Newsletter of the National Pro-Life Alliance. NPLA Builds Momentum for Life at Conception Act

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1 LifeLine Winter Winter 2018 Newsletter of the National Pro-Life Alliance NPLA Builds Momentum for Life at Conception Act Support Surges for Bill to Legislatively Overturn Roe v. Wade Given the strong pro-life support in both Houses of Congress, many bills have been proposed to regulate or limit abortion-on-demand, but as readers of LifeLine know, the Life at Conception Act would go beyond that to actually overturn Roe v. Wade. That is why it has gained such widespread popularity among National Pro- Life Alliance members and other prolifers. In fact, the bill has started out with record levels of support in the last four Congresses and began the current Congress with a new record number of original cosponsors. Now, thanks to grass-roots pressure from National Pro-Life Alliance members, the bill is on track to break its all-time record and move for up and down votes later this year in both Houses of Congress. The Life at Conception Act, introduced by Congressman Alex Mooney in the House and Senator Rand Paul in the Senate, simply uses the language of the Roe v. Wade decision itself to end the horrific practice of abortion-on-demand. Constitution Gives Congress the Power to Protect Life The fact is, in the Roe case itself, even the U.S. Supreme Court recognized Congress right to act when it said: We need not resolve the difficult question of when life begins... the judiciary at this point in the development of man s knowledge is not in a position to speculate as to the answer. Then the Court made a key admission: If this suggestion of personhood is established, the appellant s case, [requesting legalization of abortion-ondemand] of course, collapses, for the fetus right to life is then guaranteed specifically by the [14th] Amendment... By this concession, the High Court left the legislative door wide open for repealing their rulings that have sanctioned the killing of more than sixty-one million babies. Life at Conception Act Overturns Roe By Legislatively Defining Life Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) has helped National Pro-Life Alliance mobilize hundreds of thousands of pro-lifers nationwide behind the effort to end abortion-on-demand by passage of a Life at Conception Act. By specifically defining when life begins, a Life at Conception Act would thus dismantle the Roe v. Wade decision, thereby effectively eliminating abortionon-demand. By legislatively defining human life, the unborn would immediately have a right to life from the moment of conception. Under a Life at Conception Act, abortion-on-demand would be illegal and Roe v. Wade would, for all practical See Support for Life at Conception Act Continues to Swell... page 2

2 Support for Life at Conception Act Continues to Swell... continued from page 1 purposes, be overturned. This is precisely the course of action that strikes so much fear into the hearts of the pro-abortion lobby. Since passage of a Life at Conception Act would mean the difference between life and death for countless unborn children, National Pro-Life Alliance members are eager to bring the bill to a vote. By putting this bill up for a vote, not only would we get the opportunity to effectively overturn Roe v. Wade..., NPLA President Martin Fox commented,... but we would also be able to expose phony politicians who claim the pro-life platform without actually taking action to protect the unborn -- so either way, it s a win-win for the unborn. Cosponsor Blitz Moves Life at Conception Act Closer to a Vote But in order to win roll-call votes, the Life at Conception Act must first maximize the number of cosponsors. That s why, beginning in April of last year, the National Pro-Life Alliance launched a series of three Cosponsor Blitz campaigns with the goal of adding new Grass-roots resistance to the slaughter of the defenseless unborn has propelled the Life at Conception Act to a record number of cosponsors in each of the last four Congresses. cosponsors to the bill. Thanks to National Pro-Life Alliance members generous support and grassroots pressure, the Cosponsor Blitzes each exceeded their goals with a total of more than sixty additional cosponsors to the Life at Conception Act. Now with yet another Blitz scheduled to begin in early February, Fox is urging NPLA members to renew the fight by signing their petitions to their Congressmen and Senators enclosed with this issue of LifeLine. Fox explained that yet another deluge of petitions is an enormously important part of building additional congressional support for the Life at Conception Act. Number of Cosponsors of Life at Conception Act Swells in Response to NPLA Member Activism Congressman Alex Mooney (R-WV), House sponsor of the Life at Conception Act, discusses strategy with National Pro-Life Alliance staff. He stated, When we go to the Hill to ask Congressmen to cosponsor the Life at Conception Act, they take notice when presented with tens of thousands of petitions from their constituents urging them to legislatively enforce the Constitutional protection of life from the moment of conception. It s vital that pro-lifers take action at once, said Martin Fox. With each new Senator or Congressman who signs on to this bill, we move one step closer to overturning Roe v. Wade and ending the slaughter of the unborn for good. ª 2 Newsletter of the National Pro-Life Alliance / Winter 2018

3 Congressman Jeff Duncan Introduces Ultrasound Informed Consent Act in 115th Congress NPLA Members Fight to Show Mothers Their Unborn Babies As this issue of LifeLine goes to press, Congressman Jeff Duncan is introducing a new component, the Ultrasound Informed Consent Act of 2018, to add to other life-saving bills including the Life at Conception Act, the Parental Notification and Intervention Act, and the Sanctity of Life Act. Congressman Duncan s bill would have the potential to save countless more unborn lives by requiring that an ultrasound be shown to mothers prior to any abortion. Research Proves That Ultrasounds Save Lives In March 2015, the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA), a national legal network of pro-life pregnancy centers, released a study that demonstrates the power an ultrasound image can have on an abortion-minded woman. In its national sampling of over 75,000 abortion-minded or abortion-vulnerable pregnant mothers, the study found that 78% of those mothers chose life after seeing an ultrasound of their unborn child. Countless mothers have also told their personal stories in support of this statistic. One mother -- Jeanette from Hawthorne, New Jersey -- was considering abortion until she saw an ultrasound. The moment we saw our baby on the screen, we knew we had to consider what was best for our unborn child, Jeanette explained. Even calloused abortion industry workers have repeatedly softened their hearts after seeing an ultrasound image of an unborn baby. One such abortion worker, Brenda Pratt-Shafer, quit her job at an abortion clinic after witnessing a dismemberment abortion on an ultrasound. She said she could see the baby struggling to escape the abortionist s forceps. Then I no longer saw the heartbeat on the ultrasound screen, Pratt-Shafer said. Dozens of other abortion workers have had experiences like Pratt-Shafer s, quitting their jobs and becoming pro-life activists after seeing an ultrasound. Even former pro-abortion leaders like Abby Johnson, former director of a Planned Parenthood facility, and Dr. Bernard Nathanson, a founder of the socalled National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL) changed their minds because of the power of ultrasounds. State Ultrasound Laws Already Saving Lives Given the clear life-changing and lifesaving power of ultrasounds, pro-lifers across the country have been fighting to pass tough ultrasound laws at the state level. Such laws have caused abortion rates to drop in their respective states. For example, ever since NPLA See Ultrasounds a Powerful Tool... page 4 Ultrasounds Can Open Even Abortion Advocates Eyes But reports indicate that mothers aren t the only ones who change their minds after seeing an ultrasound. By permission Gary Varvel and Creators Syndicate, Inc. Planned Parenthood -- under investigation by the Justice Department for selling baby body parts -- opposes ultrasound requirements or any limitation that would reduce the number of women who choose abortion. Winter 2018 / Newsletter of the National Pro-Life Alliance 3

4 Ultrasounds a Powerful Tool to Change Hearts of Even Abortion Workers... continued from page 3 members and other pro-lifers successfully pushed the Wisconsin legislature to pass a tough ultrasound law, the state has seen a 34% decrease in abortion rates. Jenni Harris, Executive Director of the National Pro-Life Alliance, commented, Considering the number of lives we ve seen saved by state laws, a federal ultrasound bill has the potential to save even more lives. Abortionists Struggle to Hide Ultrasounds But without a tough national law mandating ultrasounds, abortionists will do whatever they can to stop mothers from seeing that life-saving image. Although science has long known that human life begins at conception, abortionists attempt to convince mothers that their unborn children are just meaningless clumps of cells. And of course, in order to maintain that lie, abortionists must prevent mothers from ever seeing an ultrasound. As former abortionist, Dr. Joseph Randall stated, They [the mothers] are never allowed to look at the ultrasound because we knew that if they so much as heard the heartbeat, they wouldn t want to have an abortion. That s why the National Pro-Life Congressman Jeff Duncan (R-SC) introduces the Ultrasound Informed Consent Act of His bill would require that all expectant mothers be shown an ultrasound before performing any abortion. Alliance s Ultrasound Informed Consent Act requires that the mother must be shown an ultrasound image of her child. Weaker state ultrasound laws that merely require the abortionist to offer to show the image give abortionists a huge loophole. Such laws encourage abortionists to talk the mother out of seeing her baby. Given the clear evidence that ultrasound laws save lives, the National Pro-Life Alliance is mobilizing pro-lifers to support both strong ultrasound bills in their state as well as Congressman Duncan s bill. NPLA Urges Members to Demand Action on Tough Ultrasound Legislation Jenni Harris observed, Since we can now literally look into the womb with ultrasounds, mothers can see their baby s little fingers and toes -- maybe even a smiling face. These life-affirming images explain why abortion advocates hate ultrasounds so intensely, and they also explain why ultrasounds have such a profound, lifesaving effect on pregnant mothers. Sonograms demonstrate the humanity and rapid development of the unborn baby as shown from 10 weeks (L) to 20 weeks (R). Studies show they persuade 78% of abortion-minded women to choose life. Harris is encouraging members to contact their representatives in Congress to demand that they support the Ultrasound Informed Consent Act. ª 4 Newsletter of the National Pro-Life Alliance / Winter 2018

5 Pro-Abortion Judges Effectively Sentence Unborn Babies to Death with No Accountability Sanctity of Life Act Would Protect Unborn from Judicial Tyranny National Pro-Life Alliance members have long fought to protect the unborn from the horrors of abortion-on-demand. But the danger to the unborn doesn t just come from abortionists. It also comes from the abuse of power by pro-abortion judges. Activist pro-abortion judges routinely abuse their power to mandate tax dollars for abortionists, cover up abortion industry scandals, and rubber stamp teen abortions so pregnant minors can abort their unborn child without their parents knowledge. And of course, it was Supreme Court judges who invented abortion-on-demand in the first place. That s why, in addition to fighting for a Life at Conception Act, National Pro-Life Alliance members are also pushing for its companion bill, the Sanctity of Life Act. This bill strips the courts of their jurisdiction over abortion and halts proabortion judicial tyranny. Congressman Walter B. Jones (R-NC) Sanctity of Life Act would rein in judicial tyranny by using Congress power in Article III of the Constitution, limiting court jurisdiction. Congress Holds the Power to Check Activist, Pro-Abortion Judges The Sanctity of Life Act (H.R. 3676), again introduced by Congressman Walter Jones, would put a stop to pro-abortion judicial tyranny by using Congress s power to strip the courts of their jurisdiction over the abortion issue. The bill would establish that both state and national government have the authority to protect lives of unborn children. The basis for this legislation is Article III, Section 2 of the Constitution, which states, The Supreme Court shall have appellate jurisdiction, both as to the law and fact, with such exceptions, and under such regulations as Congress shall make. And where the lower federal courts are concerned, the Constitution explicitly grants Congress full authority over them as well. As Article III, Section 1 states, the judicial power of the United States, shall be vested in one Supreme Court, and in such inferior courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish. Thus, the Founding Fathers explicitly wrote the Constitution so that Congress would have the authority to rein in a runaway judiciary. Unaccountable Judges Target Pro-Life Laws While Protecting Abortionists In fact, the Founding Fathers designed the judicial system to be the weakest of the three branches of government. Yet, when it comes to the pro-life issue, activist pro-abortion judges rule with an iron fist, routinely finding legal excuses to block even the most minor restrictions on abortion. For example, just recently federal judges in Texas were so radically zealous to protect abortion-on-demand that they overturned a Texas ban on painful lateterm dismemberment abortions. Martin Fox, President of the National Pro-Life Alliance, commented, It seems clear that these activist judges will do whatever it takes to protect their abortionist friends, to the point of blocking even modest pro-life legislation. NPLA Members Ramp Up Pressure for Life-Saving Bill The fact is, abortionists have almost never won pro-abortion gains in elected legislatures. Instead, they have relied on See Unbridled Judicial Power Is Target... page 6 Winter 2018 / Newsletter of the National Pro-Life Alliance 5

6 Unbridled Judicial Power Is Target of NPLA Legislation... continued from page 5 the Courts ever since abortion-on-demand was first legalized in As Fox pointed out, even the so-called National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL) had to admit that their lobbying efforts had failed to win passage of any significant pro-abortion legislation. As a result, NARAL has had to rely on judicial edicts to block parental notification laws, late-term abortion restrictions, and ultrasound laws. Fox observed, These judges edicts are out of step with the will of the American people, the majority of whom oppose unrestricted abortion-on-demand. Congress has a duty to represent prolife Americans and put an end to this judicial rule-by-whim approach. That s why, in conjunction with our continued efforts to pass a Life at Conception Act to legislatively overturn Roe v. Wade by defining constitutionally protected life the National Pro-Life Alliance is mobilizing a grass-roots effort to strip the courts of jurisdiction over abortion by passing a Sanctity of Life Act, said Fox. NPLA Builds Grass-Roots Campaign to End Pro- Abortion Judicial Activism Martin Fox is urging members to contact their Congressmen to demand that they take action on the Sanctity of Life Act (H.R. 3676). By raising support for this crucial legislation, said Fox, National Pro-Life Alliance members will move even closer to their ultimate goal -- to overturn Roe v. Wade and end the slaughter of innocent unborn life for good. ª Losing in the court of public opinion, the abortion lobby routinely turns to the courts. National Pro-Life Alliance Members Fight for National Parental Intervention Bill Bill Would Give Parents Right to Stop Abortions on Minors Every year, thousands of teenage girls get abortions without even their parents knowledge. And every year, thousands of parents lose their grandchildren to the horrors of abortion without ever having the chance to intervene. That s why National Pro-Life Alliance members are fighting for a national Parental Notification and Intervention Act -- a bill that would protect a parent s right to stop an abortion from being performed on their minor daughter. The bill, drafted by the National Pro- Life Alliance and introduced by Congressman Louie Gohmert, has been called the toughest pro-life parental rights legislation ever drawn up. The reason for this high praise for the bill is that the Parental Notification and Intervention Act contains two key provisions protecting unborn children. First, not just one but both parents must be notified at least four days prior to their minor daughter s abortion as well as given the chance to intervene and stop the abortion. Second, the bill would close the judicial bypass loopholes, in state laws by closing judicial discretion to grant abortions to minors without parental participation. If abortionists would fail to comply with these provisions, they would face a hefty fine or even jail time. The bill s tough provisions are based on our research of existing state parental notification laws, said Jenni Harris, Executive Director of the National Pro- Life Alliance. That s why we made sure to draft up regulations that would close loopholes in existing state laws and save the most unborn lives possible. Parental Intervention Laws Proven to Save Lives As Harris noted, parental involvement laws are already saving unborn lives in a good many states across the country. And as research shows, the teen abortion rates in those states are significantly lower than in states where no parental involvement law applies. For example, in New York -- a state where teens can legally obtain abortions without their parents knowledge -- the abortion rate for girls ages is a whopping 55%. See NPLA Bill Is Nation s Toughest... page 7 6 Newsletter of the National Pro-Life Alliance / Winter 2018

7 NPLA Bill Is Nation s Toughest for Parental Rights... continued from page 6 On the other hand, in Nebraska -- a state that does enforce a parental intervention law -- the abortion rate for that same age range drops to 14%. Unfortunately, not all parental involvement laws are equally effective. So several studies have been performed, including a study by Dr. Michael New, to determine which state laws save the most unborn lives. According to Dr. New s comprehensive analysis of parental involvement, such laws are 3½ times more effective at saving unborn lives when not just one but both parents are notified. Dr. New also concluded that parental involvement laws are three times more effective when parents are given the chance to intervene in addition to just being notified. The research is clear, Jenni Harris commented. Protecting the rights of both parents to stop an abortion is the most effective way to lower teen abortion rates and save unborn lives. Abortionists Exploit Loopholes in State Laws by getting a bypass from a judge on the basis of some vague standard like the maturity of the girl. As a result, these activist judges repeatedly rule that teenage girls who are too young to drive, vote, or smoke, possess enough maturity to have abortionists put their unborn babies to death. Activist Judges Routinely Rubber Stamp Teen Abortions That s why many abortion facilities develop systems to identify which judges sympathize with their life-ending agenda so they can send teenage girls to those judges. These systems have proven so effective in avoiding parental involvement that, according to the Arizona Department of Health, 75% of teens requests for judicial bypass are approved. But unlike many state laws vague standard for judicial bypass, the Parental Notification and Intervention Act sets a specific, concrete standard that represents a substantial tightening of the judicial bypass provisions, requiring, Clear and convincing evidence of physical abuse of the minor by the parent, for the notification requirement to be waived. NPLA Members Urged to Turn Up Heat on Congress Given the clear impact a Parental Notification and Intervention Act would have on saving unborn lives, National Pro-Life Alliance Executive Director Jenni Harris is urging members to put the heat on their representatives in Congress for the passage of this life-saving bill. Harris states, When we turn up the heat on Congress on this important legislation, politicians will be forced to choose between supporting this pro-life, pro-parent law or suffering the consequences in the next election. With the help of National Pro-Life Alliance members and other pro-lifers, we can get a roll-call vote on this important piece of legislation, expose pro-abortion politicians, and move one step closer to ending abortion-on-demand for good. ª Of course even in states with strong laws, abortionists routinely evade their state s notification law by sending young girls to neighboring states where no such law applies. For example, in many school districts in Maryland, teens can t even get sunscreen applied without first getting permission from their parents. Yet a Maryland abortionist admitted before a congressional hearing that he routinely performs abortions on teens from neighboring states seeking to avoid their home state s parental notification law. In addition to sending teens to other states, in many instances, abortionists also avoid parental intervention laws by relying on pro-abortion, activist judges. Many existing state laws allow underage girls to avoid notifying parents Babies are saved when parents and daughters talk. The Parental Notification and Intervention Act (H.R. 2956) would allow either parent to intervene to save the life of their grandchild. Winter 2018 / Newsletter of the National Pro-Life Alliance 7

8 Pro-Lifers Mass by Hundreds of Thousands to Protest Roe v. Wade NPLA Raises Support for Life at Conception Act at the Annual March for Life Pro-Lifers sign petitions to pass a Life at Conception Act to legislatively overturn Roe v. Wade. On January 19, hundreds of thousands of committed pro-lifers gathered at our nation s capital to participate in this year s annual March for Life. The march takes place yearly on the anniversary of the Supreme Court s Roe v. Wade decision -- the most visible symbol of the judicial activism that has resulted in the deaths of more than 61 million unborn babies. National Pro-Life Alliance members and staff once again joined the march, both to stand in peaceful protest against Roe v. Wade and to raise support for the Life at LifeLine Abortion Stops a Beating Heart Conception Act to overturn that deadly court decision. Despite the overwhelming popular support for restrictions on abortion at the time when the fateful Roe v. Wade decision was first passed down, the abortion lobby thought the debate was over. The New York Times even published an article declaring that pro-lifers influence had died, stating The Court s verdict on abortion provides a sound foundation for final and reasonable resolution of a debate that has divided Newsletter of the National Pro-Life Alliance 5211 Port Royal Road, Suite 500 Springfield, VA Voice: (703) Web address: Martin Fox, President Jenni Harris, Executive Director Mark Elsasser, Vice President of Legislation America too long. But if the March for Life is any indication, the debate is far from its resolution, and pro-lifers are only stronger and more determined than ever before. March for Life Shows That the Pro-Life Movement Is Stronger Than Ever National Pro-Life Alliance members and other pro-lifers have successfully passed ultrasound and parental notification laws in states all across the country. Pro-lifers have exposed abortion industry scandals such as the sale of aborted body parts, opened hundreds of crisis pregnancy centers, and elected prolife champions into office. NPLA s Vice President for Legislation, Mark Elsasser, had this to say about the 2018 March for Life: National Pro-Life Alliance staff met marchers representing a host of races, ages, and creeds -- all united under one pro-life banner, proving that despite what the abortion lobby may have thought, pro-lifers aren t going anywhere until Roe v. Wade is gone. ª 8 Newsletter of the National Pro-Life Alliance / Winter 2018