The U.S. House of Representatives
Posted on 01/23/2009 1:35:32 PM PST by NYer
.- More than 100 Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives have signed a letter to President Barack Obama asking that he withdraw his campaign pledge to sign the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) and other pro-abortion rights laws.
FOCA is legislation designed to protect abortion rights even if the Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade is overturned. It threatens to abolish existing minimal state and federal restrictions on abortion and could even threaten the rights of Catholic hospitals to refuse to perform abortions.
The Republicans’ Jan. 21 letter, which was signed by House Republican Leader Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) and 104 other House members, “respectfully urged” President Obama to withdraw his pledge to sign FOCA.
During his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, Obama told a July 2007 gathering of Planned Parenthood Action Fund “the first thing I'd do as president is to sign FOCA”
The letter from the Republicans claimed that “in one tragic act,” FOCA would “overturn virtually all pro-life laws nationwide.”
It also urged the president to refuse to support legislation that “incrementally enacts the FOCA agenda” by rescinding or weakening existing pro-life laws in a piecemeal fashion.
Noting the Jan. 22 anniversary of the Supreme Court pro-abortion rights decision Roe v. Wade, the letter said that laws such as the prohibition of taxpayer funding for abortions have been enacted to “mitigate the effects of the decision on unborn babies and their mothers.”
The Republicans’ letter also quoted the Nov. 12 remarks of Cardinal Francis George, Archbishop of Chicago and President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), whose statement to Obama spoke on behalf of all U.S. bishops.
As quoted in the Republicans’ letter, Cardinal George said FOCA would “deprive the American people in all fifty states of the freedom they now have to enact modest restraints and regulations on the abortion industry. FOCA would coerce all Americans into subsidizing and promoting abortion with their tax dollars.”
It would also have “lethal consequences for prenatal human life” and have “an equally destructive effect on the freedom of conscience of doctors, nurses and health care workers whose personal convictions do not permit them to cooperate in the private killing of unborn children,” Cardinal George commented.
The Republicans’ letter to President Obama continued: “We ask that you reject this divisive agenda,” referring to the one lamented by Cardinal George.
The politicians assert that FOCA will not reduce abortions, but rather do the opposite, citing two studies as evidence.
The first, by Michael J. New, reportedly found that the minor abortion rate falls by 19 to 31 percent after parental involvement laws are enacted.
The second, conducted by Heather D. Boonstra and published in the Guttmacher Policy Review, reportedly found that 18 to 35 percent of Medicaid patients who would have had an abortion continue their pregnancies when Medicaid will not pay for their abortion.
“Restrictions on funding for abortion save lives and protect the consciences of millions of Americans who do not want their tax dollars to be used to destroy innocent human life,” the Republicans said in their letter.
Citing President Obama’s expressed desire to unite Americans, the letter continued: “…too much is at stake for this divisive and destructive legislation to move forward and life-saving laws to be rolled back.”
“We respectfully urge you to withdraw your pledge to sign FOCA,” the letter concluded, again asking that the president also not sign legislation that “incrementally” enacts FOCA.
STATEMENT of the President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
"If the Lord does not build the house, in vain do its builders labor; if the Lord does not watch over the city, in vain does the watchman keep vigil." (Psalm 127, vs. 1)
The Bishops of the Catholic Church in the United States welcome this moment of historic transition and look forward to working with President-elect Obama and the members of the new Congress for the common good of all. Because of the Church's history and the scope of her ministries in this country, we want to continue our work for economic justice and opportunity for all; our efforts to reform laws around immigration and the situation of the undocumented; our provision of better education and adequate health care for all, especially for women and children; our desire to safeguard religious freedom and foster peace at home and abroad. The Church is intent on doing good and will continue to cooperate gladly with the government and all others working for these goods.
The fundamental good is life itself, a gift from God and our parents. A good state protects the lives of all. Legal protection for those members of the human family waiting to be born in this country was removed when the Supreme Court decided Roe vs. Wade in 1973. This was bad law. The danger the Bishops see at this moment is that a bad court decision will be enshrined in bad legislation that is more radical than the 1973 Supreme Court decision itself.
In the last Congress, a Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) was introduced that would, if brought forward in the same form today, outlaw any "interference" in providing abortion at will. It would deprive the American people in all fifty states of the freedom they now have to enact modest restraints and regulations on the abortion industry. FOCA would coerce all Americans into subsidizing and promoting abortion with their tax dollars. It would counteract any and all sincere efforts by government and others of good will to reduce the number of abortions in our country.
Parental notification and informed consent precautions would be outlawed, as would be laws banning procedures such as partial-birth abortion and protecting infants born alive after a failed abortion. Abortion clinics would be deregulated. The Hyde Amendment restricting the federal funding of abortions would be abrogated. FOCA would have lethal consequences for prenatal human life.
FOCA would have an equally destructive effect on the freedom of conscience of doctors, nurses and health care workers whose personal convictions do not permit them to cooperate in the private killing of unborn children. It would threaten Catholic health care institutions and Catholic Charities. It would be an evil law that would further divide our country, and the Church should be intent on opposing evil.
On this issue, the legal protection of the unborn, the bishops are of one mind with Catholics and others of good will. They are also pastors who have listened to women whose lives have been diminished because they believed they had no choice but to abort a baby. Abortion is a medical procedure that kills, and the psychological and spiritual consequences are written in the sorrow and depression of many women and men. The bishops are single-minded because they are, first of all, single-hearted.
The recent election was principally decided out of concern for the economy, for the loss of jobs and homes and financial security for families, here and around the world. If the election is misinterpreted ideologically as a referendum on abortion, the unity desired by President-elect Obama and all Americans at this moment of crisis will be impossible to achieve. Abortion kills not only unborn children; it destroys constitutional order and the common good, which is assured only when the life of every human being is legally protected. Aggressively pro-abortion policies, legislation and executive orders will permanently alienate tens of millions of Americans, and would be seen by many as an attack on the free exercise of their religion.
This statement is written at the request and direction of all the Bishops, who also want to thank all those in politics who work with good will to protect the lives of the most vulnerable among us. Those in public life do so, sometimes, at the cost of great sacrifice to themselves and their families; and we are grateful. We express again our great desire to work with all those who cherish the common good of our nation. The common good is not the sum total of individual desires and interests; it is achieved in the working out of a common life based upon good reason and good will for all.
Our prayers accompany President-elect Obama and his family and those who are cooperating with him to assure a smooth transition in government. Many issues demand immediate attention on the part of our elected "watchman." (Psalm 127) May God bless him and our country.
Yeah, uh, good luck with that.
Conscience Protection for Pro Lifers Bush leaves a parting gift and raises the FOCA stakes
December 26th, 2008
BY Kevin “Coach” Collins
collinsreport.net
George Bush has often disappointed us, but on Inauguration Day he’ll give pro lifers reason to smile.
Pro death liberal Gays are running around screaming over a parting shot at them taken by the outgoing president. The administration has enacted an executive order that shields pro lifers from being forced to participate in abortions or fertility procedures on lesbians against their consciences. That’s the good news. The better news is the order takes effect on January 20, 2009 just in time to welcome America’s most pro death president.
The Gay Community is in an uproar over this move. They are crying hysterically about the possibility of even janitors in Catholic hospitals refusing to sweep up their areas because the hospital does abortions or inseminates a lesbian. They think that would be terrible. Boo Hoo!
This order combined with Obama picking Rick Warren to officiate at his Inauguration will force Gays to put enormous pressure on him to immediately reverse this order. I hope he does. The quicker America sees the real Barack Obama the quicker we can start building the necessary coalition to defeat his agenda. An immediate reversal ought to do the trick.
Because they are amoral liberals who believe the only motivator to human behavior is money, liberal Gays will pressure their pro death buddies in the Democrat Party to pull federal funding from “offending” hospitals.
This will raise the stakes in the coming fight over the cynically named Freedom of Conscience Act (FOCA). In the Democrat’s bizzaro world, “freedom of conscience” means having no freedom of conscience because FOCA would force health providers to do abortions, even in religious hospitals. The FOCA war will start immediately, and the sooner the better. In November we lost by 7%. Can we change the minds of 4%? “Yes we can!”
The politically active gays believe Obama will reverse Bush’s order. They look forward to a victory over their enemies in the Catholic Church and the Family Research Council. They cry that Bush’s order will cost at least 44 million dollars, as if they are really concerned about the cost of government. Those who confidently predict that there will be no big showdown over the Freedom of Conscience Act (FOCA) ought to think again.
The Gay/Pro death forces are angry and disappointed with Barack Obama’s conduct so far. Asking Rick Warren to give the invocation at his Inauguration ceremonies has been more of a problem for Obama than anyone could have foreseen. Gay marriage supporters from California to New York are turning the heat up, not calming down. FOCA will not be an easy issue for Obama and with the myriad of other problems he faces, he might just “punt” and put its reversal on the shelf for a year or so. After all, the Gay/pro death crowd has no place else to go and both Obama and they know it.
Yep, and over 50% of those Catholics voted for Obama. You reap what you sow...
I came across this website above during research. Not for the faint hearted. One young lady survived abortion like the one in the first picture. Her body was badly burned from acid if I remember correctly. She is one of Obama's loudest opponents today.
You can't torture terrorists allies of Obama, but you can torture innocent newborns under Obama's abortion on demand policies.
blackgenocide.com reports how Obama is committing genocide to his people with his policies that affect african americans more than any other race.
What is the current casualty count?
So did a lot of protestants. We sell our souls for a piece of silver.
The Catholic Church is one of several Christian denominations (Methodist and Lutheran also) who provide health care and is the largest provider of health care services in the U.S. The ramifications of FOCA in its current form would be devastating to health care. It would, however, allow the government to fill the void and bring us full-blown socialized medicine. The choice is yours America. Sign the petitions now on Fight FOCA, or reap another reward of failing to see what's coming before it hits you.
Wait, Omama has to take a poll. We’ll get back to you on Tuesday.
Mr Obama, Responsibility means taking care of yourself and not asking for government handouts. Forcing taxpayers to fund abortions for teens as their birth control method, (possibly destroying their lives forever and/or injuries could making them barren forever) is deplorable. This decision would be government mandated to ruin these young girls life without the parents knowledge.
For a president to say a new era of responsibility then say funding for abortions will be part of your policies is speaking out of both sides of your mouth. Responsibility is only for those who do everything right because they will be the ones who pay for your welfare programs through tax increases, right Obama?
There are reasons for abortion. Personally it is not something I could do. I think these decisions are better off made with clergy, therapists and physicians and not government. I do not want my taxes paying for careless, casual sex abortions. Time for responsibility Obama.
And no taxpayer dollars for forced abortions in China. No matter how loud they scream. I wonder if Obama has those plans for America?!
And Obama when you say WE, do not speak for me. Speak for yourself and your agenda. You do not rule, you govern.
Now would be a good time for them to begin speaking out.
One word if this crap passes: Secession. Red states should secede from the Union. Let the liberals have their hellholes and whatever while all the jobs go to conservative states.
I am sorry you took offense at my posting. I certainly did not mean for it to come across as bashing, I was just making an observation. There are plenty of protestant churches and individuals who are fighting this evil. I commend them as well. Having said that, there are some that are far to silent for my taste. Indeed, I am disappointed by my own church’s tepid response. I consider the Catholic churchs position that “all life is sacred from conception to natural death” (if I am wrong, please correct me) to be from the heart of God. I am sure there are protestants (such as myself) who feel the same way. As for Catholic organizations and individuals who support abortion, I certainly am aware of that. But the official Catholic position is that abortion is wrong. We are responsible for our actions as individuals, it would be wrong to condemn the Catholic church as a whole for the actions of some of it’s members. If you look back to the original article, it referenced the Catholic bishops and their opposition to FOCA. I felt it was appropriate to applaud and encourage them on this, by doing so takes nothing away from protestants . Likewise, if my own denomination is wrong, I have an obligation to speak up. If you will note, I said some, not all. When an article is posted about a Protestant or Jewish or even secular pro-life organization, I will applaud them as well. I just wish to encourage fellow pro-lifers, and gently chide my fellow Christians who are not. If I have mis-represented the Catholic stand on this issue, please correct me. If I have offended you, I am truly sorry.But in good conscience, I stand by my original post on the correctness of the Catholic position on the sanctity of life, and the silence on the part of some protestant denominations. God Bless You and Yours
Respectfully - JM
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