Category Archives: Planned Parenthood

House Votes to Defund Planned Parenthood for One Year

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By a vote of 240-189 yesterday, the House of Representatives passed a bill to defund Planned Parenthood for one year (HR 3726). The legislation also repealed key provisions of Obamacare — the individual and employer mandates, the “Cadillac” tax, and the medical device tax.

Our representative, Nita Lowey, voted against the bill.

Now the actions turns to the Senate where three key Republicans — Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) are threatening to vote against the measure  because it does not fully repeal Obamacare.

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Action Alert: Vote Coming Friday to Cut $400 Million from Planned Parenthood

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Take_Action_5This will only take a minute.

There’s another vote to defund Planned Parenthood coming up this Friday (Oct. 23).

Please use the link here to send an email message directly to your representative in the House, urging him or her to vote FOR HR 3762. The bill would also repeal certain provisions of Obamacare.

The House had already approved a bill to defund PP last month (241-187), but  the effort was killed by a filibuster in the Senate. Even though more senators voted FOR this measure (52-47), it did not meet the 60-vote majority required to stop the filibuster.  Continue reading →

States Can Defund Planned Parenthood, Says House

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The U.S. House of Representatives passed an amendment to the Medicaid law Tuesday to give  states the freedom to exclude abortion providers from Medicaid. The vote was 236 to 193.

This will help the five states that have voted to defund Planned Parenthood, but who are receiving pushback from the Obama administration which claims the states don’t have the authority to revoke Medicaid taxpayer funding. The states are Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Utah.

Our representative Nita Lowey voted against this prolife bill.

You can read more about this bill, The Women’s Health and Safety Act (HR 3495), here.

Lowey Champions Planned Parenthood at Rally

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Screen Shot 2015-09-28 at 4.00.23 PMA rally in support of Planned Parenthood was held in White Plains Sunday. Among the attendees were several local lawmakers and Nita Lowey, who represents Rockland and parts of Westchester counties in the House of Representatives.

Two weeks ago, Lowey voted against defunding PP and also against a bill to protect infants who survive abortions. These two measures passed the House.

Among the pro-life protestors who lined the streets during the rally was Judith Anderson of the Hudson Valley Coalition for Life who said the Planned Parenthood videos which sparked the current defunding debate only “confirm what we know and have known about Planned Parenthood for 40 years.”

You can watch the News 12 Hudson Valley coverage here.

Planned Parenthood Defunding Blocked in Senate

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By a vote of 52-47, the Senate blocked legislation yesterday that would have kept the government running through Dec. 11. The bill contained a provision to strip Planned Parenthood of government funding for a year while its practices are being investigated.

New York senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand voted to block the bill.

Following the defeat, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky), the Senate Majority leader, filed a new bill to fund federal agencies. This bill does not contain the Planned Parenthood defunding measure. The vote on this bill could come Monday.

At the moment the Republicans are divided as to how to proceed. “We can win if we take the case to the American people,” Sen. Ted Cruz wrote in an op-ed published Wednesday in Politico. “Show the Planned Parenthood videos. Stand united. If Obama follows through on his threat to veto funding for the federal government, we should force him to defend that radical position.”

U.S. House and Senate to Vote on Major Prolife Bills This Month

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U.S. Capitol Building

U.S. Capitol Building

Congress will take up several critical prolife bills in September. They are:

In the House of Representatives (Sept. 17 or 18)

  1. A bill to place a moratorium on federal funding to Planned Parenthood Federation of America
  2. “The Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act” for babies who survive abortions. There is evidence that some abortion providers do not treat such infants as legally protected persons, which, in theory, they are, under state homicide laws.

In the U.S. Senate

  1. The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (S. 1563). This bill prohibits abortion after 20 weeks — the age at which unborn children can feel pain. The House passed their version of this bill on May 13, by a vote of 242-184.

Highlights of First Congressional Meeting on Planned Parenthood

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imagesThe first of several congressional committees investigating the abortion practices at Planned Parenthood was held Wednesday. At the House Judiciary Committee hearing:

  • General counsel for the National Right to Life Committee James Bopp, Jr. argued that Planned Parenthood had, in fact, violated federal law in its procurement and sale of fetal tissue.
  • Committee chairman Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) described what happens in a dismemberment abortion when the baby is torn into pieces, and then asked pro-abortion advocate Priscilla Smith if she considers this humane.  Smith responded Yes, provided the fetus was nonviable.
  • Two survivors of late-term abortion shared their stories “to not only highlight the horror of abortion taking place at Planned Parenthood, but to give a voice to survivors  . . and to hundreds of thousands of children who will have their lives ended by Planned Parenthood this year alone.”

House Judiciary Committee Hears Testimony on Planned Parenthood’s “Horrific Abortion Practices (National Right to Life News Today 9/9/2015)

Abortion ‘Survivors’ Criticize Planned Parenthood on Capitol Hill  (Los Angeles Times 9/9/2015)

2,000 Democrats and the Planned Parenthood Videos

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In anticipation of the congressional hearings on the defunding of Planned Parenthood next Wednesday, the Susan B. Anthony List recently invited 2,000 Democratic staffers in Washington to attend a screening of the Planned Parenthood videos.

Guess how many came.

The Susan B. Anthony List, and its connected political action committee, the SBA List Candidate Fund, are dedicated to electing candidates and pursuing policies that will reduce and ultimately end abortion. The organization focuses on the election, education, promotion, and mobilization of pro-life women.

Rocklanders Join in Nationwide Day of Protest Against Planned Parenthood

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L1220609-eProlife advocates in Rockland County gathered today for a prayer rally outside the Spring Valley Planned Parenthood office on Perlman Drive. The event was sponsored by The Our Lady of Guadalupe Rosarians in solidarity with similar rallies, vigils, and protests being held in over 300 cities around the country today in the wake of the release of shocking undercover videos showing the abortion giant to be involved in the business of selling fetal body parts.

L1220637As reported by LifeNews, the online prolife news site, organizer Eric Scheidler of the Pro-Life Action League said, “These videos are exposing the American people to the truth about Planned Parenthood and the truth about abortion. How can you deny the humanity of a tiny person whose body parts are being harvested for medical use? Worse yet, how can you make jokes about it, like the Planned Parenthood doctors do in these videos? It’s time to cease all taxpayer funding of this corrupt organization.”

The program in Rockland began with prayer petitions for the unborn, those considering abortion, and those working for the abortion industry, and for the continued strength and commitment for all in the prolife movement. This was followed by the recitation of the Holy Rosary led by Deacon Rob Pang from St. John’s Church in Piermont and others.

Hundreds of cars passed the prayer site with its many signs bearing prolife messages during the course of the two-hour vigil.

Eileen Peterson, the coordinator of Rockland’s 40 Days for Life campaign, noted that, appropriately, this day — August 22 — was the “Feast of the Queenship of Mary” and also the sixth anniversary of the death of Msgr. John Harrington, former vicar of Rockland and prolife leader, who was arrested several times for peaceably trying to save unborn babies and who was instrumental in closing an abortion clinic that used to exist in the county.

L1220620-eThe vigil concluded with a prayer led by Richard Bruno, of the Our Lady of Guadalupe Rosarians, consecrating to Our Lady all efforts to end abortion and the culture of death fostered by Planned Parenthood.and similar organizations.

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Measure to Defund PP Fails in Senate

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Senate sealA measure to move forward with legislation to defund Planned Parenthood was shot down in the Senate yesterday, as proponents failed by six votes to achieve the 60 votes necessary to continue.

The vote was 53 (in favor) versus 46 (against), mostly along party lines. Both New York senators, Chuck Schumer, and Kirstin Gillibrand voted against the measure.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who is running for president, was the only senator to miss the vote.

This vote marks the beginning of what will no doubt be a long congressional fight over the government funding of Planned Parenthood, following release of videos showing some of its executives callously discussing the sale of organs of aborted babies. The organization, which is also the nation’s largest abortion provider, receives $528 million annually from the federal government.

Here is a story from The Hill, which describes what took place yesterday.