Two Important Pro-Life Acts Introduced in Congress

 

There have been two major Pro-Life bills introduced in Congress that are designed to protect taxpayers from having their money fund abortions.  The “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act” is much more comprehensive than the “Protect Life Act” but both are extremely important pieces of legislation.

 Congressmen Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Dan Lipinski (D-IL) introduced the “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act” on July 30th.  The goal of this legislation is to permanently bar subsidies for abortion in all federal programs.  According to Congressman Smith, “…it is time for a single, government wide permanent protection against taxpayer funding for elective abortion.”

 For decades there have been several short-term policies that have prevented taxpayer funding for abortion, but they are often provisions of annual appropriations bills that require annual renewal.  The most well known example of these is the Hyde Amendment that prohibits funding for abortion with money from the annual Health and Human Services appropriations bill.  If passed, the Smith-Lipinski bill would mean that it would not be necessary to fight for the renewal of the Hyde Amendment and other such temporary bans each year.  This would free up time, energy, and resources to focus on other Pro-Life bills.  The National Right to Life Committee is strongly backing the Smith-Lipinski bill and as of August 23, this bill had 167 co-sponsors.

 Another piece of legislation that was introduced into the House by Congressman Joe Pitts (R-PA) and the Senate by Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) is informally known has the “Protect Life Act.”  This act is designed solely to revise the abortion-related problems that were created by the Obama-backed health care law, and it would not be a uniform Pro-Life policy to all federal health programs like the Smith-Lipinski bill.  The focus on this legislation is to prevent any pro-abortion subsidies or administrative regulations.  It is interesting to note that this act is nearly identical in language and goals as the Pro-Life amendments that the NRLC and other Pro-Life organizations tried to attach to the health care legislation when it was being debated by Congress.  The “Protect Life Act” has 123 co-sponsors in the House and 26 cosponsors in the Senate as of August 23.

 These two Pro-Life acts are essential to protecting your tax money from going to fund abortions.  The newly created health care law has shown the need for uniform legal protection against government funded abortion.  While the Smith-Lipinski bill offers the most protection and would apply to all federal health programs, the “Protect Life Act” is no less important to support.  Please find you elected officials at http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.html and contact them to support these important Pro-Life bills.

Read more about these Pro-Life acts:

“Permanent Abortion Funding Ban; ‘Protect Life Act’ Introduced in Congress.”  NRLC.  Aug 23 2010.  http://www.nrlc.org/News_and_Views/Aug10/nv082310.html