The SAFE Banking Act is a federal bill that would give the “medical” and recreational marijuana industries (and cartels) access to banking privileges, such as checking and savings accounts, credit lines and loans, enabling and legitimizing what has been an all cash trade to make real estate deals, payroll, insurance and operating costs much easier.

Furthermore, this could foreseeably grant them a listing in the stock exchanges, which would give them an opportunity to raise a great deal of money, ultimately helping these havoc-producing, soul-destroying companies to open more retail businesses, purchase more land to grow the drug, and expand into more markets.

The bill has passed in the Democratic-controlled U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 321-103, despite the fact that marijuana is classified as an illegal Schedule 1 Drug “with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.”

Sixteen of the 18 members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation voted “yea,” including U.S. Representatives: Bobby Rush (D-1^st Dist.), Robin Kelly (D-2^nd Dist.), Daniel Lipinski (D-3^rd Dist.), Jesus Garcia (D-4^th Dist.), Mike Quigley (5^th Dist.), Sean Casten (D-6^th Dist.), Danny Davis (D-7^th Dist.), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-8^th Dist.), Jan Schakowsky (D-9^th Dist.), Brad Schneider (D-10^th Dist.), Bill Foster (D-11^th Dist.), Mike Bost (R-12^th Dist.), Rodney David (R-13^th Dist.), Lauren Underwood (D-14^th Dist.), Adam Kinzinger (R-16^th Dist.) and Cheri Bustos (D-17^th Dist.).

The SAFE Banking Act would effectively neuter federal law to empower and facilitate the marijuana industry.  “We have patients and other consumers looking to order and pay online, whether it is for pickup or delivery,” says Dina Rollman, senior vice president for regulatory and government affairs at Green Thumb Industries. “With cannabis businesses being deemed essential in so many states during the COVID-19 crisis, the need for the SAFE Banking Act is greater than ever.” (Source: “With crisis, cannabis firms see a shot to get banking relief” Crain’s Chicago Business, 5/1/20) 

U.S. Representative Ed Perlmutter (D-Colorado) is anxious to help the marijuana industry. He plans to include the SAFE Banking Act in upcoming COVID-relief legislation, another stimulus bill. In addition to assisting the marijuana industry to have access to banks, he co-sponsored a bill that would provide federal coronavirus aid to marijuana businesses.

According to Crain’s Chicago Business, unlike many other industries during the pandemic, the marijuana industry is growing substantially.

John Sullivan, an executive vice president at Chicago-based Cresco Labs, a large marijuana company, said, “I think cannabis can make the case for being a huge driver of the recovery, increasing state and federal tax revenues. More people will get interested in this industry and what it can do.”

We have seen what it can do to families and communities in Colorado, Washington and California. The consequences are enormous.

Take ACTION: Click HERE to contact your federal officials: President Donald Trump, U.S. Senators Dick Dubin, Tammy Duckworth, and your U.S. Representative. Ask them to uphold and enforce federal law against the marijuana industry. Ask them to vote AGAINST the “SAFE Banking Act.”

Note: While the bill has passed in the U.S. House, it is uncertain if the U.S. Senate will vote on it at this time. If not, it could potentially be back in the House for another vote in the future. Above is the list of how your congressman voted. Please include reference to their vote in your email. Ask them to oppose it if it returns to the U.S. House.

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With a vote of 237 to 189, the U.S. House voted yesterday to pass H.R. 36, the 20-week ban on abortion.  The official title of this important legislation is the “Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act,” which restricts most abortions after 20 weeks of gestation, with limited exceptions.  It also specifies that any baby born alive in the process of an abortion should be given the same care as a baby born prematurely.

This federal legislation was sponsored by U.S. Representative Trent Franks (R-AZ), and cosponsored by 182 other lawmakers, including the following Illinois Congressmen: Mike Bost (R-Carbondale), Peter Roskam (R-Wheaton), John Shimkus (R-Collinsville), Daniel Lipinski (D-Chicago), Randy Hultgren (R-McHenry), Rodney Davis (R-Decatur), and Darin LaHood (R-Peoria).  See roll call vote for the Illinois Congressional delegation below.

This legislation now moves to the U.S. Senate for consideration.

We are proud to see that our pro-life leaders in Congress are advancing this commonsense legislation in order to protect the life and dignity of some of the victims of abortion. Regardless of party affiliation, every member of Congress should recognize the scientific research which demonstrates that pre-born babies can feel pain beginning at 20 weeks gestation.  We must pray that the members of the U.S. Senate, including Illinois Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, will put their partisan allegiances aside and act in the best interest of our pre-born neighbors and their mothers.

Take ACTION:  Click HERE to send a message to our U.S. Senators to ask them to support H.R. 36, the 20-week abortion ban, also known as the “Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.”  President Trump’s Administration has made it clear that he intends to sign it, if and when it reaches his desk.

H.R. 36 is a step in the right direction when it comes to affirming the dignity, sanctity and value of every human life, from conception to natural death.

How Did They Vote on H.R. 36:

Rep. Bobby L. Rush (D)—NAY
1st Congressional Dist.
Washington Phone: 202-225-4372
District Phone: 773-779-2400
Webform

Rep. Robin Kelly (D)—NAY
2nd Congressional Dist.
Washington Phone: 202-225-0773
District Phone: 773-321-2001
Webform

Rep. Daniel Lipinski (D)—YEA
3rd Congressional Dist.
Washington Phone: 202-225-5701
District Phone: 773-948-6223
Webform

Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez (D)—NAY
4th Congressional Dist.
Washington Phone: 202-225-8203
District Phone: 773-342-0774
Webform

Rep. Mike Quigley (D)—NAY
5th Congressional Dist.
Washington Phone: 202-225-4061
District Phone: 773-267-5926
Webform

Rep. Peter Roskam (R)—YEA
6th Congressional Dist.
Washington Phone: 202-225-4561
District Phone: 630-232-0006
Webform

Rep. Danny K. Davis (D)—NAY
7th Congressional Dist.
Washington Phone: 202-225-5006
District Phone: 773-533-7520
Webform

Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D)—NAY
8th Congressional Dist.
Washington Phone: 202-225-3711
District Phone: 847-413-1959
Webform

Rep. Janice D. Schakowsky (D)—NAY
9th Congressional Dist.
Washington Phone: 202-225-2111
District Phone: 773-506-7100
Webform

Rep. Bradley Schneider (D)—NAY
10th Congressional Dist.
Washington Phone: 202-225-4835
District Phone: 847-383-4870
Webform

Rep. Bill Foster (D)—NAY
11th Congressional Dist.
Washington Phone: 202-225-3515
District Phone: 815-280-5876
Webform

Rep. Mike Bost (R)—YEA
12th Congressional Dist.
Washington Phone: 202-225-5661
District Phone: 618-457-5787
Webform

Rep. Rodney Davis (R)—YEA
13th Congressional Dist.
Washington Phone: 202-225-2371
District Phone: 217-791-6224
Webform

Rep. Randy Hultgren (R)—YEA
14th Congressional Dist.
Washington Phone: 202-225-2976
District Phone: 630-584-2734
Webform

Rep. John Shimkus (R)—YEA
15th Congressional Dist.
Washington Phone: 202-225-5271
District Phone: 217-347-7947
Webform

Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R)—YEA
16th Congressional Dist.
Washington Phone: 202-225-3635
District Phone: 815-708-8032
Webform

Rep. Cheri Bustos (D)—NAY
17th Congressional Dist.
Washington Phone: 202-225-5905
District Phone: 309-966-1813
Webform

Rep. Darin LaHood (R)—YEA
18th Congressional Dist.
Washington Phone: 202-225-6201
District Phone: 309-671-7027
Webform

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This week, U.S. Representatives Peter Roskam (R-West Chicago), Randy Hultgren (R-Campton Hills), Daniel Lipinski (D-Chicago),  Mike Bost (R-Belleville), Rodney Davis (R-Decatur),  and John Shimkus (R-Effingham),  joined dozens of their colleagues in the U.S. Congress in calling for an investigation into the shocking revelations that a top Planned Parenthood executive was caught on video discussing dismembering babies and selling their body parts.

(Read more:  Click HERE to read Laurie Higgin’s article.)

This recently released video exposes Dr. Deborah Nucatola, a Planned Parenthood executive, negotiating with tissue brokers to determine what organs they would like to “procure” and offering ways to alter abortion procedures to make sure they would be able to safely secure the necessary body parts, in tact and undamaged.  She explains how she carefully places her graspers such that she can crush the baby’s body without damaging the organs that the broker is seeking. At one point Nucatola even describes how they could alter the abortion in such a way, that it sounds very much like she is describing the illegal partial birth abortion procedure.

The content of the Congressional letter demanding an investigation is pasted here below:

Dear Chairman Upton and Chairman Goodlatte,

Planned Parenthood is the largest abortion provider in the nation doing over 300,000 abortions per year.  That is roughly a quarter of all abortions in America and means that on average Planned Parenthood carries out one abortion every 2 minutes. 

While this fact is outrageous enough, we are deeply disturbed by new allegations that Planned Parenthood abortion clinics not only profit from the intentional destruction of unborn children, but also sell children’s organs piece by piece to fetal tissue brokers.  These actions are unconscionable and these horrific abuses must be stopped.

In a recently released video a top Planned Parenthood executive describes huddling with tissue brokers early in the day to determine what organs they would like to “procure” and altering procedures to make sure she is able to obtain the necessary body parts.  She explains how she carefully places her graspers such that she can crush the baby’s body without damaging the organs that the broker is seeking. At one point she even describes abortion providers altering the abortion such that she could be describing the illegal partial birth abortion procedure.  

Also in the video, the executive discusses payments of $30-$100 for fetal body parts. She further indicates that they want to avoid being perceived as selling tissue, so they want to come up with a rate that “looks like it is a reasonable number for the effort that is allotted on their part.”

These revelations give good reason for Congress to take a serious look at the practices of Planned Parenthood and the companies that buy and sell the body parts and organs of unborn children who are dismembered in Planned Parenthood clinics. 

We greatly appreciate your announcement that you will be launching an investigation and urge you to act swiftly to examine current federal laws and regulations in your Committees’ jurisdiction, potential violations of current law, and identify areas where the law may be insufficient. In addition we urge you to explore the activities of abortion providers such as Planned Parenthood, companies that broker fetal tissue and any incentives created by National Institutes of Health funding for research using the body parts of unborn children.

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The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently issued a report revealing that 1,036 plans in Obamacare (also known as the Affordable Care Act) health insurance exchanges are paying for elective abortions.  In other words, U.S. taxpayers are paying for surgical and chemical abortions under Obamacare.

The audit found that in five states all health insurance exchange plans included elective abortion coverage.  In another eight states, 95 to 100 percent of the plans paid for elective abortions.

President Barack Obama had  promised that no federal dollars would be used to underwrite abortion coverage.  He even issued an executive order to that effect to mollify opposition from within his own political party.

Yet the GAO report verifies what knowledgeable observers knew at the time.  The President’s executive order had no legal effect, because it conflicted with the law’s own provisions, which clearly authorized federal subsidies (called “affordability credits”) for abortion coverage.

The GAO audit also revealed that insurers are uniformly failing to collect an abortion surcharge that was required in every health insurance plan that included abortion coverage.  Under that provision, individuals were to be assessed a separate fee of $1 per month for abortion “services,” regardless of the age, gender, or ability to conceive of the insured.

U.S. Representative Randy Hultgren, a pro-life Republican from Illinois, reacted to this report by urging full transparency from the President and for the U.S. Senate to pass the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act (H.R. 7) which ensures the Hyde Amendment, which prevents federal tax dollars from paying for abortions, is implemented across the federal government.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed this legislation, which was introduced by U.S. Representative Christopher Smith (R-NJ).

H.R. 7 is co-sponsored by Illinois U.S. Representatives Rodney Davis (R-Champaign), Randy Hultgren (R-Geneva), Daniel Lipinski (D-Chicago), John Shimkus (R-Danville), Aaron Schock (R-Peoria), Peter Roskam (R-Wheaton), and Adam Kinzinger (R-Rockford).

This bill is currently before the U.S. Senate, where U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) is unlikely to take it up for debate.

U.S. Representative Steve Scalise (R-LA) says that Americans should be outraged.  “Many of us argued at the time Obamacare passed that it would funnel taxpayer dollars to elective abortions.  This independent report validates our claims and proves that yet another Obamacare promise has been broken.”

Casey Mattox, Senior Counsel for the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), charges that the architects of Obamacare built a “purposely deceptive accounting scheme” into the Affordable Care Act.

“We were told we had to pass the bill to find out what was in it.  Now we know what exactly is in it:  corporate welfare for the Administration’s abortion industry cronies.”

Read more:  GAO Report Confirms Obamacare Subsidizes Abortion

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How did Illinois’ Congressional Delegation Vote?

On Tuesday, June 18, 2013, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 228-196 on a bill to protect unborn children nationwide during the last four months of pregnancy, when their nervous systems are developed and they are capable of experiencing excruciating pain.

The bill is called the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (H.R. 1797), and it’s chief sponsor is U.S. Representative Trent Franks (R-AZ).  The proposal is based on a model bill written by the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), which has already been enacted in nine states.  H.R. 1797 would extend the life-saving policy to the entire nation, protecting unborn children of 20 weeks fetal age or later.  It mirrors 20-week abortion ban laws passed by some states, and lays further groundwork for the ongoing legal battle that pro-lifers hope will eventually result in forcing the U.S. Supreme Court to reconsider the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that  legalized abortion.

This historic bill would prohibit the termination of unborn babies capable of living outside the womb.   This move comes in light of the revelations of numerous late-term abortionists who, like Kermitt Gosnell, have killed children born alive in abortion clinics by jamming scissors in their necks or strangling them.   No civilized nation should allow such barbarism! 

Of Illinois’ 18 U.S. Representatives, 6 voted to end painful late-term abortion on innocent helpless children while 12 voted to continue. Democrat Daniel Lipinski joined Illinois Republicans who all supported this bill. We’ve also indicated in the list below, the Congressmen who co-sponsored this bill.

IFI greatly appreciates the 6 Illinois members of the U.S. House who voted in favor of H.R. 1797.

It is widely believed that the U.S. Senate will ignore this bill. Furthermore, the White House has already said that President Barack Obama would veto it if it ever reached his desk, saying it is “an assault on a woman’s right to choose” and “a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade.”  You may remember that as an Illinois State Senator, Mr. Obama repeatedly voted to allow infanticide to continue unabated in Illinois hospitals.

Voting Results for The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act:

Rep. Bobby L. Rush (D)–No
1st Congressional Dist.
Washington Phone:             202-225-4372
District Phone:             773-224-6500
Webform

Rep. Robin Kelly (D)–No
2nd Congressional Dist.
Washington Phone:             202-225-0773
District Phone:             773-568-2623
Webform 

Rep. Daniel Lipinski (D)–YEA
H.R. 1791 Co-Sponsor
3rd Congressional Dist.
Washington Phone:             202-225-5701
District Phone:             312-886-0481
Webform

Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez (D)–No
4th Congressional Dist.
Washington Phone:             202-225-8203
District Phone:             773-342-0774
Webform

Rep. Mike Quigley (D)–No
5th Congressional Dist.
Washington Phone:             202-225-4061
District Phone:             773-267-5926
Webform

Rep. Peter Roskam (R)–YEA
H.R. 1791 Co-Sponsor
6th Congressional Dist.
Washington Phone:             202-225-4561
District Phone:             630-232-0006
Webform

Rep. Danny K. Davis (D)–No
7th Congressional Dist.
Washington Phone:             202-225-5006
District Phone:             773-533-7520
Webform

Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D)–No
8th Congressional Dist.
Washington Phone:             202-225-3711
District Phone:             847-413-1959
Webform

Rep. Janice D. Schakowsky (D)–No
9th Congressional Dist.
Washington Phone:             202-225-2111
District Phone:             773-506-7100
Webform

Rep. Brad Schneider (D)–No
10th Congressional Dist.
Washington Phone:             202-225-4835
District Phone:             847-793-0625
Webform

Rep. Bill Foster (D)–No
11th Congressional Dist.
Washington Phone:             202-225-3515
District Phone:             630-585-7672
Webform

Rep. William Enyart (D)–No
12th Congressional Dist.
Washington Phone:             202-225-5661
District Phone:             618-233-8026
Webform

Rep. Rodney Davis (R)–YEA
H.R. 1791 Co-Sponsor
13th Congressional Dist.
Washington Phone:             202-225-2371
District Phone:             217-403-4690
Webform

Rep. Randy Hultgren (R)–YEA
H.R. 1791 Co-Sponsor
14th Congressional Dist.
Washington Phone:             202-225-2976
District Phone:             630-232-7104
Webform

Rep. John Shimkus (R)–YEA
15th Congressional Dist.
Washington Phone:             202-225-5271
District Phone:             217-446-0664
Webform

Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R)–YEA
16th Congressional Dist.
Washington Phone:             202-225-3635
District Phone:             815-431-9383
Webform

Rep. Cheri Bustos (D)–No
17th Congressional Dist.
Washington Phone:             202-225-5905
District Phone:             309-966-1813
Webform

Rep. Aaron Shock (R)–DID NOT VOTE
H.R. 1791 Co-Sponsor
18th Congressional Dist.
Washington Phone:             202-225-6201
District Phone:             309-671-7027
info@aaronschock.com

 

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