This Wednesday, President Biden is set to give a joint address to Congress. He is expected to promote his “infrastructure” plan, known as the American Jobs Plan, which is likely to contain problems surrounding abortion funding and health care rationing.
In the House, the list of signers on the discharge petition on the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Act continues to grow. Additionally, we are gearing up for a fight to save the Hyde amendment in the annual appropriations bill, which is expected to begin moving this summer. A petition on saving the Hyde Amendment can be found here:https://prolifepetition.com
Finally, Senate action could occur at any time on several measures, listed below as numbers 4 and 5.
1. American Jobs Plan - potential pro-life issues
This coming Wednesday, April 28, 2021, President Biden is scheduled to give a joint address to Congress. While details are still in a state of flux, it is probable that several provisions affecting pro-life issues may be included. They could include, but are not limited to:
Expansion of abortion-covering Obamacare subsidies
Extension of healthcare benefits through various other existing programs which would need to be Hyde-protected
Drug price negotiation which could lead to the rationing of life-saving medications.
We will continue to monitor developments and analyze language as it becomes available. The "infrastructure" plan is set to be pushed using the process known as reconciliation and would therefore be subject to a simple majority in the Senate.
2. Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act
The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act (H.R. 619), sponsored by Rep. Ann Wagner (R-Mo.), would enact an explicit requirement that a baby born alive during an abortion must be afforded “the same degree” of care that would apply “to any other child born alive at the same gestational age,” including transportation to a hospital. The bill also empowers women with a right to sue their abortionists and others for harm caused by violations of the act. National Right to Life strongly supports
the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. The companion bill in the U.S. Senate is S. 123, sponsored by Senator Ben Sasse (R-Neb.).
On Wednesday, April 14, Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Fla.) filed a discharge petition on H.R. 619. Members lined up to sign and set a record for first-day signatures on a discharge petition, with 202 members signing on the first day. At this time of this writing, 209 members have signed, and a few more are expected to do so.
If a discharge petition is signed by a majority of House members (218), it would force a vote on the House floor, even over the objection of pro-abortion Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Cal.). In the 117th Congress, there are currently 212 Republicans.
National Right to Life has posted an action alert to urge members who have not yet done so, to sign the petition. The focus should be on alerting Democrat members to sign, as none have yet to do so. Action Alert -https://cqrcengage.com/nrlc/action
NRLC’s April 15th press release can be found here:
3. D.C. Statehood The House passed H.R. 51 on April 22, 2021 by a vote of 216-208 on a straight party-line vote. If D.C. were to become a state, the predictable result will be tax funding of hundreds (if not more) of elective abortions in D.C. annually. For more on constitutional concerns over granting D.C. statehood, see our scorecard letter in opposition
to the House of Representatives here:
The Senate is expected to consider the legislation.
4. The So-Called Equality Act
In addition to other issues, H.R. 5 poses a significant pro-life threat. It amends the 1964 Civil Rights Act, adding language that could be used to make abortions more available, expands taxpayer funding of abortion, and weakens conscience protections for health care providers opposed to participating in abortions.
The so-called Equality Act would amend the Civil Rights Act by defining “sex” to include “pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition.” It is well established that abortion will be regarded as a “related medical condition.” Laws that protect unborn children or limit abortion funding could constitute discrimination on the basis of sex.
Historically, when Congress has addressed discrimination based on sex, rules of construction have been added to prevent requiring funding of abortion or nullifying conscience laws. Since no rule of construction is included in the Equality Act, National Right to Life opposes the bill.
We expect this bill to receive priority and a vote can occur at a time of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-N.Y.) choosing. Schumer has used a special shortcut procedure ("Rule 14") to prevent referral of H.R. 5 to committee, which means that it is available for floor action at any time. We will keep you apprised of developments.
The House passed H.R. 5 by a vote of 224-206, on February 25, 2021 (House Roll Call No. 39). The bill was supported by 221 Democrats and 3 Republicans. It was opposed by 206 Republicans. Two (2) Republicans did not vote. The three Republicans voting in favor of the bill were Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.), John Katko (N.Y.), Tom Reed
(N.Y.).
5. S.1/H.R. 1, the So-Called "For the People Act of 2021" (restrictions on free speech)
S.1, the so-called "For the People Act of 2021," is intended to make it as difficult as possible for corporations (including nonprofit, issue-oriented corporations such as NRLC) to spend money to communicate with the public about the actions of federal officeholders, by applying an array of restrictions on ads, as well as requirements that violate the privacy rights of donors.
All Senate Democrats (with the exception of Sen. Joe Manchin-W. Va.) have co-sponsored the legislation.
The overriding purpose of the legislation is to discourage, as much as possible, disfavored groups (such as NRLC) from communicating about officeholders, by exposing citizens who support such efforts to harassment and intimidation, and by smothering organizations in layer on layer of record keeping and reporting requirements, all backed
by the threat of civil and criminal sanctions.
National Right to Life Committee opposed passage of H.R. 1, which passed the House, 220-210, on March 3, 2021 (House Roll Call No. 62). The bill was supported by 220 Democrats. It was opposed by 209 Republicans and 1
Democrat. Two (2) Republicans did not vote.
Founded in 1968, the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the federation of 50 state right-to-life affiliates and more than 3,000 local chapters, is the nation's oldest and largest grassroots
pro-life organization. Recognized as the flagship of the pro-life movement, NRLC works through legislation and education to protect innocent human life from abortion, infanticide, assisted suicide and euthanasia.
Involved in every election since Ronald Reagan’s election to the presidency, National Right to Life Political Action Committee was formed in 1979 as the political arm of National Right to Life. The National Right to Life Victory Fund, an independent expenditure political action committee founded in 2012, is dedicated to electing
pro-life leaders to the White House and Congress.
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Saving babies’ lives in South Carolina’s most notorious former abortion facility. Street address: 1411 Barnwell St. Suite 3, Columbia SC 29201
