Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- House Democrats have once again prevented pro-life lawmakers from obtaining a vote on an amendment that would limit taxpayer funding of abortions. As it did on the Mexico City Policy, Democratic leaders are preventing a vote on an amendment that would stop tax-funding of abortions in the nation's capital.

Last week, pro-life Reps. Tod Tiahrt, a Republican, and Lincoln Davis, a Democrat, floated an amendment to the Financial Services Appropriations bill, H.R. 3170.

Their goal was to stop President Barack Obama's request that the longstanding ban on publicly-funded abortions in the District of Columbia be overturned. The House Appropriations Committee rejected the amendment on a 33-28 vote.

Tiahrt and Davis were joined by eight other congressmen from both parties who wanted to have a chance to vote on the amendment on Thursday on the House floor when the full House considers the legislation.

However, on Wednesday night, the Democratic-controlled House Rules Committee voted against allowing consideration of the Tiahrt/Davis amendment to restore the District of Columbia abortion funding ban.

As a result, pro-life groups, including the National Right to Life Committee and the National Committee for a Human Life Amendment, are calling for members of Congress to defeat the bill because it authorizes abortion funding.

"In a letter to Congress, Cardinal Rigali is urging Representatives to oppose any effort to pass the bill without restoring current law on D.C. abortion funding," NCHLA noted in an action alert LifeNews.com received.

He called the move to make taxpayers fund more abortions in Washington, “the first step in a broader effort to restore such funding throughout the federal government.”
Led by pro-abortion Rep. Louise Slaughter of New York, the Rules Committee has already stopped one pro-life amendment from receiving a debate and vote.

During the committee consideration of the Foreign Affairs spending bill, the Foreign Affairs Committee rejected an amendment Congressman Chris Smith of New Jersey offered to prevent the proposed new office from engaging in efforts to alter the laws of foreign nations governing abortion. http://www.lifenews.com/int1199.html

To stop the bill from creating a pro-abortion initiative, Smith planned to submit a similar amendment to the Rules Committee to see if House Democrats would allow a debate and vote on it, but they denied him that opportunity.

ACTION: Contact members of the House and urge them to vote against the Financial Services Bill, H.R. 3170, because it forces taxpayers to fund abortions in the nation's capitol. You can reach any House member at 202-224-3121 or go to http://www.house.gov for full contact information.

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