Week in Review – PP’s latest attack on Blacks; and news from California, Massachusetts, and Arkansas
California governor appoints Kelly Pfeifer, a volunteer physician at Planned Parenthood Great Plains, as deputy director of mental health and substance use disorder services at the California Department of Health Care Services.
Last week we gave you details of the situation in Worcester (MA) and the inappropriate presentation Planned Parenthood made to 15 summer employees. The presentation encouraged the college-aged employees to advocate for comprehensive sexuality education in the Worcester schools. Well, that Planned Parenthood presentation has sparked a great deal of investigation by the public into what is going on in Worcester. ThisWeekinWorcester.com (TWIW) filed FOIA requests with the city, looking for all correspondence in the city about comprehensive sexuality education. In an article posted on TWIW this week, many background facts on the relationship between the city and Planned Parenthood were revealed. It uncovered, for example, a meeting in Boston between Planned Parenthood officials and the mayor of Worcester. According to the mayor, the meeting was to discuss a new sexuality education program the mayor wants introduced into the Worcester schools. The mayor has made it clear in e-mails that he is looking to put in a “progressive” sexuality education program and is looking for a public relations expert to advise him on how to sell the proposal to the community.
We included this last item here to call everyone’s attention to the fact that it is always good to be vigilant and filing Freedom of Information Act requests to your local government on a regular basis is the best way to keep up to date on what’s going on in your community.
An Arkansas judge issued a 14-day temporary restraining order this week barring the enforcement of three anti-abortion laws in that state. The three laws would have prohibited abortion 18 weeks into pregnancy; instituted a requirement that doctors performing abortions be board certified or board eligible in obstetrics and gynecology; and prohibited doctors from performing an abortion if it’s being sought solely because the fetus has Down syndrome. KATV in Little Rock (AR) reports: “An outspoken Arkansas state senator says he’s not surprised but still disgusted with a federal judge’s decision to block a trio of restrictive abortion laws. Sen. Jason Rapert (R-Conway) expressed his dismay with Judge Kristine Baker’s ruling to halt multiple abortion provisions from going into law July 24. He referred to the decision as a ‘crime against humanity.’ I can’t imagine a judge, even a judge that has ruled against pro-life laws in the past would say that a Down syndrome child’s life is not worth saving.’”
Breitbart did an article this week on Planned Parenthood partnering with “intersectional feminist media,” Wear Your Voice, for a “Summer of Sex” campaign that the sponsors say is a “multimedia project centering LGBTQ+, Black, Indigenous and people of color’s experiences with sex, sexuality, and attraction.” Author, Gloria Alamrew, is quoted in the article, saying, “The image of women standing in and owning their sexual self should be celebrated and encouraged, and instead, it has been shown to girls as a warning, as something to avoid at all costs, lest you be seen as a slut,” she bemoaned, deciding that black girls are unable to freely explore their sexuality because there are no “safe” spaces for them to do so.
Black pro-life leader, Obianuju Ekeocha, had what should be the final word on this Planned Parenthood campaign, stating: “Planned Parenthood says we black women are ‘sexy and sexual entities.’ So of course they want us to enjoy a #SummerOfSex, so that they can enjoy a winter of enormous abortion profits.”
ALL in the News – Judie’s Comments Gain Media Attention; Shocking Pro-Life Report
Last week, Judie released a statement regarding Dr. Leana Wen’s dismissal from Planned Parenthood. Judie’s comments have since been run in several media outlets. The article, “Pro-Lifers Say Wen’s Firing Shows Abortion Is Planned Parenthood Priority,” included Judie’s press release and was featured in The Catholic Sun, The Catholic Register, and The Boston Pilot.
Also this week, ALL’s Jim Sedlak was featured in a OneNewsNow article about a recent report on the pro-life movement. The report shows shockingly low numbers in support of abolishing abortion.
Jim Sedlak’s Pro-Life Activism from Creation to Death is a weekly talk-radio program on the Radio Maria USA network. The show can be heard live every Friday at noon (Eastern Time) and is repeated on Saturdays at 10 PM.
Video of the Week – Is the Pro-Life Movement Winning?
For many decades, polling has recorded attitudes toward abortion—regulations, Roe v Wade, and the Supreme Court decision decriminalizing it. Pro-life groups have expressed optimism regarding the results. However, there’s one particular attitude toward abortion that has not changed over time.
Action Item of the Week – Action needed in August on 2020 US budget bills
This is the time of year when the United States Senate and the House of Representatives work on the budget for the coming year. The federal government has a fiscal year that runs from October 1 through September 30. Thus, the budget for fiscal year 2020 is supposed to be in place by September 30, 2019; that’s just about 65 days from now. The budget bills are first passed in the House and then sent to the Senate. Once the Senate and House have approved the same bills, they are sent to the president for approval.
The 2020 budget bills have passed the Democratic-controlled House. They contain nine provisions that are anti-life. Those provisions are:
FY2020 Financial Services, General Government Appropriations Text (HR 3351)
- DORNAN (DC HYDE) AMENDMENT: Limits the Dornan Amendment abortion funding prohibition to “federal” funds, allowing DC to use locally-generated funds to pay for abortions on demand. (Title VIII – General Provisions – District of Columbia, Section 802)
FY2020 Labor, Health and Human Services Appropriations Text (HR 2740)
- TITLE X:The Trump Administration’s final Protect Life (Title X) rule is repealed. Title X funding is increased to $400 million ($114 million increase). (Division A, Title II (HHS), HRSA, Family Planning)
- CONSCIENCE PROTECTION RULE: The Trump Administration’s final Conscience Protection Rule is repealed. (Division A, Title II (HHS), General Provisions, Sec. 240)
- FETAL TISSUE:Prohibition against the convening of an ethics advisory board to review applications for extramural fetal tissue research (outside researchers funded by HHS dollars.) This prohibition seeks to prevent HHS from withholding funds for extramural fetal tissue research. (Division A, Title V-General Provisions, Sec 533)
- TEEN PREGNANCY PREVENTION (TPP) FUNDING:TPP is funded at $110 million ($9 million increase) while requiring continued funding for Obama-era grantees like Planned Parenthood. Sexual Risk Avoidance education funding is eliminated ($35 million decrease)(Division A, Title II (HHS), Departmental Management, General Departmental Management)
FY2020 State, Foreign Operations Appropriations Text (HR 2740):
- PROTECTING LIFE IN GLOBAL HEALTH ASSISTANCE (PLGHA):President Trump’s PLGHA policy is repealed, and future Administrations are prohibited from establishing a similar policy.(Division D, Title VII—General Provisions, Global Health Activities, Sec. 7058(a); Division D, Title VII – General Provisions, Assistance for Foreign Nongovernmental Organizations, Sec. 7064)
- UNITED NATIONS POPULATION FUND (UNFPA): The bill appropriates $55.5 million ($23 million increase) for UNFPA. (Division D, Title VII – General Provisions – United Nations Population Fund, Sec. 7057)
- INTERNATIONAL FAMILY PLANNING: The bill appropriates not less than $750 million for family planning/reproductive health programs ($175 million increase from FY19 levels). (Division D, Title VII – General Provisions – Global Health Activities, Sec. 7058)
- PROGRAMMATIC CONTRACEPTIVE EXPANSIONS:Longstanding HIV/AIDs Provisions are altered to allow additional funds for contraceptives. (Division D, Title VII – General Provisions, Global Health Activities, Sec. 7058)
All those who care about preborn babies, as well as our born children, are asked to get in touch with your United States senators and ask them to correct the nine problems cited above. Many senators will be back in their states during August and will be available for meetings.
Make sure your senator knows you care and that you want the new budget bills to protect our children at all stages of life.
Pro-life Social Media – NICU Photos Reveal the Humanity of the Smallest Among Us
One of the hardest things for parents to endure is having to watch their children connected to an endless maze of tubes and tape in the hospital NICU. Parents are anxious to take their children home and care for them but medical necessity prevents that. Parents sometimes take to Instagram to share photos of their little ones fighting to survive.