FRC Action: Obama Administration Working to Overturn Pro-Life Laws in Other Countries

/PRNewswire / -- Today in a House Foreign Affairs Committee Hearing on foreign policy priorities in the Obama Administration, U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) asked Secretary Clinton if the Obama Administration is working to overturn other countries pro-life laws and if the administration sees "reproductive rights" and "reproductive health" as including abortion.

Secretary Clinton's answered the latter question by stating, "We happen to think that family planning is an important part of women's health and reproductive health includes access to abortion. ... We are now an administration that will protect the rights of women, including their rights to reproductive health care."

"It is clear from this statement that the Obama Administration is working to overturn other countries' pro-life laws," said FRC Action Senior Vice-President Tom McCluskey. "Secretary Clinton said that Rep. Smith is free to push his belief in pro-life policies in other countries, and that 'we' - evidently referring to the Obama Administration - are free to do the same.

"It is appalling but not surprising that this Administration has a total lack of respect for life. Discontent to pro-life protections in our own country, they feel strangely compelled to export a pro-abortion agenda overseas, using taxpayer dollars to do so.

"If Secretary Clinton is to be believed, this appears to be the Obama Administration's foreign policy. To push their imperialistic commitment to abortion on demand on countries who oppose their agenda of death is their goal, and they are intent upon doing so. At least they are candid about it. And at least now the American people know, without any doubt, where the Administration stands," McCluskey concluded.

Three Strikes: Is Sebelius Out?

/PRNewswire / -- Family Research Council (FRC) has obtained a copy of a 2002 fundraising letter from late-term abortionist George R. Tiller in which he claims that he personally contributed $200,000 to ProKanDo, a political action committee (PAC) dedicated to defeating Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius's pro-life opponent. Dr. Tiller's PAC receives funding not only from his own clinic but from other late-term abortionists from across the nation.

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins released the following statement responding to this latest revelation, which follows an admission of tax problems by the nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services and a failure to report more than $23,000 in direct campaign contributions from Dr. Tiller.

"The revelation that Gov. Sebelius owed back taxes and now the additional disclosure of her deep financial ties to the abortion industry invite a serious question about her integrity. What else has she not told us? What else remains in Gov. Sebelius's closet? What other alliances are there? What other political contributions may have influenced her decisions as governor?

"She pocketed money from one of the most infamous abortion clinics in the nation then shortly there after vetoed legislation that would require abortion clinics to meet minimal safety standards. This appears to be a deadly political payback, one that compromises her ability to carry out her duty to run the federal government's largest agency.

"HHS addresses every facet of Americans' health and well-being, from drug approvals and leading-edge medical research to food safety and disease prevention. If we can't trust Gov. Sebelius to be open and honest about her money connections, how we can trust her to administer and improve our health care system?

"We urge President Obama to withdraw this nomination and fulfill his campaign promises of establishing an ethical Administration and uniting citizens around common goals. We also urge the U.S. Senate to reject this nomination and make clear that the American people expect a nominee who upholds strong ethical standards and has a record of accountability.

"We will include the vote on Kathleen Sebelius's nomination in our annual Vote Scorecard which tracks votes in Congress critical to the family."

Go to this link to Download a copy of the George Tiller letter http://downloads.frc.org/EF/EF09D26.pdf

Notre Dame Obama Scandal: Remove School From Catholic Directory

/PRNewswire / -- American Life League wants the University of Notre Dame removed from the Official Catholic Directory (Kennedy Directory) - the official list of Catholic institutions in the United States.

Removal from the Kennedy Directory by Bishop John D'Arcy will cut the school off from much Catholic foundation funding.

The call comes a week after American Life League went on location to interview Notre Dame's student body after news rocked the Catholic world that pro-abortion President Barack Obama was invited to address the graduating class and receive an honorary degree from one of the nation's most identifiable Catholic universities.

While 25 bishops have condemned the school's actions and hundreds of thousands of Catholic faithful are calling for the invitation to be rescinded, the report shows a student body divided by the school's institutionalized opposition to Catholic teaching and their desire to restore Catholicism to Our Lady's University.

"We found a tragic attitude at the University of Notre Dame -- apathy, if not hostility, toward the faith," said Judie Brown, president of ALL. "In the service of truth, we ask Bishop D'Arcy to acknowledge what the entire nation and Notre Dame itself already know: The university is backing away from the Catholic Church."

"In light of Notre Dame's past in the service of Our Lady, what is now keeping Notre Dame Catholic? Not the president who honors a man guilty of promoting an intrinsic evil; not the faculty -- notoriously liberal. The hope of Notre Dame lies with the students faithful to the mission of the Church," Brown said. "For their sake we hope and pray Notre Dame rescinds this honor to President Obama and upholds the Catholic identity that made the school one of the glories of the Catholic Church. If the university will not do this, then it should be removed from the Official Catholic Directory."

Americans United for Life Urges HHS to Retain Conscience Rule

/PRNewswire / -- Americans United for Life (AUL) today filed comments with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) supporting the retention of a December 2008 rule providing a much-needed enforcement mechanism for federal laws protecting healthcare freedom of conscience.

Dr. Charmaine Yoest, AUL President & CEO stated, "Congress has a 36-year history of passing laws to protect healthcare freedom of conscience. This rule simply provides HHS and the Administration with the means to fulfill their sworn constitutional duty to properly enforce these laws."

On March 10, 2009, HHS announced its intention to rescind the rule enacted in the final months of the Bush Administration. The rule is opposed by pro-abortion groups, who included a demand for its repeal in a 55-page memorandum to the Obama Transition Team in December 2008--arguing it limits access to the full range of reproductive healthcare.

AUL Vice President of Legal Affairs Denise Burke remarked, "Comprehensive conscience protections and proper enforcement of existing federal laws will help ensure access to quality medical care for all Americans."

Burke continued, "While the majority of federal conscience laws are intended to protect those who decline to participate in abortions, some also protect those who choose to perform them. It is, therefore, incredibly short-sighted for abortion advocates to actively lobby against the enforcement of these protections."

FRC Deplores Obama's Expected Action Against Conscience Protections

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, the Family Research Council (FRC) responded to President Obama's expected action to stop the implementation of regulations to enforce the Church, Coats, and Weldon Amendments that protect health care providers' right of conscience. These regulations would have increased public awareness of, and ensured governmental enforcement of, these vital statutes.

Tony Perkins, President of Family Research Council, released the following statement:

"For President Obama to do this would be a huge blow to religious freedom and First Amendment rights. No one should be forced to have an abortion, and no one should be forced to be an abortionist in violation of their religious or ethical convictions. However, President Obama intends to stop regulations to enforce conscience protection statutes. In doing so, he will open the door to discrimination against the choice of healthcare workers who do not want to be complicit in abortion or other controversial practices. These regulations would have ensured that healthcare workers are not forced to participate in the performance or promotion of abortion against their will.

"Despite current law that has protected conscience rights for over 30 years, the lack of regulations resulted in confusion and a lack of awareness within the health care community, leaving health care personnel vulnerable to discrimination and forcing them to drop their specialties at a crucial time of health care scarcity. Protecting the right of all health care providers to make professional judgments based on moral convictions and ethical standards is foundational to federal law and is necessary to ensure that access to healthcare is not diminished, which will occur if healthcare workers are forced out of their jobs because of their ethical stances. President Obama's intention to change the language of these protections would result in the government becoming the conscience and not the individual. It is a person's right to exercise their moral judgment, not the government's to decide it for them.

"It is unfortunate that President Obama is planning to bow down to pro-abortion forces and stop enforcement of laws enacted to protect the choice of healthcare providers not to participate in abortion or other controversial practices. Family Research Council urges President Obama to change course and defend the conscience laws for healthcare workers by keeping these much-needed regulations in place."

Gallup Poll: Most Americans Disapprove of Mexico City Policy Reversal

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A USA Today/Gallup poll on actions taken by President Obama showed the least support for his January 23 decision to reverse the Mexico City Policy and restore U.S. funding to organizations that perform and promote abortion in developing nations. Deirdre McQuade, assistant director for policy and communications for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities, commented on the January 31-February 1 survey:

"Cardinal Justin Rigali, Chairman of the U.S. bishops' Committee on Pro-Life Activities, has said that the bishops find the recent decision by President Barack Obama to reverse the Mexico City Policy 'very disappointing.' Most Americans seem to agree.

The recent USA Today/Gallup poll shows that only 35 percent of those surveyed approve of the President's controversial move 'allowing funding to overseas family planning groups that provide abortions.' Fifty-eight percent disapproved of this executive order.

An Administration that wants to reduce abortions should not divert U.S. funds to groups that perform and promote abortion.

Our country faces serious national challenges at this time, requiring Americans to unite for the common good of all, especially the poor and vulnerable. This is no time to divide our nation with policies that offend the pro-life values of most Americans."

American Life League Statement on Pelosi's State-Enforced War on Preborn Babies

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- American Life League executive director Shaun Kenney issued the following statement today regarding Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's interview with ABC News on Sunday. Rep. Pelosi stated that the millions of dollars slated for contraception in the economic stimulus package would "reduce costs to the states and to the federal government."

"At a time of financial crisis, Nancy Pelosi's solution is to kill future taxpayers."

"Pelosi has described herself as 'an ardent, practicing Catholic.' But ardent, practicing Catholics do not treat destruction of human beings and human dignity as an economic stimulus plan. They do not see the death of countless preborn Americans through the use of abortifacient birth control as an opportunity to 'reduce state costs.'"

"Family planning regimes across the world have been noted for their brutality. China's "One-Child" policy has literally exterminated over one hundred million human beings. That Pelosi would seek to imitate such brutality with state-enforced policies designed to discourage women from exercising their right to bring life into this world is not only horrific; it's a betrayal of her Catholic faith."

"Archbishop George Niederauer of San Francisco has already spoken to Pelosi about her incorrect portrayals of the Catholic faith. It is painfully clear Pelosi has not received this message."

"Worse, Pelosi is willing to distort Catholic social teaching in order to further a narrow political ideology."

"Catholics everywhere now look towards Archbishop Neiderauer. American Life League publicly calls on Archbishop Neiderauer to enforce Canon 915 and protect the Eucharist from further politicization by this radical clique of pro-abortion Catholics. A clear and strong message needs to be sent, not only for the souls of the faithful who would be misled by such mixed messages, but for Pelosi's sake as well."

FRC Condemns President Obama's $441 Million Bailout of International Abortions

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On the day after millions of Americans solemnly marked the 36th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision that has led to the loss of an estimated 50 million lives, President Barack Obama took unilateral steps to expand abortion at taxpayers' expense.

In one of his first official acts as President of the United States, President Barack Obama rescinded the "Mexico City Policy." This policy prohibits taxpayer funds from going to foreign non-governmental organizations that use other funds to promote and perform abortions. Under the Mexico City Policy, funding for family planning is not reduced by one penny but recipient agencies must decide whether or not to engage in abortion promotion or provision. A policy against promoting abortion is only "anti-family planning" if one assumes that abortion itself is a method of "family planning."

Tony Perkins, President of Family Research Council, had this to say:

"Yesterday, President Obama issued executive orders banning the torture of terrorists but today signed an order that exports the torture of unborn children around the world. At a debate last year at Rick Warren's Saddleback Church, then-candidate Barack Obama vowed to find 'common ground' on the issue of abortion and that he, as President, would work to 'reduce the number of abortions.' His action today flies in the face of that vow and probably sets a record as the most quickly broken campaign promise ever leaving the question, how many more broken promises to families lie ahead?

"Both sides of the abortion debate, from Planned Parenthood to Family Research Council, agree on a simple economic point: when you subsidize abortion, abortions will increase. Thanks to his actions today, U.S. taxpayers will be forced to take part in exporting a culture of death. We have a responsibility to respect the policies and traditions of the other countries, which have laws recognizing the right to life of the unborn, and it is an insult to fund organizations that are intent on overturning those laws by promoting an elite ideology of abortion on demand.

"One of President Obama's first acts is to rescind this vital government policy and reward pro-abortion groups. This should serve as a bitter pill for those who campaigned for him, all the while proclaiming their belief in the cause of life and family."

President Obama Gives the Unborn at Least a 24 Hour Reprieve, Postpones $441 Million Bailout of International Abortions, Says Family Research Council

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On the day that millions of Americans solemnly marked the 36th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision that has led to the loss of an estimated 50 million lives, President Barack Obama was widely expected to issue an executive order rescinding the "Mexico City Policy," which prohibits taxpayer funds from going to foreign non-governmental organizations that use other funds to promote and perform abortions.

Instead, the President issued a statement reiterating his support for Roe v. Wade. Media reports indicate that he eventually plans to sign an executive order overturning the "Mexico City Policy" despite promises made during the campaign and today to "reduce the number of abortions."

Tony Perkins, President of Family Research Council, had this to say:

"Today, President Obama chose to give unborn children at least a 24-hour reprieve before he signs an executive order that sends millions in U.S. taxpayer funds to pro-abortion groups around the world. Some may see this brief delay as an 'olive branch' to the hundreds of thousands attending today's March for Life. If this is an olive branch, we'd like to see the olive tree.

"These marchers aren't a special interest group seeking recognition for themselves. Rather, they march for the day when unborn children are fully protected under law. Regardless of whether the order takes effect today or tomorrow, granting the unborn a 24-hour reprieve is not enough. It may be an extra day of life, but these children deserve a full life, protected under law.

"We have a responsibility to respect the policies and traditions of the many other countries, that have laws recognizing the right to life of the unborn, and it is an insult to fund organizations that are intent on overturning those laws by promoting an elite ideology of abortion on demand."

President Obama to Press Reset Button

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- President Barack Obama promised Planned Parenthood that, "The first thing I'd do as president is sign the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA)." If he keeps this promise, American Right To Life president Brian Rohrbough said, "President Obama will press the reset button on the pro-life movement and reverse decades of legislation, regulations not built on the firm foundation of personhood, but misguided laws built on sand shifting in the political wind."

Catholic Bishops are warning that FOCA would regulate even pro-life medical facilities, pushing Catholic hospitals toward aborting children. "These bishops actually opposed valid personhood bills," said Rohrbough. "While supporting the immoral strategy of regulating child killing, they may be forced to take their own medicine, and become the target of further regulation, or close their hospitals."

"FOCA trumps regulations, and personhood trumps FOCA," said Rohrbough, "because personhood invokes the laws that already protect persons. For a state to re-introduce slavery is inconceivable, yet after a mere election cycle, Obama is committed to reverse decades of misguided pro-life effort." American Right To Life opposes what it calls the "pro-life industry" exposing that "National Right To Life's regulation of child killing will never end abortion; establishing personhood from the very moment of human reproduction is the only way to protect the innocent."

Lawyer Clarke Forsythe, president of Americans United for Life (AUL), erred when he wrote in Human Life Review that the partial-birth abortion ban "served as a legal fence." Laws that end with, "and then you can kill the baby," as do all such regulations including the PBA ban, erect no walls, nor fences, but only swinging gates. "The PBA fiasco confirms what happens when a Christian movement is turned over to secular humanist lawyers," said American RTL's VP Steve Curtis, "because it never had the authority to save one child, as James Dobson stated that 'Ending partial-birth abortion...does not save a single human life."

World Magazine's latest issue reports that FOCA "would kill... informed consent, waiting periods, ultrasound use, and parental involvement, [prohibition of] federal funding..., and the partial-birth abortion ban." American RTL sees the FOCA fight as the opportunity for pro-lifers to unite in establishing personhood and the God-given right to life.

Senator Reid, Reps. Slaughter and DeGette Introduce the Prevention First Act

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) joined Rules Committee Chairwoman Louise M. Slaughter (D-NY) and Energy and Commerce Committee Vice Chair Diana DeGette (D-CO) to introduce the Prevention First Act, legislation that will improve access to women's health care, reduce the rate of unintended pregnancy and reduce abortions -- all while saving scarce public health dollars.

"The United States has among the highest rates of unintended pregnancies of all industrialized nations. Half of all pregnancies in the United States are unintended, and nearly half of those end in abortion," said Majority Leader Reid. "It is time to come together and enact effective policies that will help to prevent unintended pregnancies, reduce the number of abortions, and improve access to health care for women. We can find not only common ground, but also common sense in our Prevention First Act."

"If we want to reduce the number of abortions in this country, the methodology is clear -- empower women to prevent unintended pregnancies through education and access to contraception," said Congresswoman Slaughter. "For every dollar spent on family planning services, it is estimated that almost four dollars is saved in public health spending. This comprehensive approach to protecting women's reproductive health will not only decrease the spread of STDs and reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies, but save money."

"It is imperative that we implement a comprehensive, medically accurate, science-based approach to reducing the need for abortion," said Congresswoman DeGette. "The United States has a much higher rate of unintended pregnancy than other developed nations. The Prevention First Act is the key to changing that."

A new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that the nation's teen pregnancy rate has increased for the first time in 15 years.

This legislation would take a number of steps to reduce unintended pregnancies including:

-- Increase Funding for the National Family Planning Program (Title X).
-- Expand Medicaid Family Planning Services.
-- End Insurance Discrimination Against Women.
-- Improve Awareness about Emergency Contraception (EC).
-- Provide Compassionate Assistance for Rape Victims.
-- Reduce Teen Pregnancy.
-- Ensure that All Federal Programs Provide Medically Accurate
Information.


Research shows, and a majority of the public believes, that improving access to family planning services is the most effective way to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and to reduce abortions.