President Obama nominates Elena Kagan to U.S. Supreme Court

On May 10, President Barack Obama nominated 50-year-old Elena Kagan to fill Justice John Paul Stevens’ seat on the Supreme Court of the United States. For the last year as Solicitor General, Kagan has represented the U.S. Government in cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. Kagan has never served as a judge and has a limited record on the abortion issue. During her confirmation hearing for Solicitor General, Kagan was not asked about her position on abortion. In the past, she has criticized a Supreme Court ruling (Rust v. Sullivan) which upheld regulations which prevented Title X funds from going to projects which counseled women about abortion.

After the announced retirement of Justice Stevens, President Obama was asked if his nominee would ever not support abortion and President Obama claimed he did not have an abortion litmus test for potential nominees but then said, “But I will say that I want somebody who is going to be interpreting our Constitution in a way that takes into account individual rights, including women's rights. That is something that is going to be very important to me."

In the coming months, Kagan will appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee to answer questions about her judicial philosophy. If the Senate Judiciary Committee votes to approve Kagan, the U.S. Senate will then decide whether to confirm her nomination. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) hopes Kagan will be confirmed by the end of the summer.

Right to Life of Michigan will provide updates on when the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings will take place and when any votes on Kagan’s nomination are scheduled.

Fetal Development: There's an App for that

Pampers has developed an application which allows individuals to follow the development of their unborn child with images and fetal development information.

You’ve heard a lot about the ways your baby will develop during your pregnancy—now Pampers enables you to experience baby development like never before: at simulated life-size, right on your iPad. Enter your due date to track week-by-week typical progress and learn about the important changes happening. Hold the iPad in front of your tummy and see a typical representation of the baby, with richly detailed images illustrating his or her growth. Hello Baby is a whole new way to get your family excited to welcome its newest member.

Things you can do:

1. See how a baby grows during your pregnancy. View close-ups of little hands and feet, and listen to what a heartbeat might sound like.

2. Add personalized details including your child’s due date, name, size, and weight.

3. Take the iPad wherever you go to share the exciting developments with friends and family.

You can download the "Hello Baby" app here.

University of Michigan Researcher Eva Feldman Lies about Research and Proposal 2

University of Michigan Researcher Eva Feldman was featured in two Crain’s Detroit Business articles. The main article discusses how she hopes to expand her ALS research into research on patients with Alzheimer’s. In the other article she falsely claims to reporter Ryan Beene that the reason she got the stem cells she uses in her research from the Maryland-based Neuralstem is because “the ban on research in Michigan before the 2008 passage of Proposal 2.”

This is completely untrue. Eva Feldman is doing research on ALS patients using cells derived from the spinal cord of an aborted child as page 1 of the patient consent form used in her work at the Emory School of Medicine clearly indicates.

Proposal 2 did nothing to legalize research on cells obtained from tissue of aborted children. It legalized research on and the killing of human embryos created for fertility treatments and who are no older than 14 days old. Feldman’s comments show the length some University of Michigan researchers will go to in attempts to deceive the media and the public. Even after Proposal 2 passed they still feel like they need to lie about what Proposal 2 did and what research was legal in Michigan before Proposal 2.

Unfortunately, reporter Ryan Beene failed to fact check any of Feldman’s claims.

This Week is National Pro-Life T-Shirt Week

National Pro-Life T-Shirt Week starts today and is a great opportunity for prolifers (especially prolife students) to use their clothing to educate others about prolife issues. The goal is increase awareness about the sanctity of life and how abortion ends the life of innocent human beings.

Visit Right to Life of Michigan’s online catalog to find prolife apparel and merchandise online.

Michigan Senate passes legislation to provide transparency and reporting to embryonic stem cell research

On April 21, the Michigan Senate overwhelmingly passed a package of bills to provide transparency for researching involving human embryos in Michigan. In November of 2008, Michigan voters voted to pass Proposal 2 and legalize the killing of human embryos in Michigan for research purposes. The language of Proposal 2 failed to provide any definitions or accountability. This package of bills draws clear parameters around this research as promised by the proponents and voted on by the people.

Supporters in the Republican-led Senate said regulations are needed to clarify vague areas of Proposal 2, the constitutional amendment voters approved in 2008 that expands use of human embryos for any research permitted under federal law.

"I'd like to know how many embryos the University of Michigan has stored. Is it thousands, or three?" said Sen. Tom George, R-Kalamazoo, a sponsor of the package. "It's an after-the-fact report -- it does not discourage, obstruct or restrict research."

FULL STORY

Senate Moves to Implement Embryo Research Proposal

Guidelines Needed to Enforce People's Vote

The Michigan Senate, by a vote of 25-12, approved a bi-partisan package of bills designed to implement the constitutional amendment adopted by Michigan voters allowing live human embryos to be destroyed for research purposes. Proposal 2 of 2008 contained a series of requirements for allowing embryos created for infertility treatment to be donated for research. The legislation passed today ensures that those requirements are backed up in law with definitions and penalties.

Right to Life of Michigan President Barbara Listing said, "The debate over Proposal 2 is behind us. The Legislature's job is to properly implement and enforce the proposal. Voters approved this measure expecting research would be limited to only excess human embryos, that there would be no buying or selling of human embryos and that parents would consent to their embryos being used for research."

Advocates of the research have falsely claimed that the bills would restrict the ability of researchers to use the stem cell lines they create after destroying the embryos. Nothing in the bills restricts what researchers can do with the stem cells once they are harvested. An analysis of the Michigan bills shows that they are less burdensome than state regulations in California and Massachusetts, the two leading states in stem cell research.

Listing said, "The bi-partisan vote in the Senate demonstrates that the opposition to this legislation is little more than deceptive rhetoric, much like we saw in the Proposal 2 campaign. Research will not be affected by the basic oversight called for in these bills. If we do not put these measures into effect, we will have the unregulated and unrestricted scientific experimentation we warned about in 2008."

Adult stem cell study in Michigan focusing on heart attack patients

Michigan Stem & Regenerative Medicine Program of the Michigan CardioVascular Institute and Covenant Health Care are conducting a Phase II clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness of an adult stem cell therapy called Prochymal which intends to reduce inflammation and promote regeneration in patients who have recently had a heart attack. Two Michigan residents have already received the treatment.

Dr. Safwan Kassas, an interventional cardiologist with MCVI, has successfully infused two patients, William C. Smith, 60, of Bay City, in December, and Brenda Sigmund, 62, of Caro, in January....

Kathleen Mostek, director of research and regenerative medicine for MCVI, 1015 S. Washington in Saginaw, said the stem cells were taken from five volunteers, grown in a lab and stored in a bank in a freezer.

“This protocol is adult stem cells, they are the same for everyone in the world, with no rejection,” Mostek said.

The Prochymal investigational therapy was developed by Osiris Therapeutics Inc., of Columbia, Md., and contains mesenchymal stem cells taken from the bone marrow of healthy, screened adult volunteer donors, Mostek said.

Studies have shown this formulation to be universally compatible, similar to type O blood, the universal donor....

The double-blind, placedo-controlled stem cell study is being conducted in the U.S. and Canada and will enroll about 220 patients. To be eligible for the trial, patients must have experienced their first heart attack within seven days.

A heart attack occurs when blood flow is suddenly and completely blocked. Phase I of the trial involved 53 patients and found adverse effects were lowered, with improved heart function and irregular heartbeat reduced when comparing patients treated with Prochymal to the placebo group, Mostek said.

FULL STORY

The Science of Killing a Twin

In an online article entitled, “The Truth About Multiples,” Dr. Mark Evans describes his work in screening, selecting and aborting children who part of a multiple pregnancy. He uses the term “multifetal pregnancy reduction” to describe the process of killing one or more unborn children in the womb while leaving one or more of the unborn children alive.

Evans admits that if he is unable to find anything wrong with any of the unborn children in multiple pregnancies, he will kill children based on their gender.

He also encourages women who are pregnant with twins to abort one of their twins.

FULL STORY

Life experience of Planned Parenthood director changes life course

Legislative Day, April 28

Right to Life of Michigan is proud to present Legislative Day 2010 at the Lansing Center, located just blocks from the State Capitol. Join us on Wednesday, April 28, for a morning filled with information about current prolife legislation and lobby training you can put into action during a luncheon with your legislator. All this is followed by keynote speaker, Abby Johnson, the former Texas Planned Parenthood clinic director who quit her job after watching an ultrasound of a baby being aborted. You won't want to miss the true story of how her heart was changed. The cost is $40 for adults and $30 for students.

Abby Johnson quit her job. That simple act has become a national news story because Johnson was the director of a Planned Parenthood clinic in Texas who said she experienced a "change of heart" while participating in an abortion procedure.

Johnson worked at the Planned Parenthood clinic in Bryan, Texas, for nine years, first as a volunteer and then as the director. Her duties included running the family planning and abortion programs. The clinic performed abortions two days a month. Although she had seen ultrasounds before, including during her own pregnancy, Johnson said she had never seen an ultrasound image during an abortion. She is unclear why she was asked to be in the procedure room on that day, because it was not a normal part of her duties. Still, Johnson said, the experience changed her forever. She knew it was time to leave after she watched the baby "crumple" while being vacuumed out of a patient's uterus.

"I just thought, what am I doing?" she said. "And then I thought, never again. I looked out the window and saw a couple of people praying and I thought, that's where I need to go."

EVENT SCHEDULE

REGISTRATION

Making a Difference at Legislative Day

Plan on joining us at our annual Legislative Day on Wednesday, April 28 in Lansing. Come for a morning filled with information about current prolife legislation and lobby training you can put into action during a luncheon with your legislator. All this is followed by keynote speaker, Abby Johnson, the former Texas Planned Parenthood Clinic Director who quit her job after watching an ultrasound of a baby being aborted. You won’t want to miss her story!

With elections this Fall for many seats currently filled by those firmly committed to advancing pro-abortion laws, it's important for everyone to know how prolifers can make a positive change and begin advancing prolife laws, rolling back pro-abortion laws or repealing them. For information and to RSVP for Legislative Day, click here.

For information about pending state legislation, click here.

April is Abortion Recovery Month

The organization Abortion Recovery International is promoting the month of April as Abortion Recovery Month.

The goals of Abortion Recovery Month are to:

1. promote and extend healing opportunities to those hurting after abortion
2. enlighten society on the effects of abortion on individuals and families

Right to Life of Michigan works with a number of pregnancy centers across Michigan, many of whom offer services for post-abortion women. If you are experiencing the pain of an abortion in your past, please visit the following: www.healinghearts.org or www.hopeafterabortion.com.

FULL STORY

Educational Presentation on Planned Parenthood

Right to Life of Michigan's web page on Planned Parenthood now has an educational PowerPoint presentation on Planned Parenthood which is available for download. There is also a script which gives presenters a seamless presentation.

The PowerPoint presentation entitled, "What Lies Beneath," concisely discusses Planned Parenthood’s history, their founder Margaret Sanger, Planned Parenthood’s commitment to abortion, their financial information and their lobbying work against prolife laws, along with other information.

Download the PowerPoint
Download the Script

Albom and Stupak Mislead on Abortion and Health Care Reform

Mitch Albom’s March 28 column focused on Bart Stupak and his vote in favor of health care reform legislation which didn’t include his own prolife Stupak amendment. During the column, Albom continuously claims that Congressman Randy Neugebauer called Bart Stupak a “baby killer.” Albom never mentions that Neugebauer claims he didn’t call Stupak a “baby killer” but instead yelled out, “It’s a baby killer” while referring to the health care reform bill. Albom also never mentions that Neugebauer apologized to Stupak for yelling during Stupak’s speech and was sorry his “actions were mistakenly interpreted as a direct reference to Congressman Stupak himself.”

Albom’s column also allows Stupak to criticize prolife groups who are critical of Stupak’s change of position. Just weeks before the passage of health care reform, Stupak said the abortion language in the Senate’s version of the bill was “unacceptable” and was “a significant departure from current law.” Since then, the abortion language in health care reform legislation hasn’t changed. Stupak’s position has. Both prolife and pro-choice groups recognize that President Obama’s executive order can’t do anything to change the language of the law. Planned Parenthood’s President Cecile Richards called it “a symbolic gesture.”

Congressman Stupak voted for health care reform even though the legislation didn’t include his own amendment which he recognized was the only way to keep abortion funding out of health care reform. It’s incredibly disingenuous for him to now attack prolife organizations for holding the same position he held a few weeks ago.

Columnist explain why executive order won’t prevent health care reform from funding abortions

Washington Post columnist Kathleen Parker used her Sunday column to explain why President Obama’s executive order can’t prevent health care reform legislation from funding abortions at community health centers.

Several supporters of the bill have argued that this debate is otherwise irrelevant because abortions aren't performed at CHCs. While currently true, this doesn't mean that CHCs wouldn't like to offer abortion among their reproductive services.

Under the new law, they can. There's nothing to stop them.

Here's why. By statute, CHCs are required to provide all "required primary health care services," defined to include "health services related to . . . obstetrics or gynecology that are furnished by physicians."

Federal courts long have held that when a statute requires provision of health services under such broad categories, then the statute must be construed to include abortion unless it explicitly excludes it. Voilà.

FULL STORY

RLM-PAC Rescinds Rep. Stupak's Endorsement

On Wednesday, March 24, the Right to Life of Michigan Political Action Committee notified U.S. Representative Bart Stupak that his endorsement was rescinded. In a letter sent to Rep. Stupak, the RLM-PAC qualified how the endorsement criteria was no longer met.

The letter noted the endorsement had been based on Rep. Stupak's voting record, previous interview and completion of a questionnaire in which Rep. Stupak indicated he would oppose any efforts to include federally funded abortion in national health care plans; support efforts to specifically exclude federally funded abortion in national health care plans; and be willing to vote against federal funding of abortion except where necessary to save the life of the mother.

On March 21, Rep. Stupak failed to meet those requirements by voting for President Barack Obama's health care bill, H.R. 3590.

In accordance with the Right to Life of Michigan Political Action Committee bylaws and by the March 23 unanimous vote of the RLM-PAC Board, the Right to Life of Michigan Political Action Committee rescinded Rep. Stupak's endorsement, effective immediately.

Another member of the U.S. House from Michigan who calls himself prolife, yet voted in support of H.R. 3590, is Representative Dale Kildee. While Rep. Kildee was endorsed by the Right to Life of Michigan PAC in the past, he did not meet the RLM-PAC criteria in 2008 and was not endorsed by the RLM-PAC in that election. Representative Kildee does not meet RLM-PAC's definition of prolife.

Boy in Britain gets new windpipe with the help of his own stem cells

Times Online reports that a 10-year-old British boy successfully underwent surgery to replace his windpipe. Doctors placed the boy's own stem cells on the windpipe to build it up after the donor's cell were removed.

The replacement trachea - the bony tube that connects the nose, mouth and lungs - was stripped of the donor's cells to leave a scaffold which was then laced with the child's stem cells. The boy, aged 10, then received the transplant hours later. The stem cells are now reconstructing the airway and ensuring it is not rejected by his immune system.

The operation was the first to use stem cells with the scaffold inside the body. It was also the first entire windpipe transplant to be carried out on a child and the first to involve the entire length of the trachea.

The doctors who carried out the procedure said the technique reduced greatly the risk of rejection of the new trachea, as the child?s stem cells would not generate any immune response. They said the child, who was not being identified, was recovering well and able to speak.

FULL STORY

Right to Life of Michigan Statement on Health Care Vote

U.S. House passes Obama-backed health bill, 219-212

The U.S. House of Representatives on Sunday, March 21, gave final approval to a massive health care restructuring bill, H.R. 3590, strongly opposed by Right to Life of Michigan and National Right to Life Committee.

The House vote was 219 to 212 in favor of the bill. All 219 votes in favor were cast by Democrats. Of the opposing (prolife) votes, 178 were cast by Republicans and 34 by Democrats. The official roll call can be viewed here.

Because the Senate already approved the bill on December 24, 2009, it will now go straight to President Barack Obama for his signature.

Right to Life of Michigan President Barbara Listing said, "We are deeply disappointed and dismayed that Rep. Bart Stupak (D) approved of a compromise in the form of an executive order. With the compromise, some prolife U.S. House Democrats supported the health care bill."

Lawmakers who voted for this bill voted to require federal agencies to subsidize and administer health plans that will pay for elective abortion and voting to undermine longstanding prolife policies. This was a key, defining vote.

The executive order promised by President Obama was issued for political effect. It changes nothing. It does not correct any of the serious pro-abortion provisions in the bill. The president cannot amend a bill by issuing an order, and the federal courts will enforce what the law says.

The question of Rep. Bart Stupak's endorsement is one for the Right to Life of Michigan Political Action Committee. As stated above, this vote was scored as a pro-abortion vote and will certainly be a defining factor in present and future endorsements.

Barbara Listing said, "Prolife citizens know, and they will be reminded again and again, which lawmakers deserve their gratitude for voting against this pro-abortion legislation and which lawmakers should not be supported for re-election. This serves as a reminder for us all to be involved in the political process. Lives depend upon it."

Rep. Dale Kildee Announces Support of Senate-Passed Health Care Bill to Expand Abortion Funding, Right to Life of Michigan Responds

The following may be attributed to Right to Life of Michigan President Barbara Listing:

"Today, Rep. Dale Kildee announced he will support the Senate-passed health care bill. This statement from Rep. Kildee is disappointing coming from a person who calls himself prolife. The Senate health care bill would expand the role of the federal government in abortion procedures because it excludes the language of the Hyde amendment. The Hyde amendment has protected the conscience of tax-paying citizens for more than 30 years by keeping federal funds from being used for abortions. We cannot attempt to care for the health needs of some of the people in the United States by eliminating the life of others under the guise of health care reform. Abortion has no place in health care reform efforts and until clear language is inserted into the Senate-passed health care bill, groups like Right to Life of Michigan will speak up. Health care should not expand abortion funding forcing tax-payers to be part of the deliberate taking of human life. Rep. Dale Kildee may call himself prolife, but his actions speak louder than his words."

Tebow Ad Saves Life

A Focus on the Family blog recently published a letter they received from a young woman who was considering abortion before viewing Focus on the Family's prolife Super Bowl television advertisement featuring Pam and Tim Tebow. The letter is one of many letters they've received in response to the ad. Below is a part of her letter:

I need to thank you so much. It's not like me to reach out to strangers or agencies for help. I was truly feeling lost. I saw the ad during the Super Bowl and it stuck in my head. I feel like that commercial was made to reach out to me.....

Your organization, through the Super Bowl ad and your thoughtful email, saved this baby's life. I have no doubt about that. And in the process maybe you saved my soul. Words just can not express my gratitude, but thank you, thank you, thank you!

FULL STORY

Lawmakers feeling pressure on health care reform

DECISIVE HOUSE VOTE TO OCCUR ON OR ABOUT MARCH 20.

President Barack Obama and Speaker Nancy Pelosi are pulling out all the stops to pass a massive pro-abortion health care bill. The days immediately ahead will decide the issue.

The health care bill (H.R. 3590) was already passed in the U.S. Senate on December 24, 2009. In order to enact it, however, President Obama and Speaker Pelosi must convince a majority in the House of Representatives to also vote for the bill. So far the White House and Democratic leaders have been unable to muster the votes to pass the bill in the House of Representatives, partly because of resistance to the pro-abortion provisions among House prolife Democrats. This effort is being led by Michigan's Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI). It has been reported that President Obama has postponed a trip to Indonesia and Australia to pressure Democrats to support the health care bill.

When all of the pro-abortion provisions are considered in total, the Senate bill is the most pro-abortion single piece of legislation that has ever come to the House floor for a vote since 1973 when Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton were handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court legalizing abortion through all nine months of pregnancy. More Information

ACTION ITEM

The vote is too close to call. All House Republicans oppose H.R. 3590. The outcome will be determined by whether undecided Democrat lawmakers recognize sufficient opposition among their constituents to convince them to vote against the urgings of the President and their party leaders.

In Michigan, the focus is on Rep. Dale Kildee.

Sample message: "I strongly urge Rep. Kildee to OPPOSE the Senate health care bill because the bill contains many pro-abortion provisions."

U.S. Rep. Dale Kildee (D)
Washington, D.C., phone: 202-225-3611

District Offices:
Flint (810) 239-1437
Bay City (989) 891-0990
Saginaw (989) 755-8904
District Toll Free (800) 662-2685


A call of appreciation for Rep. Bart Stupak is also needed.

Sample message: "Please thank Rep. Stupak for his strong prolife leadership and work to keep my tax dollars from paying for abortion as part of national health care."

U.S. Rep. Bart Stupak (D)
Washington, D.C., phone: 202-225-4735

District Offices:
Alpena (989) 356-0690
Crystal Falls (906) 875-3751
Escanaba (906) 786-4504
Houghton (906) 482-1371
Marquette (906) 228-3700
Petoskey (231) 348-0657
West Branch (989) 345-2258
Distict Toll Free (800) 950-7371

Bart Stupak says he’s a “definite ‘no’ vote" on health care reform legislation

In an interview with National Review, Michigan Congressman Bart Stupak (D-Menominee) reveals that he plans to vote “no” on the Democrat’s health care reform legislation because it includes the federal funding of abortion.

According to Stupak, that group of twelve pro-life House Democrats — the “Stupak dozen” — has privately agreed for months to vote ‘no’ on the Senate’s health-care bill if federal funding for abortion is included in the final legislative language. Now, in the debate’s final hours, Stupak says the other eleven are coming under “enormous” political pressure from both the White House and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.). “I am a definite ‘no’ vote,” he says. “I didn’t cave. The others are having both of their arms twisted, and we’re all getting pounded by our traditional Democratic supporters, like unions.”

Stupak notes that his negotiations with House Democratic leaders in recent days have been revealing. “I really believe that the Democratic leadership is simply unwilling to change its stance,” he says. “Their position says that women, especially those without means available, should have their abortions covered.” The arguments they have made to him in recent deliberations, he adds, “are a pretty sad commentary on the state of the Democratic party.”

FULL STORY

Abortion: An Unregulated Industry

Kermit Gosnell is an abortionist. Or at least he was.

The 69-year-old man’s medical license was recently suspended in Pennsylvania and Delaware. When prolifers claim abortion is one of the most unregulated industries in America, Kermit Gosnell is Exhibit A.

Gosnell has been aborting children and hurting pregnant women since before Roe v. Wade. He was a researcher on a failed abortion experiment in 1972 when a couple of abortionists tried to use a new device called the “super-coil” to terminate the second-trimester pregnancies of 15 poor women. An investigation of the experiment found that 9 of the 15 women suffered serious complications.

While performing an abortion in 2000, he perforated the uterus of a woman named Semika Shaw and she died 3 days later. Gosnell settled a suit brought on behalf of Shaw’s two living children which claimed he failed to tell her to seek emergency care.

Over the years, 46 civil lawsuits have been filed against Gosnell. One woman was awarded $5,000 after a court case revealed Gosnell left an arm and leg of her unborn child inside of her and almost killed her.

In November of 2009, a woman receiving a late-term abortion at his clinic died from a heart arrhythmia after being heavily medicated by one of Gosnell’s unlicenced employees.

Yet, despite all of this Gosnell’s license wasn’t suspended until federal agents raided his clinic looking for evidence that Gosnell was illegally prescribing prescription pain-killers. The agents were so disgusted by the conditions in the clinic, they informed the state health department. The state health department did their own investigation and found the clinic to be “deplorable and unsanitary.” They found, among other atrocities, “blood on the floor, and parts of aborted fetuses displayed in jars."

How was Gosnell allowed to run this unsanitary clinic for so long? In Pennsylvania, the health department isn’t required to inspect abortion clinics unless they’re just opening or relocating. This allowed Gosnell to operate in deplorable conditions while killing unborn children and endangering women’s lives for decades without ever being inspected by the state’s health department.

The reaction of pro-abortion groups to the horrors of Gosnell’s clinic was unbelievable. Instead of admitting the problems an unregulated abortion industry can cause and calling for more regulations, they claim the real problem is that Pennsylvania’s tax dollars don’t pay for abortions. At least one Pennsylvania legislator is hoping to change this situation. State Representative Matthew Baker has informed the media that he plans on attempting to require unannounced inspections of all abortion clinics in Pennsylvania.

Until then, authorities will never know how many Kermit Gosnell type “clinics” are operating in their state.

In Michigan, we want all to know abortion is not worthy of a woman. If you are pregnant and looking for help, call 1-800 57 WOMAN. Michigan has numerous pregnancy centers providing free assistance.

Detroit Abortions - the Elephant in the Room

The following letter to the editor was submitted to the Detroit Free Press in response to a Rochelle Riley column which laments the decreasing number of children born in Detroit and attempts to explain the decrease.

A recent Rochelle Riley column lamented the drop in the number of babies born in the city of Detroit and the large number of ob/gyns who have exited the city. The column also attempted to explain the cause of this problem. One reason which was not mentioned was abortion. In 2008, there were 6,365 abortions performed on women who reside in Detroit. This is more than 1/4 of all abortions performed on Michigan residents even though the population of Detroit is less than 1/10 of Michigan's population. In 2007, there were 12,183 children born in Detroit. How can Detroit ever be reborn when more than a 1/3 of all children conceived by women who live in Detroit are aborted?

Health Care Reform

U.S. House may take action this month

President Obama and top Democratic congressional leaders have launched a final all-out push to enact a massive health care restructuring bill that, among other things, contains sweeping pro-abortion provisions.

The Senate passed the pro-abortion legislation (H.R. 3590) on December 24. However, so far the White House and Democratic leaders have been unable to muster the votes to pass the bill in the House of Representatives, partly because of resistance to the pro-abortion provisions among House prolife Democrats, led by Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI).

Nevertheless, President Obama and the top leaders of his party on Capitol Hill have regrouped and are going all out to try to push the legislation into law. "We will pass a bill," vowed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) on February 22. Democrats currently control the 435-member House by a 77-seat margin.

A showdown vote in the House is likely to occur before the end of March.

Action Item

Please telephone the offices of your U.S. Senators and your U.S. House member. The Washington offices of your representatives can be reached through the Capitol Switchboard, 202-224-3121. Or, for direct and local numbers, see the Congressional Contact Information.

Sample message: "I am strongly opposed to the health bill that was passed by the Senate, H.R. 3590. This bill contains numerous pro-abortion provisions. The changes recommended by President Obama on February 22 would make the bill even worse. Do not support any health care reform bill that does not include the Stupak language to block government funding of abortion."

RLM News Spring 2010 issue

The spring 2010 issue of the RLM News is now available online. This issue includes stories about the 2010 March for Life and Planned Parenthood.

RLM News Spring 2010