Congressman Files New Pro-Life Bill to Cut All Federal Funding for Abortions
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
July 29, 2010
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — Congressman Chris Smith officially filed is new legislation today that would compile all of the annual provisions that prevent federal funding of abortions into one piece of legislation. The beauty of the bill lies in its ability to make what are annual battles to stop abortion funding permanent federal law.
When it comes to taxpayer funding of abortions from the federal government, pro-life advocates have to fight several battles annually in Congress to ensure abortions are not funded in programs ranging from HHS and USAID to health care and the District of Columbia.
Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey, the chairman of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, is behind the new No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act designed to establish a consistent government-wide prohibition on abortion funding.
Two leading pro-life groups praised the official introduction of the legislation, which likely won’t ever enjoy a debate and vote while pro-abortion Speaker Nancy Pelosi runs the House of Representatives.
Family Research Council Action senior vice president Tom McClusky told LifeNews.com that with passage of a health care law that will fund and subsidize abortion, and with efforts by pro-abortion senators to open up military bases to abortion, legislation to enact a government-wide abortion funding ban is needed.
"In the last year, we have seen President Obama and pro-abortion congressional leaders make repeated attempts to eviscerate the long-agreed line on federal funding of abortion. They began by enacting the abortion funding health care law and are now advancing an abortion agenda that includes turning our military hospitals into abortion facilities," he said.
"The American people have responded swiftly and emphatically that their hard earned dollars should not be used to pay for other peoples abortions," he added.
"We applaud Congressman Smith and numerous Members on both sides of the aisle for responding to the concerns of the American people by introducing a measure that applies an abortion funding ban across the federal government," McClusky continued.
Charmaine Yoest, president of Americans United for Life Action, also applauded Smith and pro-life Democratic Congressman Dan Lipinski of Illinois, who voted against the pro-abortion health care bill, for introducing the bill.
“The overwhelming majority of Americans are opposed to taxpayer-funded abortion, and the ‘No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act’ will comprehensively end this practice," she told LifeNews.com.
“Congress can act now and fix this problem once and for all, and we are urging our grassroots activists across the nation to contact their representatives and support this sensible legislation," she added.
"For decades, restrictions on the use of federal funds for abortions have been enacted separately and have been contained in annually-renewed Congressional temporary funding restrictions, regulations, and executive orders. This new bill would eliminate the ongoing struggle that Congress faces every year to ensure that federal funds are not used for abortions by enshrining this principle in U.S. statutory law," Yoest said.
The Smith-Lipinski bill codifies strong conscience protections to protect health care providers who do not want to participate in abortions from discrimination.
Only an act of Congress to reverse the law would reinstate the abortion funding.
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