Protecting Life: Legislation in Congress

With the start of a new Congress, there will be special focus on the issue of abortion and protecting human life. 

 

We know that groups like Planned Parenthood, N.A.R.A.L, People for the American Way and others will be pushing hard in Congress to lift restrictions regarding abortion-on-demand as well as lobbying for more federal funding for abortions.

 

While some of these attacks on life will be more visible than others - with legislation like the Freedom of Choice Act, which will strip away many of the limits on abortion - some of the requests for more funding and the lifting of restrictions will take place at the subcommittee and committee levels in Congress.

 

As the 111th Congress unfolds, pro-life Congressmen and Senators have already made it clear that they will continue to defend human life.  In the Senate, for instance, David Vitter of Louisiana and others are putting forward several pro-life bills that we at the ACLJ have worked on for several years now.

 

Our legislative team in Washington is working on these issues and heres a brief look at some of the measures we are focusing on in Congress:

 

Pro-Life Bills being offered in the Senate during the 111th Congress:

 

(S.85)  Title X Family Planning Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to prohibit federal family planning funds from being awarded to any grantees who perform abortions or whose sub-grantees perform abortions. (Planned Parenthood Defunding)

  

(S.96)  Abortion Non-Discrimination Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to include a health care entitys refusal to provide coverage of, or pay for, induced abortions.  (Protects hospitals that refuse to perform or pay for abortions.)

 

(S.98)  Pregnant Women Health and Safety Act - Requires a physician who performs an abortion to: (1) have admitting privileges at a local hospital; and (2) notify the patient of the location of the hospital where the patient can receive follow-up care by the physician if complications arise.  Provides for an exception for an abortion that is necessary to save the life.

 

(S.99)  Ethical Stem Cell Research Tax Credit Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax credit for 30% of qualified stem cell research expenses paid or incurred in a taxable year. Prohibits a tax credit for any research expenses that may involve: (1) the creation of a human embryo for research purposes; (2) the destruction of or discarding of, or risk of injury to, a human embryo; or (3) the use of any stem cell for prohibited purposes.  (Tax credit for stem cell research that does not destroy life.)

 

These are important measures and our legislative team in Washington is committed to doing all that it can to protect human life.   As you may know, with the new makeup of the Senate and Congress, it will be an uphill battle.  We will keep you posted as these measures move forward.