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Two Planned Parenthood-Linked Companies Charged with Selling Aborted Babies’ Organs

Photo credit: Quinn Dombrowski via Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Planned Parenthood celebrated its 100th anniversary Sunday under a cloud of ongoing scandal. Just last week, the District Attorney of Orange County, California filed charges against two companies previously allied with Planned Parenthood — DaVinci Biosciences and DV Biologics — for illegally profiting from the sale of aborted babies’ organs.

DaVinci Biosciences should sound familiar to anyone following Planned Parenthood’s baby parts controversy. The medical director of Planned Parenthood Orange and San Bernadino Counties, Jennefer Russo, confirms their relationship in a Center for Medical Progress video released in March. Russo explains how DaVinci “take[s] the whole specimen” and reveals not only that the facilities she oversees manipulate babies into breech position to get intact organs, but do not use digoxin — making it likely that babies have been born alive. Planned Parenthood provided DaVinci Biosciences and DV Biologics with baby hearts, livers, brains, and more for eight years. DaVinci Biosciences also made donations to Planned Parenthood (see Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernadino County’s annual report, page 10).

It is heartening to see the District Attorney prosecuting these companies, especially at a time when Planned Parenthood has joined forces with the state of California to censor its critics. However, Planned Parenthood — DaVinci’s longtime partner and supplier — must be investigated, too. In the grisly fetal organ trade, the evidence leads back to Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion business, or as StemExpress founder Cate Dyer put it: “a volume institution.” There should be justice not only in abortion-friendly California, but across the nation. Continue Reading

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After 40 Years, This Policy Has Saved 2 Million Lives — And Hillary Wants to End It

Photo credit: Quinn Dombrowski via Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Today marks the 40th anniversary of the Hyde Amendment, bipartisan policy that prevents taxpayer funds from being used to pay for abortion on-demand through Medicaid. For decades, the Hyde Amendment — named for its lead proponent, the great pro-life Congressman Henry Hyde — has protected unborn children as well as the conscience rights of pro-life taxpayers who do not want to be complicit in abortion.

A new report from the Charlotte Lozier Institute calculates that because of the Hyde Amendment, more than two million people — each one of them created and sent to this world for a purpose — are alive today. How many other government policies can boast that profound and lifesaving an impact?

The majority of Americans (including 63 percent of women, 45 percent of those who say they are “pro-choice” and 44 percent of Democrats) oppose the use of their taxes to fund abortion, but Hillary Clinton and her abortion industry allies want to end this 40-year consensus. Indeed, the two presidential candidates have staked out opposite positions. Donald Trump just last week reiterated his pro-life commitments and pledged to enshrine the Hyde Amendment into law, while Clinton wants to repeal it. Her radical support for forcing taxpayers to fund abortion on-demand, up until the moment of birth is out of step — even with members of her own party. The distinction between the candidates here could not be more clear.

In honor of this anniversary, Susan B. Continue Reading

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Mike Pence Promises a Trump Presidency Will Stand for Life

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence (photo credit: Gage Skidmore)

If there was ever any question about who pro-life voters should support on Election Day, Mike Pence — who has championed pro-life initiatives in Congress and as governor of Indiana — cleared it up over the weekend. At the annual Values Voter Summit on Saturday, Gov. Pence once again demonstrated his deep roots in the pro-life movement as well as his unyielding commitment to working alongside Donald Trump to protect life in the White House.

“The Trump-Pence administration will stand for the sanctity of life and defend the unborn from the first day we take office,” he said, before reiterating specific commitments that Donald Trump has made.

First, Pence said that if elected, their administration would end painful late-term abortions nationwide by advancing and signing into law the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. Quoting Donald Trump himself, Pence said: “we should not be one of seven countries that allows elective abortion after 20 weeks. It goes against our core values.”

Second, Pence assured voters that “the days of public funding for Planned Parenthood are over when the Trump-Pence Administration arrives in Washington, D.C.” The Trump-Pence ticket will defund America’s leading abortion chain as long as they continue to perform abortions, and re-allocate their funding to community health centers that provide comprehensive care. “Donald Trump and I both know the largest abortion provider in America should not also be the largest recipient of federal funds under Title X. Things will change.”

Pence added that Donald Trump will appoint pro-life justices in the mold of Antonin Scalia to the Supreme Court. Continue Reading

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Gary Johnson and Bill Weld Do Not Deserve Pro-Lifers’ Votes

From left: former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld and former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson (photo credit: Gage Skidmore)

Lately there has been a flurry of interest in the Libertarian ticket of Gary Johnson and Bill Weld, including op-eds suggesting that they are a sensible alternative for pro-life voters disillusioned with both major parties. I couldn’t disagree more. Johnson and Weld are unacceptable for pro-lifers. Period. Johnson has said he supports abortion up until viability, while Weld supports unlimited abortion on-demand, up until the moment of birth.

The United States is currently one of only seven nations to allow abortion on-demand after five months — more than halfway through pregnancy and a point at which research shows the unborn child can feel pain. Seventeen states have passed legislation to end the horror of these late-term abortions within their borders, but only federal legislation will get us off the list of seven extreme countries, which includes China and North Korea.

A majority of the U.S. House and Senate have already voted in support of this compassionate, popular legislation, but we are going to need to protect our pro-life majority in the Senate and elect a pro-life president in order to move this ball down the court.

There is no evidence the Libertarian candidates will do anything for pro-life voters hoping to advance this legislation.

Some have argued that because they support limited government, the Libertarians are the most acceptable option for pro-lifers because they will not interfere with our recent legislative successes at the state level. Continue Reading

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Kaine’s Mixed Signals on Abortion Reveal He Will Say Anything to Win

Tim Kaine wants to win, and now we know he’ll say anything to do it.

That includes misleading voters on his position on the Hyde Amendment, the popular, bipartisan policy that has protected the conscience rights of taxpayers for decades by stopping federal funding of elective abortions under Medicaid.

The Democratic VP nominee has flip-flopped his position on taxpayer funding of abortion five times in the last month.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) (Photo credit: Disney | ABC Television Group via Flickr, CC BY-ND 2.0)

Last Friday, Kaine told CNN he supports the Hyde Amendment, contradicting the Clinton-Kaine campaign manager Robby Mook who said Kaine supports repealing Hyde and backs Clinton’s abortion agenda “100%.”

Over the weekend, Kaine said again, “My voting position on abortion hasn’t really changed. I support the Hyde Amendment. I haven’t changed that.”

But when Jonathan Swan reporting for The Hill asked what a Vice President Kaine would do if called upon to cast a tie-breaking vote on this policy in the U.S. Senate, Kaine’s answer — through a spokesperson — is telling:

“We’re just not going to speculating [sic] about the future, we’re focused on winning in November,” the aide said.

If you’re only focused on winning, you are not focused on principles. Kaine clearly has no interest in being up front and honest with the American people.

Voters deserve to know that Tim Kaine stands lock step with Hillary Clinton and the abortion lobby in wanting to force Americans to pay for abortion, on-demand, up until the moment of birth, with their tax dollars. Continue Reading

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A Hillary Clinton Presidency Would Be Terrible for the Pro-Life Movement

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (photo credit: Lorie Shaull via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0)

The season of waiting for the Supreme Court to issue some of its most controversial rulings of the year is upon us, and one of the most far-reaching decisions is the one on Texas’s abortion health and safety law. HB 2, adopted by wide margins in the state legislature, created tougher standards for Texas clinics and required abortion doctors to have admitting privileges at hospitals to facilitate treatment of complications.

It is always possible that the Court, which is short one member due to the death in February of Justice Antonin Scalia, will deadlock over the Texas law. But even if it doesn’t, the Court is closely split on abortion policy, which makes 2016 a potential turning point.

From one perspective, things could hardly be worse for right-to-life advocates. More than four decades after Roe v. Wade, the basics of that ruling are still in place and the United States still sees more than one million abortions each year. Abortions are legal in half the states even in the third trimester, public funds flow to abortion in 17 states, and the nation’s largest abortion provider, Planned Parenthood, receives more than$500 million from the government each year. Recent efforts to limit abortion after 12 weeks of pregnancy have been struck down, as have two states’ laws to limit abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Given this state of affairs, how much more damage could the replacement of Justice Scalia with a judicial activist for “abortion rights” actually do?

Continue Reading
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Pro-Lifers Will Be Watching Donald Trump Closely on Monday. Here’s Why.

Donald Trump (photo credit: Gage Skidmore)

I was encouraged when, during a meeting with evangelical and social conservative leaders this week, Donald Trump reiterated the most important pro-life commitment he has made to date: that he would appoint pro-life judges to the U.S. Supreme Court.

To quote him verbatim, “We are going to appoint great Supreme Court justices… These will be justices of great intellect… And they will be pro-life.”

Mr. Trump also spoke about threats to religious liberty and how the federal government continues to threaten the ability of people of faith and conscience to speak out in the public square.

The conversation which started on Tuesday is far from over, but it is encouraging and important that it is taking place. Over the next few weeks and months, I will continue to encourage Mr. Trump to reiterate all of the pro-life commitments he’s made to date:

  1. That he will appoint pro-life justices to the Supreme Court.
  2. That he will advocate for and sign into law the Pain-Cable Unborn Child Protection Act that would ban abortions after 5 months — a point by which the science is clear: unborn babies can feel pain.
  3. That he will defund Planned Parenthood, America’s largest abortion business.

He may get another opportunity to speak to these promises on Monday, when the Supreme Court is expected to rule on whether states have the right to protect the health and safety of women inside of America’s abortion facilities and to require abortionists to be known to the local hospital and have admitting privileges in case of emergencies. Continue Reading

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Betrayal of Pro-Lifers Dooms Renee Ellmers

Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-NC) (photo credit: House Committee on Foreign Affairs via Flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0)

Last night we flexed the political muscle of the pro-life movement when we defeated Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-N.C.).

For those who don’t remember what happened: In January of last year, Congresswoman Ellmers — a former ally of Susan B. Anthony List and the pro-life movement — led the charge to stop the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, our top legislative priority.

Congresswoman Ellmers — who had previously supported this compassionate, common sense legislation to protect babies after five months — changed course. Ellmers claimed that young people don’t care about abortion and that Republicans should not make the pro-life bill a priority.

Ellmers publicly removed her name as a co-sponsor from the bill and launched a media firestorm which derailed the legislation and prevented the scheduled vote. She drew attention away from the horrific reality that the U.S. is only one of seven nations on the planet to allow abortion on demand after five months.

Her betrayal could not have been more profound, especially for an organization like ours which places a special emphasis on women’s leadership. When she betrayed us, we sought to replace her with a trusted pro-life ally. That’s why we endorsed Congressman George Holding.

For weeks, the Susan B. Anthony List North Carolina canvassing team has gone door to door across the district, talking to primary voters about Rep. Ellmers betrayal. We knocked on 12,571 doors in the weeks leading up to the primary last night. Continue Reading

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The Pro-Life Case for Donald Trump

Donald Trump (photo credit: Gage Skidmore)

At long last, the Republicans have a presumptive nominee in Donald Trump.

For those of us concerned about the right to life of the unborn, now is a good time to reexamine what we know about Mr. Trump, as well as his most likely opponent, Hillary Clinton.

Donald Trump has made very specific pro-life commitments on the campaign trail. In July of last year, Trump was asked to support of the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, the pro-life movement’s top priority legislation, which would stop abortions after five months – more than halfway through pregnancy. This legislation has passed 15 states and the U.S. House of Representatives, would save 18,000 unborn lives a year, and is generally popular with Americans – women in higher number than men.

In an exclusive statement to CBN’s David Brody, Mr. Trump committed to supporting this legislation and urged Congress to advance it. “We should not be one of seven countries that allows elective abortions after 20 weeks,” said Mr. Trump, “It goes against our core values.”

In February, after Justice Scalia’s tragic death, Mr. Trump committed to appointing constitutionalist judges and, during the February 13thCBS debate, even went so far as to identify Diane Sykes and Bill Pryor as potential choices he would make in appointing justices to the Supreme Court. This alone – preserving the balance of the court and preventing any more pro-abortion extremists – would be a powerful step forward for life.

[…]

Read the full article at Townhall.com. Continue Reading

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Donald Trump Makes Huge Pro-Life Hire

Donald Trump (photo credit: Gage Skidmore)

“Huge” news for those in the pro-life movement concerned about this year’s election.

Donald Trump has brought on John Mashburn as his Policy Director. This is an excellent hire, especially for the pro-life movement and our legislative priorities.

I have known and respected John Mashburn for many years. He is a smart strategist with deep pro-life roots. John is well-respected across every issue set. For him, the life issue is foundational and one which helped draw him into politics.

My fellow North Carolina native has an impressive resume. Most recently, he served as Chief of Staff to U.S. Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina. Tillis, who Susan B. Anthony List and our allies worked hard to elect in 2014, has been an outspoken advocate for the unborn and their mothers since his election.

Prior to working for Sen. Tillis, John served in the leadership offices of the Senate Majority Leader, Senate Republican Conference Secretary, and House Majority Whip, and has held leadership positions under the chairman and ranking senator of several congressional committees, not to mention working for non-profits public policy groups.

Perhaps the best indication of John’s longtime pro-life advocacy is that he once served Sen. Jesse Helms, a well-known pro-life activist and leader of the conservative movement. Sen. Helms fought heroically to stop abortion on-demand in our nation and for the protection of unborn children, mothers, and taxpayers.

If I were running for president, I would want John Mashburn as a top advisor, too. Continue Reading