The U.S. Congress announced yesterday that it will bring the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act to a floor vote on January 22, 2015, the 42nd anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade decision of the Supreme Court which made abortion legal under a woman’s right to privacy. Since this intends to make abortion illegal nationwide after 20 weeks, it would seem fitting to bring it to a vote on that date. However, there is a HUGE problem:
The Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act has exceptions for children conceived in rape or incest.
When the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act was first introduced in 2013, there were no exceptions in it. However, at the last minute, Republican leadership caved and added the exceptions in order to appease democratic leadership to possibly get the bill through to the senate and maybe get it passed. We and many other groups withdrew active support for the legislation unless the exceptions were removed. The bill eventually expired at the end of 2014.
With the start of the new congressional session this January, the bill (HR36) was reintroduced last week WITH THE RAPE/INCEST EXCEPTIONS INTACT! This is totally unnecessary considering that there is a mainly Republican pro-life majority in both the house and the senate. We don’t need to compromise and disregard the sanctity of ANY life!
*********PLEASE: Take action in TWO ways*********
1. Cut and paste the following message to your U.S. Congressman. To find out contact information for your congressman, (click here to find your Congressman). Send this message IMMEDIATELY so there is time to remove the exceptions before next week’s floor vote:
As the 114th Congress convenes, I want to urge you – as your constituent – to defend those who have no voice: Preborn Children.
H.R. 36, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, was re-introduced by Reps. Trent Franks and Marsha Blackburn. This bill protects unborn babies after 20 weeks, or 5 months of pregnancy, based on the child’s ability to feel pain. It also protects mothers from dangerous late-term abortions. However, there is a huge problem with this bill:
It contains exceptions allowing abortions if the child was conceived by rape or incest.
A child conceived in rape or incest is a living human being and can feel pain just like a child conceived by any other circumstances. The circumstances of a child’s conception should NOT condemn them to death. The Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act has become hugely popular because MOST PRO-LIFE AMERICANS DO NOT KNOW ABOUT THE EXCEPTIONS IN THE LEGISLATION! To make matters worse, this bill will come to a vote on January 22, when millions of pro-life advocates will be peacefully demonstrating their respect for life in Washington at the March for Life. To be pro-life means we advocate for the sanctity of ALL life from conception through natural death, no matter how that life was conceived.
Passing a bill that includes exceptions is inconsistent, discrediting the basic premise that preborn babies deserve protection. It dishonors life and is so unnecessary, especially now that we are blessed to now have a majority of pro-life legislators in both the house and the senate. There is no need to condemn children of rape or incest in a compromise to pass the bill. PLEASE DEMAND THAT THESE EXCEPTIONS BE REMOVED BEFORE THIS BILL COMES TO THE FLOOR FOR A VOTE!!!!
2. Contact National Right to Life, the Susan B Anthony List and Priests for Life to urge them to withdraw support for the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act until the rape and incest exceptions are removed. These organizations rightly so supported this act before the rape exceptions were added, but have not yet demanded that the rape and incest exceptions be removed. With their help, we have a greater chance of getting the exceptions removed before the floor vote.
National Right To Life
512 10th Street NW
Washington, DC 20004
(202) 626-8800
Susan B Anthony List
1200 New Hampshire Ave., NW, Suite 750
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-223-8073
Fax: 202-223-8078
Priests for Life
PO Box 141172
Staten Island, NY 10314
888-753-3448
FAX: 718-980-6515