URGENT! What Does The Shutdown Showdown Mean For Pro-Life Cause?

The showdown as to whether or not the federal government will be (partially) shut down will take place on Friday, April 8. And it turns out, it’s really not even about the money, according to Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV).

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MISSOURI PRO-LIFE ALERT!

March 17, 2011

In order to counteract the many pro-life activities which are demanding the de-funding of Planned Parenthood, Pink Buses are going to various PP facilities in order to drum up support for their “women’s services.” 

Pro-life activists are meeting the bus at each location with signs to offset the publicity that the Pink Buses are getting.

If you would like to help rally for Life at these Missouri killing centers, details are shown below for the Friday (March 18) and Saturday (March 19) rallies. Contact Mary Maschmeier at 314-346-9052 or defenseless@sbcglobal.net with any questions.  Here is what Mary says about these rallies:

“On Saturday we are in need of pro-life warriors to stand witness as this bus travels around Planned Parenthood.  We want to use the graphic signs so please don't bring your children if you don't feel comfortable.  It is vital that we counter this outrage. Please join Defenders of the Unborn in this important protest. Remember Planned Parenthood is the LAST KILLING CENTER IN MISSOURI!”


  

PLANNED PARENTHOOD’S BIG PINK BUS RALLY!

•  Springfield: Friday, March 18^th 5:30-6:30PM Phelps Grove Park, 950 E. Bennett St., Springfield, MO 65807 crystal.brigman@ppslr.org to RSVP 
• Columbia:  Saturday, March 19^th 10-11:30AM Planned Parenthood Columbia Health Center, 711 N. Providence Rd. michelle.trupiano@ppkm.org to RSVP
•  St. Louis:  Saturday, March 19^th 2:30 – 4:15PM Planned Parenthood Central West End Health Center at the corner of Forest Park Ave and Boyle (4251 Forest Park Ave.) mevie.mead@ppslr.org to RSVP

Let’s Get The Facts Straight On The Texas House Sonogram Bill

Much misinformation has been reported regarding the sonogram bill recently passed by the Texas House. Let’s take a look at the real facts.

Fact Number One: No woman will be forced to look at her sonogram nor to listen to her baby’s heartbeat. Rather, these will be made available for her if she wishes. Currently, nearly every abortion is preceded by a sonogram in order to determine the gestational age of the baby, since price is based upon that age. Women deserve the same full knowledge about an abortion as would be given for any other medical procedure.

Fact Number Two: Some claim that a sonogram is “invasive and medically unnecessary.”  Virtually any medical diagnostic procedure is invasive to some extent, and the sonogram IS necessary in order to accurately assess the stage of the pregnancy, which type of procedure will be done and sometimes actually to guide the doctor in performing the abortion.

Fact Number Three: In reality, an abortion facility’s sonogram is virtually never shown to or discussed with the woman. In fact, she normally never even meets the doctor who will be doing the procedure, as she will be sedated when the gowned, masked abortionist enters the room and completes his task without even speaking to her.

What other medical procedure would leave the patient so uninformed and de-personalized? What if she has questions? What if she isn’t sure about her choice? Even a simple wart isn’t removed without fully informed consent following a consultation with the surgeon. So why should we expect a woman to lose that fully-informed status when she is seeking to end a pregnancy? She is entitled to know the potential dangers in the procedure, to ask questions about how she will feel afterwards, both physically and emotionally, and then given adequate time to evaluate the information she’s been provided.

Fact Number Four: The 24-hour waiting period has caused some consternation among those who are eager for women to be assessed, “informed” by a non-physician, sedated and then terminate their pregnancies all on the same day. Short of an emergency situation, what other medical procedure would be so rushed? Indeed, there usually are several days, even weeks, between the time of the diagnosis, discussion of options, informed consent to the selected procedure and the actual medical procedure itself.

So what’s the rush? What’s the problem with empowering the patient by fully informing her of her condition and how that condition will be changed from pregnant to non-pregnant? Of what are the pro-choice advocates so afraid?

Perhaps it’s that the choice a fully-informed woman might make would be less profitable for the abortion providers.

Fact Number Five: Abortion is big dollar medicine. The nearly 85,000 Texas abortions performed annually gross upwards of $43 million.  In her book UnPLANNED,  Abby Johnson, former director of the Bryan Planned Parenthood clinic, reports that their clinics throughout the state were pushed hard to improve their bottom lines by “selling” more abortions, as opposed to dispensing contraceptives. So if a prospective client sees a sonogram and realizes that it’s not just a “pregnancy” or a “clump of cells,” she might make a different choice than abortion. And that affects the bottom line. The old adage is often true: Follow the money. Could that be the real reason that so much misinformation is being thrown out to confuse the public?

Fact Number Six: This proposed legislation will not restrict the choices women have regarding their pregnancies but instead will empower them with more complete information so that they truly will have an informed consent in exercising their “right to choose.”

Dianne Edmondson

Executive Director – Republican National Coalition for Life

3008 Clay Trail

Corinth, TX 76210

940/498-2407 (o)  940/391-6699 (c)

More Good Pro-Life Legislation Wednesday

The House Judiciary Committee will be holding a full Committee markup of H.R. 3, the "NO TAXPAYER FUNDING FOR ABORTION ACT," on Wednesday, March 2, 2011 at 10:15 AM in room 2141 of the Rayburn Building. A list of Members of the Judiciary Committee can be found here. (There are no pro-life Democrats on Judiciary and all Republicans on the Committee are pro-life.)

H.R. 3 is a government-wide permanent prohibition on taxpayer funding for abortion introduced by Reps. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Dan Lipinski (D-IL). So far, 208 Members of Congress have joined Smith and Lipinski as co-sponsors of H.R. 3.

This strong legislation should be passed by the Congress; however, the following Members co-sponsored the "NO TAXPAYER FUNDING FOR ABORTION ACT" in the last Congress, but have not yet co-sponsored it this year: Altmire (PA), Bilbray (CA), Camp (MI), Cuellar (TX), Culberson (TX), Graves, T. (GA), Issa (CA), Lewis, J. (CA), Lummis (WY), Mica (FL), Paulsen (MN), Rehberg (MT), Rohrabacher (CA), Rooney (FL), Upton (MI). (Republicans are Italic and bolded.)

The following Freshman Republicans also have not yet co-sponsored the "NO TAXPAYER FUNDING FOR ABORTION ACT:" Adams (FL), Bass C. (NH), Bucshon (IN), Dold (IL), Gibson (NY), Guinta (NH), Hanna (NY), Hayworth (NY), Heck (NV), Herrera (WA), Meehan (PA), Nugent (FL), Reed (NY), Renacci (OH), Runyan (NJ), Tipton (CO), Webster (FL), Yoder (KS).

These co-sponsors are very important when the bill reaches the floor of the House.

ACTION: If your Congressman is on the list as having not yet sponsored HR 3, please email him/her and urge him/her to co-sponsor either as a returning sponsor or a new one. Thanks!

Special Pro-Life Action Alert!

TOMORROW (FRIDAY, FEB. 11) AT 9 A.M., the Health Subcommittee of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee will hold a markup on H.R. 358, the “Protect Life Act.” This is the first step in moving this legislation forward.

The bill is sponsored by Rep. Joe Pitts (PA) and WILL UNDO THE SECTION IN OBAMACARE WHICH REQUIRES CERTAIN MEDICAL INSURANCE PLANS TO COVER ABORTIONS. IT ALSO PROVIDES A "CONSCIENCE CLAUSE," which protects health care entities, including hospitals, doctors and nurses, from being forced to undergo abortion training, perform abortions or provide abortion referrals. It will PREVENT FEDERAL FUNDING FOR ABORTION OR ABORTION COVERAGE through the government-related exchanges, community health centers, the OPM administered plans, or any other program authorized or appropriated by ObamaCare.

Please contact your Rep asking him/her to support H.R. 358, the Protect Life Act http://bit.ly/fDQ3UF