Pro-life Bills Gain Traction After House Health Care Repeal Vote

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 20, 2011

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Susan B. Anthony List applauded the introduction of two bills in the House this morning that would end taxpayer funding of abortion, the “Protect Life Act” and the “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act” and urged quick action to bring them to votes on the floor. 

The introduction of the bills comes just two days before the 37th anniversary of the tragic Roe v. Wade U.S. Supreme Court decision.  Nearly 40,000 pro-life activists have signed the SBA List’s Stop Abortion Funding petition calling for passage of legislation that ends taxpayer funding of abortion.

“Congress received marching orders from the American people last November to end taxpayer funding of abortion,” said SBA List President Marjorie Dannenfelser.  “The bills introduced today by Representatives Joe Pitts (R-PA), Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Dan Lipinski (D-IL) would get the job done.  The 112th Congress understands the urgency of addressing the tragedy of nearly 4,000 abortions per day, over 52 million total since Roe v. Wade.  Now is the time to pass laws that save lives and end taxpayer funding of abortion.”

The “Protect Life Act,” sponsored by pro-life champion Rep. Joe Pitts (PA-16), Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) to ensure that no federal funds pay for elective abortion, prevents any federal agency from mandating abortion and protects the conscience of healthcare workers. 

The “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act,” is sponsored by the Co-Chairs of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, Reps. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Dan Lipinski (D-IL), and creates a government-wide statutory prohibition on taxpayer funding of abortion.  The bill codifies the Hyde amendment which ensures that no federal funds pay for abortion under the Labor Health and Human Services Appropriations Bill along with several other pro-life riders that currently have to be considered every year.  

The bill is a priority piece of legislation being lobbied for in the SBA List’s Stop Abortion Funding campaign (www.StopAbortionFunding.com) along with the “Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act,” sponsored by Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN), which will ensure that tax dollars are not sent to abortion providers under Title X family planning grants. 

The Susan B. Anthony List spent $11 million during the 2010 midterm election cycle. Overall, the SBA List was involved in 90 races including 62 wins and 28 losses. Successes included: defeating 15 of 20 so-called “pro-life” Democrats who voted for abortion funding in the health care reform bill; increasing the number of pro-life women in the House by 70 percent; filling the void of pro-life women in the U.S. Senate and increasing the number of pro-life women governors from one to four.  

 

For further information, please contact Kerry Brown at (703) 470-1926 or [email protected].  

 

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