Planned Parenthood Awards Number Two Senate Democrat

National   |   Andrew Bair   |   Oct 17, 2011   |   6:21PM   |   Washington, DC

This morning, Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), the US Senate Majority Whip, received the International Family Planning Award from the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Planned Parenthood of Illinois and the United Nations Foundation (UNF).

Abortion advocates praised Durbin, the number two Democrat in Senate, for relentlessly supporting abortion-on-demand. Carole Brite, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Illinois, referred to Durbin as “an unparalleled champion” for the pro-abortion movement.

Durbin, who is formerly pro-life but gradually moved towards voting for abortion and abortion funding as he ascended the Democratic leadership ladder, addressed the attendees of the award ceremony, remarking: “International family planning is fundamental to improving the health and livelihood of women and their families around the globe.”

He continued to say, “These programs also increase stability and spur development in some of the world’s poorest communities, helping us also achieve important development and security goals.”

Contrary to Durbin’s claims, ending the life of an unborn child does not “increase stability” nor “spur development in some of the world’s poorest communities.” Societies’ greatest assets are its citizens. United Nations documents even recognize the rights of the unborn child. In the Declaration on the Rights of the Child, the UN asserted, “The child, by reason of his physical and mental immaturity, needs special safeguards and care, including appropriate legal protection, before as well as after birth.”

Federal funding for organizations like Planned Parenthood, which promote and perform abortions internationally, hardly constitutes “special safeguards and care” or “legal protection.”

The effort to advance women in the developing world cannot include advocacy for abortion-on-demand. Women in the developing world deserve the same standard of care enjoyed by women in the developed world. Abortion does nothing to solve the underlying problem of inadequate medical care. Legalizing abortion-on-demand in a country lacking adequate maternal health care is particularly dangerous and leads to more women suffering and dying from abortion.

Jeanne E. Head, R.N., U.N. Representative for the National Right to Life Committee, explains: “Women generally at risk because they lack access to a doctor, hospital, or antibiotics before abortion’s legalization will face those same circumstances after legalization. And if legalization triggers a higher demand for abortion, as it has in most countries, more injured women will compete for those scarce medical resources.”

While Senator Durbin does not face voters again until 2014, the upcoming 2012 Senate elections may have the effect of ousting Durbin from his influential leadership position. With numerous Democratic retirements and an unfavorable political climate for moderate Democrats representing traditionally red states, Senate control could very well go to Republicans. Since retaking the House in the 2010 elections, Republican leadership has successfully advanced numerous pro-life bills. All of those bills went down in defeat in the Democratically-controlled Senate and would likely have been vetoed by pro-abortion President Obama.