Pending Federal Legislation

Thank you for standing up for Life

The health care bill in Congress received its first favorable vote in a chamber of Congress Saturday night, November 7. Passage of the legislation came after lawmakers voted for the prolife Stupak Amendment to remove abortion funding from the legislation. The U.S. House approved the Stupak-Pitts Amendment, 240-194.

The Stupak-Pitts Amendment removed two major pro-abortion components from H.R. 3962. Specifically:  (1) the amendment would permanently prohibit the new federal government insurance program, the "public option," from paying for abortion, except to save the life of the mother, or in cases of rape or incest; and (2) the amendment would permanently prohibit the use of the new federal premium subsidies ("affordability credits") to purchase private insurance plans that cover abortion (except to save the life of the mother, or in cases of rape or incest). The amendment was sponsored by prolife Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI) and Joe Pitts (R-PA).

This is how the Michigan House delegation voted on the Stupak Amendment: 

1. U.S. Rep. Bart Stupak (D) - voted prolife by supporting the Stupak Amendment

2. U.S. Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R) - voted prolife by supporting the Stupak Amendment

3. U.S. Rep. Vernon Ehlers (R) - voted prolife by supporting the Stupak Amendment

4. U.S. Rep. Dave Camp (R) - voted prolife by supporting the Stupak Amendment

5. U.S. Rep. Dale Kildee (D) - voted prolife by supporting the Stupak Amendment

6. U.S. Rep. Fred Upton (R) - voted prolife by supporting the Stupak Amendment

7. U.S. Rep. Mark Schauer (D) - voted for federal funding of abortion

8. U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers (R) - voted prolife by supporting the Stupak Amendment

9. U.S. Rep. Gary Peters (D) - voted for federal funding of abortion

10. U.S. Rep. Candice Miller (R) - voted prolife by supporting the Stupak Amendment

11. U.S. Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R) - voted prolife by supporting the Stupak Amendment

12. U.S. Rep. Sander Levin (D) - voted for federal funding of abortion

13. U.S. Rep. Carolyn Kilpatrick (D) - voted for federal funding of abortion

14. U.S. Rep. John Conyers (D) - voted for federal funding of abortion

15. U.S. Rep. John Dingell (D) - voted for federal funding of abortion

If your representative voted for the Stupak Amendment, please express your appreciation. And if your representative voted for federal funding of abortion please express your disappointment. Abortion is inherently different from other medical procedures because no other procedure involves the intentional taking of human life. Abortion coverage has no place in health care reform legislation.

Congressional Contact Information

This is a great victory, but much more work needs to be done as the U.S. Senate continues work on their version(s) which includes abortion funding and rationing concerns. Eventually, the U.S. House and U.S. Senate versions will be handled in a conference committee. We've won a first step battle and prevented the initial expansion of abortion and abortion funding that Planned Parenthood, NARAL and other proabortion groups demanded.

The debate on abortion funding now moves to the U.S. Senate. Right to Life of Michigan will continue to keep you posted on developments.

Understanding the Freedom of Choice Act

The "Freedom of Choice Act" would invalidate Michigan's commonsense laws which have been passed since the two U.S. Supreme Court decisions, Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, legalized abortion through all nine months of pregnancy.

LEARN MORE

http://www.rtl.org/action_center/FOCAbackground.htm

 

More information available

There is more information on pending federal legislation along with prolife voting records available at National Right to Life Committee's website.