AUL Action President and CEO Dr. Charmaine Yoest defends infants born alive before the Florida Senate Committee.*

*Film of testimony has been edited.

Urges Abortion Advocate to Support Protections
for Babies Born Alive After Abortion.

 
WASHINGTON, D.C. (04-08-13) – Americans United for Life Action President and CEO Dr. Charmaine Yoest announced a national, web-based campaign to rally pro-life Americans from across the country to hold Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards “accountable for her organization’s tacit support of infanticide in recent testimony in Florida. We must work together to ‘Let Them Live’ and fight for the legal rights of children, born and struggling for life, following an attempted abortion.”

A Planned Parenthood of Florida Lobbyist, testifying recently against the Florida state Born Alive Infants Protection Act, in essence called for infanticide in the United States, telling lawmakers that should a baby survive an abortion, allowing that baby to continue living was debatable. On behalf of Planned Parenthood, Alisa LaPolt Snow said her organization believes the fate of a child surviving a botched abortion could be death, depending on the feelings of the people in the room at the time.

“AULA is calling for Cecile Richards to disavow that barbaric position and join us in calling for legal protections for human beings, struggling for life, in a Planned Parenthood clinic,” said Dr. Yoest. “In addition, we are asking for Planned Parenthood to withdraw their opposition to legislation that protects children born alive during abortion and join us in advancing the bill in Florida and elsewhere across the country.”

To send Cecile Richards a message asking her to “Let Them Live,” click here

The controversy over children born alive during an abortion was renewed recently when shocking footagefrom the Florida hearing reveals this exchange:

“… Uuugh, it is just really hard for me to even ask you this question because I’m almost in disbelief,” said Rep. Jim Boyd in a clip from the hearing.

“If a baby is born on a table as a result of a botched abortion, what would Planned Parenthood want to have happen to that child that is struggling for life?”

“Well, we believe that any decision that’s made should be left up to the woman, her family, and the physician,” replied Snow.

In a follow-up question, Rep. Daniel Davis repeated the concern to Snow. “What happens in a situation where a baby is alive, breathing on a table, moving? What do your physicians do at that point?” he asked.

“Umm, I do not have that information,” Snow responded. “I am not a physician, I am not an abortion provider. So I do not have that information.”

Even after another legislator, Rep. Jose Oliva, asked Snow again about the fate of abortion survivors, she maintained that those children shouldn’t necessarily have a right to life.

“… You stated that a baby born alive on a table as a result of a botched abortion that that decision should be left to the doctor and the family. Is that what you’re saying?” asked Oliva.

“That decision should be between the patient and the health care provider,” said Snow.

“I think that at that point the patient would be the child struggling on the table, wouldn’t you agree?” noted Oliva.

“That’s a very good question. I really don’t know how to answer that,” said Snow.

“Americans United for Life Action does know how to answer that: Let Them Live,” said Dr. Yoest.

For more information on AUL model legislation, including the Born Alive Infants Protection Act, click here.

“Today, the defeat of Caitlin Halligan is a significant pro-life win as her anti-life record indicated strong potential for agenda-driven judging,” said AULA’s Dr. Charmaine Yoest. “Her record of hostile aggression against peaceful protestors raised concern that she would use her elevated position on the bench as a ideological platform for potential abortion activism.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. (03-06-13) – Americans United for Life Action President and CEO Dr. Charmaine Yoest commended the U.S. Senate for a NO vote on cloture on the nomination of Caitlin Halligan to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, in what was a scored vote on life. “Today, the defeat of Caitlin Halligan is a significant pro-life win. Her record of hostile aggression against peaceful protestors raised concern that she would use her elevated position on the bench as a ideological platform for potential abortion activism,” said Dr. Yoest. “AULA scores this vote as a win and commends the U.S. Senators who protected the Court of Appeals from a potentially biased judge.”

The cloture vote took place earlier today.

Halligan’s abortion activism came to light when she used her position as Solicitor General for the state of New York to bring the weight of her office against peaceful pro-life protestors. In 2002, in the Supreme Court case of NOW v. Scheidler, Halligan attempted to squash the First Amendment rights of private citizens who opposed abortion, and tried to intimidate and bankrupt them by expanding the reach of the federal Hobbs Act and the federal civil RICO (racketeering) law. Halligan urged the Supreme Court to adopt NOW’s unprecedented legal theory that public protest that diminished the business of abortion clinics constituted federal “extortion.”

For 10 years, from 1985 to 1995, AUL was co-counsel for Joseph Scheidler in NOW v. Scheidler and thereafter filed amicus briefs to the U.S. Supreme Court against the expansion of Hobbs Act extortion and RICO, defending the Constitutional Rights of Americans to peacefully assemble and peacefully protest.

Halligan’s role in the case was extraordinary because she attempted to persuade the Supreme Court that the history of New York law was essential to a proper interpretation of the Hobbs Act/RICO and that her position as Solicitor General of New York gave her special insight and influence in interpreting New York’s extortion law.

The Supreme Court threw out the case twice and eventually rejected Halligan’s position 8-1.  Even Justice Ginsburg, the most liberal member of the Court, authored a concurring opinion rejecting Halligan’s attempt to stretch the Hobbs Act to apply to abortion protestors.  Ginsburg wrote, “The Court is rightly reluctant, as I see it, to extend RICO’s domain further by endorsing the expansive definition of ‘extortion.’”

To read the letter AULA sent to the U.S. Senate in opposition to Halligan’s nomination, click here.

“The healthcare law is the largest expansion of abortion since Roe v. Wade, and includes the unprecedented move to force cooperation with a life-ending agenda or face punitive action,” said AULA’s Dr. Yoest.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (03-04-13) – Americans United for Life Action President and CEO Dr. Charmaine Yoest added her voice to 13 women Members of Congress calling this week for new conscience rights protections, now under fire through the anti-life provisions of Obamacare. In an effort led by former nurse, Rep. Diane Black (R-TN), the leaders are asking for conscience and religious liberty protections to be included in any continuing resolution that funds the government through FY 2013.

“The healthcare law is the largest expansion of abortion since Roe v. Wade, and includes the unprecedented move to force cooperation with a life-ending agenda or face punitive action,” said Dr. Yoest. “AULA applauds the 13 women in Congress who are fighting for conscience rights through the budgeting process, and calls on all Members of Congress to support this effort.”

To date, AUL has filed seven amicus curiae briefs on behalf of medical personnel, individuals and businesses whose Constitutional freedom of conscience rights are violated by provisions in the healthcare law that require them to fund life-ending drugs and devices or participate with the deadly abortion business. AULA also testified three times about grave concerns with potential threats to conscience rights during hearings over preventive care requirements in Obamacare.

In a letter to House leadership, the 13 women representatives discussed violations of conscience rights already occurring, and said: “This attack on religious freedom demands immediate congressional action. Nothing short of a full exemption for both non-profit and for-profit entities will satisfy the demands of the Constitution and common sense. In recent years, the Administration has committed unprecedented attacks against the religious freedoms guaranteed in the Constitution, all under the guise of ‘access to health care.’ Congress cannot ignore the relentless assault on the First Amendment right to religious freedom.”

The letter was signed by House Representative Diane Black, Representative Marsha Blackburn, Representative Michele Bachmann, Representative Renee Ellmers, Representative Vicky Hartzler, Representative Martha Roby, Representative Jackie Walorski, Representative Cynthia Lummis, Representative Ann Wagner, Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Representative Lynn Jenkins, Representative Candice Miller, and Representative Kristi Noem.

AUL and AULA have been tracking the life-ending agenda in Obamacare throughout the entire process. Abortion is woven into the healthcare law at multiple levels, including:

• Failing to prohibit the use of federal tax dollars for abortion, abortion coverage, and abortion-inducing drugs and devices.
• Pretending that the Hyde Amendment protections were enough to prohibit direct payment for abortions.
• Permitting federally subsidized Qualified Health Plans (QHPs) to provide abortion coverage through the state insurance exchanges required in all 50 states.
• Failing to prohibit all multi-state qualified health plans from providing coverage for abortion.
• Including a “preventive care” mandate that is being used to force coverage of drugs and devices known to end life.
• Failing to provide comprehensive First Amendment conscience protections for individuals, employers, and insurance companies that have religious or moral objections to abortion.

For more information on real healthcare that respects life, click here.

Halligan “is unqualified to sit on such a prestigious court because of her conduct in office, using her position in state government to advance radical, pro-abortion legal theories against the constitutional rights of pro-life citizens,” said AULA’s Dr. Yoest.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (03-01-13) – Americans United for Life Action President and CEO Dr. Charmaine Yoest called for the U.S. Senate to vote no on cloture on the nomination of Caitlin Halligan to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, in what will be a scored vote on life. “Halligan shows signs of being the quintessential judicial activist,” noted Dr. Yoest. “She is unqualified to sit on such a prestigious court because of her conduct in office, using her position in state government to advance radical, pro-abortion legal theories  against the constitutional rights of pro-life citizens.”

Cloture is likely to be filed on her nomination, followed by a vote next week.

Halligan’s abortion activism came to light when she used her position as Solicitor General for the state of New York to bring the weight of her office against peaceful pro-life protestors. In 2002, in the Supreme Court case of NOW v. Scheidler, Halligan attempted to squash the First Amendment rights of private citizens who opposed abortion, and tried to intimidate and bankrupt them by expanding the reach of the federal Hobbs Act and the federal civil RICO (racketeering) law. Halligan urged the Supreme Court to adopt NOW’s unprecedented legal theory that public protest that diminished the business of abortion clinics constituted federal “extortion.”

For 10 years, from 1985 to 1995, AUL was co-counsel for Joseph Scheidler in NOW v. Scheidler and thereafter filed amicus briefs to the U.S. Supreme Court against the expansion of Hobbs Act extortion and RICO, defending the constitutional rights of Americans to peacefully assemble and peacefully protest.

Halligan’s role in the case was extraordinary because she attempted to persuade the Supreme Court that the history of New York law was essential to a proper interpretation of the Hobbs Act/RICO and that her position at Solicitor General of New York gave her special insight and influence in interpreting New York’s extortion law.

The Supreme Court threw out the case twice and eventually rejected Halligan’s position 8-1.  Even Justice Ginsburg, the most liberal member of the Court, authored a concurring opinion rejecting Halligan’s attempt to stretch the Hobbs Act to apply to abortion protestors.  Ginsburg wrote, “The Court is rightly reluctant, as I see it, to extend RICO’s domain further by endorsing the expansive definition of ‘extortion.’”

“Halligan admittedly ‘provided substantial assistance’ in filing the brief on behalf of New York and inserting herself into this effort to sever pro-life Americans from their Constitutional rights,” said Dr. Yoest. “Her willingness to twist laws–designed to confront organized crime–against peaceful protestors demonstrates why Americans United for Life Action is calling for a NO vote. The Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade wrongly took the issue of life out of the hands of voters through an activist court. Halligan’s nomination represents the possibility of further judicial activism on abortion, and she must not be allowed to receive a lifetime appointment to the Court of Appeals.”

AULA will send a letter to members of the U.S. Senate to urge a NO vote on cloture on Halligan’s nomination.