*PLW ACTION ALERT*

 

December 16, 2008

 

To:  Members, Pro-Life Wisconsin

 

From:  Matt Sande, Director of Legislation

 

Re:  Opposition to Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) and the Prevention First Act (PFA)

 

Please sign petition NOW to stop Planned Parenthood’s deadly agenda

Radical FOCA and PFA bills may be fast-tracked this January

 

The election of Barack Obama has bolstered Planned Parenthood’s effort to accomplish its two main legislative goals: the Freedom of Choice Act and the Prevention First Act.

 

What is the Freedom of Choice Act?  FOCA is federal legislation creating a “fundamental right” to abortion through all nine months of pregnancy. It would prevent all governmental bodies at all levels from being able to “deny or interfere with a woman’s right to choose” or “discriminate” against the exercise of this right “in the regulation or provision of benefits, facilities, services or information.” Accordingly, FOCA would overturn all federal and state regulations on the abortion industry by making abortion a public entitlement.

 

FOCA would eliminate laws on:

·         informed consent;

·         parental consent;

·         parental notification;

·         abortion clinic regulations;

·         conscience protection laws;

·         government programs that fund and promote childbirth without funding abortion;

·         laws prohibiting certain abortion procedures (e.g., partial birth abortion); and

·         laws requiring that abortions only be performed by licensed physicians.

 

In sum, FOCA goes well beyond Roe v. Wade by creating an unqualified and unfettered right to abort preborn children.

 

The current House bill (H.R.1964), originally introduced on April 19, 2007, was referred to the Judiciary committee.  It has 109 co-sponsors. The current Senate bill (S.1173) was also originally introduced on April 19, 2007, and was referred to the Judiciary committee. It has 19 cosponsors, including Barack Obama. 

 

What is the Prevention First Act?  The PFA is federal legislation that would provide millions in taxpayer dollars for Planned Parenthood and implement much of their deadly agenda.

 

The PFA would:

·         make Title X (family planning) a permanent program and fund it at $700 million or more;

·         mandate that all health insurance programs that cover prescription drugs also cover abortifacient contraceptives;

·         create a government program to promote/push abortifacient “emergency contraception;”

·         take away federal money from any hospital that refuses to provide abortifacient “emergency contraception” to rape victims;

·         appropriate massive funding for Planned Parenthood style sex education programs (abstinence-only programs are specifically excluded from funding); and

·         permanently include family planning services as part of the Medicaid program.

 

The current House bill (H.R.819), originally introduced on February 5, 2007, was referred to the Education and Labor committee.  It has 164 co-sponsors. The current Senate bill (S.21) was originally introduced on January 4, 2007, and was referred to the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions committee.  It has 34 cosponsors, including Barack Obama. 

 

NOTE:  A new Congress will begin in January 2009 and all existing bills will need to be reintroduced with new bill numbers.  The new Democrat-controlled 111th Congress may take months to reintroduce these bills or they may fast-track them, possibly passing the FOCA bill in time for President-elect Obama to sign it on inauguration day.  We simply don’t know, and that is why we must make our voices heard now!

 

TAKE ACTION NOW!

1)      Pro-Life Wisconsin’s parent association, American Life League, has created a petition allowing you to register your opposition to FOCA and the PFA and let your elected officials know how you feel. Please go to www.stopp.org/agenda and sign the petition. In addition, please ask all of your friends and everyone on your e-mail lists to sign it.

 

2)      Please contact your U.S. Representative and two U.S. Senators by phone or email and urge them to “please pledge now to oppose FOCA and the PFA.”  You may go to this web link for Wisconsin Congressional Delegation contact information (after typing in your street address, scroll down to U.S. Congress to find your representative and senators): http://waml.legis.state.wi.us/. You may also call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121.

 

3)      Please pray fervently for the conversion of President-elect Barack Obama, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to the side of life.  Please also pray for courage for the moderate Democrat congressional members to stand up and oppose their radical leadership.

 

Please know that FOCA and the PFA can be stopped.  These are extreme bills that the majority of Americans - even many “pro-choice” Americans - oppose.  Please stand up and let your pro-life voice be heard.  Thank you, and may God bless you and this effort.