced, including the one that Dave Perry introduced on January 20. He has introduced last year’s version of the bill.  It is not a bad bill and we appreciate the pro-life commitment of the sponsors. However, West Virginians for Life will be working to pass this year’s updated version of the bill. We will let you know as soon as it has sponsors and a bill number.

Wanda Franz,
President

As you may remember, last year West Virginia became the first and only state with a Democrat-controlled legislature to pass a Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (similar acts are now law in several other states, but they were all passed by Republican-controlled legislatures), however, after it was passed with overwhelming support (near the end of the session), WV Governor Earl Ray Tomblin, who claimed to be Pro-Life, vetoed the bill. (He delayed until after the session ended to do so, effectively preventing any chance for an override unless a special session was called.) Now that both the WV House of Delegates and the WV Senate are under newly elected leadership majorities, the bill is expected to pass in a manner of timing that would allow an override if the Governor should attempt another veto. We encourage you to contact your representatives in the WV House of Delegates and in the WV Senate and urge them to support the bill, and to override any veto!

Icanfeelpain