Did We Forget?

There are two dates on my mind today. The first is January 22, 1973, the day the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Roe v. Wade, opening the door for virtually unlimited abortion on demand. Since that day, over 61 million Americans have perished at the hands of medical practitioners who shun the Hippocratic Oath. Let that number sink in for a minute. 61,000,000. That equates to about the total populations of California and Texas combined!

There have been so many deaths from abortion that many Americans are becoming desensitized to the issue. I remember the initial response to Roe v. Wade. There were grief-stricken people of faith across the nation standing in peaceful protest and turning out for marches, walks, and human life chains so long they passed through cities. But today, the silenced innocents are all but forgotten. To most, they are nameless, faceless, soulless numbers. But God remembers.

Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you.” (Isaiah 49:15)

Medical science has revealed that these babies were far more than numbers. Even though they were doomed never to take their first breath, they had beating hearts, working organs, functioning brains, and souls that cried to the Lord for justice. We didn’t hear their screams. But God heard.

Imagine the horror of seeing such things done to the bodies of our living children. God doesn’t have to imagine. He sees.

You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. (Psalm 56:8)

But these realities are not stopping “progressive” politicians from doing what they can to facilitate more deaths. On the 46^th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade, Illinois’ new governor, J.B. Pritzker, while signing an executive order supporting taxpayer-funded abortions, declared that Illinois “will be the most progressive state in the nation when it comes to guaranteeing women’s reproductive rights.”

Equally damning, the majority of elected state lawmakers in New York erupted in applause at the passing of the Reproductive Health Act, a measure which legalizes the death of babies, even up through the ninth month of gestation. The bill was quickly and joyfully signed by Governor Andrew Cuomo. New York, the state with the highest percentage of abortions per capita, will see even more innocent babies executed—legally. These forsaken children will have no memorial, outside of those detailed in Planned Parenthood’s annual report.

Ironically, there is one famous public memorial that urges New Yorkers to remember and to validate the lives of New Yorkers—an eerie reminder that human life is precious—all human life. Regardless of sex, race, creed, color, or age, we are fearfully and wonderfully made. In this place, there is a statement affirming the value of the unborn.

That is the memorial to those lost on September 11, 2001, the second date on my mind. A day of great tragedy and heartache—one that still haunts America to this day. Almost 3,000 innocent people died that day. The victims of the tragedy could not protect themselves. The decision to terminate their lives was made by others.

Yet, we remember and honor these precious lives. A solemn monument was erected in downtown New York City called the 911 Memorial. At this sacred site, the names of all those who perished are forever chiseled into the American psyche—inscribed in gray granite for future generations to see and remember.

Ten of those listed include unborn children. The unborn who perished inside their mothers are listed for the world to see and mourn! They are not callously called “fetuses.” They are not referred to as a “biological mass.” They are called what they are: children!

The names of each individual are there to remind us about the horror of deaths of innocent people caused by the decisions and actions of others. This memorial is in the center of New York City, ironically a place where the lives of many other babies are extinguished daily.

And, we are not to forget—unless you happen to be a “progressive” politician with an agenda.

“DEANNA LYNN GALANTE AND HER UNBORN CHILD.”

“LAUREN CATUZZI GRANDCOLAS AND HER UNBORN CHILD”

“JENNIFER L. HOWLEY AND HER UNBORN CHILD”

“HELEN CROSSIN KITTLE AND HER UNBORN CHILD.”

“VANESSA LANG AND HER UNBORN CHILD”

‘PATRICIA ANN CIMAROLI MASSARI AND HER UNBORN CHILD”

‘RENEE A. MAY AND HER UNBORN CHILD”

“SYLVIA SAN PIO RESTA AND HER UNBORN CHILD.”

“RAHMA SALIE AND HER UNBORN CHILD”

“DIANNE SINGER AND HER UNBORN CHILD”

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Stop Illinois Funding of Abortion

The Illinois General Assembly is winding up its work for the 2018 Spring session and will try to adjourn for the summer by Thursday, May 31st. That means that things could move very quickly over the next six days. We will try to keep you posted on the issues that concern you and your family. (As a result, you may get multiple email alerts next week.)

Even though the state of Illinois is on the brink of bankruptcy, various news reports suggest that state lawmakers are making progress toward the constitutional requirement of passing a balanced budget. Of course, the budget continues irresponsible spending and does little to address Illinois’ massive pension problem or the $8 billion of unpaid bills, which has accrued $1.14 billion in late fees.

To put this in perspective, the state expects approximately $37 billion in revenue in the 2019 fiscal year, which begins on the first of June.

A major concern with this budget has to do with the new mandate to require Illinois citizens to pay for elective abortions through state Medicaid and state employee health insurance plans.

Yes, this is the funding aspect of HB 40 which was signed into law by Governor Bruce Rauner last year. This wicked new law removes all prohibitions on using tax dollars for abortions under Medicaid and removes the ban on state employees’ insurance policies paying for abortions. Since this legislation did not contain specific funding appropriation, payment for elective abortions will come out of state Medicaid and health insurance funding.

During floor debate last year, Illinois State Representative Peter Breen (R-Lombard) warned his colleagues that HB 40 may cost taxpayers up to $60 million per year to kill an additional 10,000 to 15,000 pre-born human beings. That is in addition to the 40,000 abortions Illinois commits annually on average.

To be clear, we do not yet know how many taxpayer-funded abortions will be committed each year, but we can call upon Springfield lawmakers to vote against any budget bill (and there are multiple) that appropriate tax funds for elective abortions.

Take ACTION: Click HERE to send a message to your state senator and state representative, urging them to reject any budget agreement that uses tax resources to fund abortion.

The working families of Illinois have no fiscal or moral obligation to provide the abortion industry with resources to destroy our innocent and defenseless humans.

Since the vast majority of Illinois voters have been historically against using their tax dollars for abortion, it would be wise for pro-life advocates across the state to speak out loudly (but politely) now. Moreover, we must continue to work to convince legislators at every level of government of the sanctity of life from conception to natural death.

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Rep. Breen & Sen. McConchie File Legislation to Ban Use of Taxpayer Funds for Elective Abortions

Today, State Representative Peter Breen (R-Lombard) and State Senator Dan McConchie (R-Hawthorn Woods) filed the “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act,” which would prohibit units of government in Illinois from using taxpayer funds for elective abortions, reversing key provisions of the recently enacted House Bill 40. Breen and McConchie are pressing for full debate and a floor vote on the measure during the upcoming fall veto session later this month, before HB 40 goes into effect in 2018.

“With the signing of HB 40, Illinoisans will be put on the hook for roughly 75% of the state’s 40,000 annual elective abortions,” said Breen. “Strong majorities of Illinoisans, especially folks in the suburbs and downstate, oppose taxpayer funding of abortions, and the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act will respect both their pocketbooks and their consciences. Considering the average cost of $1,000 per Medicaid abortion, we don’t have the $30 million required to cover 30,000 abortions every year.”

“The No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act is a critical piece of legislation that respects the moral and fiscal concerns of our residents,” said McConchie. “In states that have legalized Medicaid abortions, over 50% of all abortions become taxpayer-funded. The residents in my suburban district are overwhelmingly opposed to this new spending scheme.”

The legislators are relying on data from the Guttmacher Institute, the former research arm of Planned Parenthood, about income levels of those seeking abortions and payment data from other states that provide elective abortion funding. Guttmacher indicates that 75% of women seeking abortions are below 200% Federal Poverty Level, and that, in states with elective abortion, over 50% of all abortions are paid for by Medicaid. See, https://www.guttmacher.org/report/characteristics-us-abortion-patients-2014. Because Illinois’ Medicaid system extends eligibility to pregnant women up to at least 213% Federal Poverty Level, those who will be eligible for taxpayer funded abortions may be even higher than 75%. See, http://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=14091 (pregnant women considered at least family size 2, as Illinois law counts unborn children in family size). The legislators also received information from the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services showing that the average cost, over the past five years, for a Medicaid abortion and ancillary services is approximately $1,000 per procedure.

Breen drafted the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act on the model of the federal Hyde Amendment, which prevents federal funding for abortions, other than for abortions sought in connection with pregnancies that result from rape or incest, or that threaten the life of the mother. Abortions under these circumstances constitute roughly 1% of all abortions. Federal law already requires states to provide Medicaid abortions under these three conditions, and the proposed Act recognizes those federal provisions.

While the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act reverses the substantive provisions of HB 40 and prevents taxpayer funding for abortion at all levels of government, it adds new public policy language on abortion, not including controversial “trigger language” about Roe v. Wade that was at issue in HB 40.

“The ‘trigger language’ in HB 40 had no legal effect, and there’s no need to reopen a theoretical debate about language from over 40 years ago. Instead, we wanted to start fresh with updated language and concepts that reflect the majority position of Illinoisans, especially folks in the suburbs and downstate, who care very deeply about this issue,” Breen added.

“This controversial and culturally divisive act should not be one that taxpayers should be forced to fund,” said McConchie. “Likewise, there is no good reason for taxpayers to be on the hook for someone else’s personal decision.”

Additionally, while the federal government typically matches a state’s Medicaid expenses, it will not do so for elective abortions. Breen has stated previously that, based on the estimated direct cost to the state of $30 million for abortions, the true impact to the Medicaid system is actually double that, $60 million in lost medical services.

Within an hour of the filing of the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, numerous legislators from across Illinois joined the bill as cosponsors. The bills are pending as HB 4114 & SB 2241. Legislators are also considering legal action in the coming weeks to challenge whether HB 40 can be effective before June 1, 2018, due to it being held beyond the May 31 deadline set by the state constitution for the passage of bills. The current effective date is set at January 1, 2018, and legislators estimate the five-month difference in effective dates could prevent taxpayer funding of 10,000 abortions or more.

Urge Governor Rauner: Please Veto These Two Terrible Bills

Two important pieces of legislation are awaiting Governor Bruce Rauner‘s action — to sign, or to veto — and both bills should be vetoed!

For him to do this, he needs to hear from the Illinois’ pro-life and pro-family community. He needs to hear from all of us, and the sooner the better.

The top priority right now is getting calls and emails in opposition to HB 1785 — which arrived on the governor’s desk on June 29th after passing the Illinois House by a vote of 63-43 and the Illinois Senate by a vote of 32-22.

This legislation would allow gender-dysphoric persons to falsify their birth certificates, which are both legal and historical documents. This will have consequences with regard to the relentless cultural assault on physical privacy through the sexual integration of previously sex-segregated spaces.

When IFI’s Laurie Higgins wrote about this bill earlier this year, her title said it all: “Corrupt, Nonsensical Legislation Reintroduced.” If you haven’t read it yet, we highly recommend that you do.

Among many other negative impacts, biologically intact men will have legal access to women’s restrooms, locker rooms, dressing rooms, shelters, semi-private hospital rooms, nursing home rooms, and prisons.

Governor Rauner must act to veto this nonsense by August 28, 2017 or it will automatically become law.

Secondly: We need pro-life advocates to continue to speak out against HB 40, a bill that would remove all restrictions on taxpayer funding of abortion. This bill has passed both the Illinois House by a vote of 62-55 and in the Illinois Senate by a vote of 33-22. A procedural motion has delayed it from being sent to the Governor’s desk, which gives us more time to speak out against it.

One of the many fake news narratives that Leftist love to promote is the phony “war on women.” With sixty million abortions since Roe v. Wade’s passage, one could easily make the case that we have seen a forty-plus-year real war on the preborn.

On July 4th, Governor Rauner vetoed a tax increase; he can and should veto HB 40 and HB 1785 as well.

Take ACTION: Click Here to send an email or a fax to Governor Rauner’s office to urge him to veto both HB 1785 and HB 40. Ask him to reject transgender birth certificates and taxpayer funding for abortion.

ALSO: please call the public comment lines in the Governor’s office in Springfield: (217) 782-0244 and Chicago (312) 814-2121.

No to taxpayer funding of abortion, and corrupt, nonsensical legislation for falsifying a legal document.

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Keep The Pressure On Gov. Rauner

The General Assembly may have adjourned for the summer, but the legislative process is far from finished. HB 40, which forces taxpayers to pay for Medicaid abortions, must be stopped at the governor’s desk. So, once again, we call your attention to this important issue.

As you may remember, the Illinois Senate passed HB 40 on May 10th by a vote of 33-22, and on that very same day, Illinois Senator Don Harmon (D-Chicago) — who voted in favor of this anti-baby bill — filed a “motion to reconsider.” This is a procedural action that delays the bill from being sent to the governor’s office for his consideration. There is no time restrictions on his motion. He can sit on it as long as he desires.

On its website, the ACLU of Illinois claims that this procedure “will allow the governor more time to carefully consider the bill and hopefully to reconsider his position.” In other words, pro-abortion activists and their Leftist allies are ramping up the pressure on Gov. Rauner in hopes that he will cave into their pressure and allow the bill to become law.

Responsible pro-life citizens of the state must also keep the pressure on Governor Rauner as the bill eventually moves to his desk. We cannot remain silent during this time, and allow left-wing abortion activists to drown us out.

Take ACTION: Click Here to email Governor Bruce Rauner. Urge him to keep his pledge to veto HB 40. Also, please continue to call the governor’s public comment line every day until this is resolved: (217) 782-0244 and (312) 814-2121.

Additional problems with this bill:

HB 40 adds abortion coverage to state employees’ insurance plans which, as taxpayers, you will also pay for.

HB 40 is a spending bill that expands entitlements. Illinois owes $10 billion in unpaid bills with tens of billions more in unfunded liabilities. Illinois has the lowest credit rating in the nation because we can’t pay our bills.

Thank you for persevering!

And let us not grow weary of doing good,
for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
~Galatians 6:9

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Anti-Baby Bill Passes Senate! Contact Gov. Rauner!

Late Wednesday afternoon, HB 40 passed in the Illinois State Senate by a vote of 33-22 . Thirty votes are needed for passage in the Illinois Senate. This bill was passed with a party-line vote by the Democratic majority without one Republican vote, and four Democrats not voting on this controversial proposal.

Click HERE to see how your state senator voted on this legislation, or look at the graphic below. (Look up your state elected officials HERE.)

Just a few weeks ago, on April 25th, it was passed by the Illinois House by a vote of 62-55.

Now that it has passed in both chambers, Governor Bruce Rauner will have 60 days to keep his pledge to veto it, once it reaches his desk. If he does nothing, it automatically becomes law.

**UPDATE: A motion to reconsider has been made, which delays the process, however, we fully expect HB 40 being sent to the governor’s desk, despite political posturing and tactical schemes.

IFI’s concerns remain:

HB 40 forces taxpayers to pay for Medicaid abortions. In 1977, there were over 12,7000 taxpayer-funded Medicaid abortions. Based on the increased number of new Medicaid recipients in the last 5 years, Illinois taxpayers could be forced to pay for over 15,000 abortions per year.

HB 40 removes the policy statement in the Abortion Law of 1975, that an unborn child is a person.

HB 40 adds abortion coverage to state employees’ insurance plans which, as taxpayers, you also pay for.

HB 40 targets minorities. Blacks make up 30%, Latinos – 16% and Asians – 5% of the Medicaid recipients in Illinois. Combined, they are 51% of the Medicaid recipients.

It’s outrageous that Illinois lawmakers would spend money we don’t have to kill unborn children!

Take ACTION: Click Here to email Governor Bruce Rauner. Urge him to keep his pledge to veto HB 40. Also, call the governor’s public comment lines: (217) 782-0244 and (312) 814-2121.

How Did They Vote?

Support for Abortion Funding Should Sink Any Legislator’s Re-Election

Here is some bad news: Illinoisans who support the use of your money to pay for abortions have been calling their legislators asking them to support HB 40. A vote on this bill could come at any time.

The good news is that this legislation can be defeated, but your help and prayers are needed immediately. Your local state legislators need to hear from you and everyone you can encourage to call or email their legislative offices.

Here is part of a statement issued by Brian Burch, who is the president of CatholicVote.org:

“We have been following the developments surrounding H.B. 40, a new spending bill pending before the Illinois General Assembly that, if passed, would authorize the use of state dollars to fund abortion services for qualified Medicaid recipients. Should Governor Rauner sign the bill as it is currently written, pro-life voters will be left with no choice but to oppose his candidacy next year.

. . .

“We have been in conversation with pro-life groups around the state. The overwhelming consensus is that support for any legislation that would coerce Illinois taxpayers into directly funding abortion would disqualify him from receiving their support.

“The state owes $10 billion in unpaid bills, with tens of billions more in unfunded liabilities. Yet now politicians want to spend scarce state resources to pay for abortions. Rauner’s support of this reckless bill would rip apart the Republican Party and destroy any chance of his re-election.

“Let me be clear. If Governor Rauner signs the bill as written, we will urge our members along with every pro-life voter in the state to support an alternative candidate — or to abstain from voting for his re-election. And we won’t be the only group doing so.”

Those are some pretty tough words–words that the Illinois Family Institute and its sister organization Illinois Family Action applaud. We would like to see that threat extended to any member of the General Assembly that votes to use taxpayer dollars to fund abortions.

Cultural issues writer Laurie Higgins explains why IFI supports the position of CatholicVote.org:

IFI wholeheartedly agrees with CatholicVote.org’s commitment to opposing Governor Rauner’s re-election bid should he support HB 40.

There is no more critical human rights issue than the issue of protecting incipient human life from intentional destruction in the womb. The moral offense of legalized feticide is compounded when the hard-earned money of taxpayers is used to fund the killing of humans.

Neither the state of development, dependency status, imperfections, or location of human beings grants to other humans the moral right to end their lives. When the reproductive rights of women come into direct conflict with the right of their offspring to exist, the right to existence takes precedence in that it is a right of a higher moral order.

Any government leader who doesn’t recognize the intrinsic value and rights of all humans doesn’t deserve the support of citizens or public office.

We agree with this statement from eminent legal scholar Professor Robert George:

Maintaining and solidifying the pro-life…stance of the Republican Party is critical. That’s why tactical voting, including voting for bad Democrats over bad Republicans, is IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES (e.g., where the election of a Democrat does not jeopardize Republican control of a legislative house), morally legitimate and perhaps even advisable. We must not let the pro-abortion…movements strengthen their positions in the Republican Party.

We can make a difference, but only if our legislators hear from their pro-life constituents. We hope to convince enough of them not to vote for this big-government, big-abortion bill. We must prevent the sponsor of this legislation from getting enough “yea” votes to pass it.

Our failure to act with as much energy as the other side too often is the difference between victory or defeat–and in this case life or death.

Here is Cardinal Blase Cupich, the Archbishop of Chicago, weighing in on HB 40:

We have raised our voices in the past for those who have no voice, whether they be the
immigrant or the refugee, the poor, or the unemployed. We now need to speak for the children in the womb, who are the weakest among us.

We need to let our elected officials know that taxpayers should not be forced to fund the
taking of human life. In fact, tax money should be used to fund prenatal services for the poor
and child care for working mothers, as well as expand health-care options for those in need.
Please join me in advocating for all life by urging your state representative to reject HB 40 and work instead to pass a budget that funds all essential services.

You can read Cardinal Cupich’s entire letter here, and the statement by CatholicVote.org President Brian Burch here.

Take ACTION: Please send a message to your state representative to ask him/her to vote AGAINST this pro-abortion bill. This legislation is HB 40 – a bill that would authorize the use of tax dollars to pay for abortions in Illinois through Medicaid and state government health care insurance plans. It is sponsored by State Representative Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago). This bill would reverse the current law which bans taxpayer funding of abortion under Medicaid.

Please also call your state representative during the week to make sure he/she knows how important this issue is to you and your family. The Capitol switchboard number is (217) 782-2000.

Pray for the ultimate demise of HB 40 and all anti-life legislation.

Are Progressives Targeting Minorities with Abortion?

Pro-life advocate Chris Iverson noted this fact in an article here at IFI recently:

The U.S. abortion rate is the lowest in recorded history! The Guttmacher Institute found that there were 14.6 abortions for every 1,000 women aged 15-44 in 2014. That’s lower than the abortion rate in 1973 (when the Roe v. Wade case was decided) and every year since then.

Republicans in Washington, D.C. are taking steps to defund Planned Parenthood and prevent the use of federal taxdollars for abortions.

Illinois Democrats are going in the opposite direction. State Representative Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago) has re-introduced legislation that would remove all prohibitions on taxpayer funding of abortions through HB 40. Here is the Illinois Citizens for Life:

For decades, Illinois has had a public policy of not paying for abortions under the Medicaid assistance program except for life of the mother. Court decisions have added “health” and rape and incest. The Illinois law went to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1979 and was upheld in its entirety in 1980.

Survey after survey has shown that a clear majority of Illinoisans, even those who say they are pro-choice, do not want their tax dollars paying for abortions.

HB 40 would remove this ban and require taxpayer funding of abortions for any reason throughout the full nine months of pregnancy. If this bill passed into law, the thousands of these abortions added [estimated at 15,000 or more each year] would be paid for only with state taxpayer dollars, since the federal government prohibits paying for abortions other than for life, rape and incest.

Pro-life lobbyist Ralph Rivera says that there would be no limit to the number of abortions a woman could have using tax-dollars, and the abortion could be for any reason through all 9 months of the pregnancy. There would also be no age restriction, so minors would be eligible for taxpayer funded abortions.

A large part of the targeted population in HB 40 is those who are covered under Medicaid. The website Illinois Health Matters provides a breakdown on the “Demographics of the Medicaid Population,” noting that “about 600,000 Illinois residents age 19 to 64 with low income became eligible for Medicaid.”

According to Illinois Citizens for Life, the year the Illinois Law was passed that prohibited taxpayer funding, “over 12,000 abortions were paid for under Medicaid with tax dollars.” Since the number of abortions was substantially higher when tax-dollars were used, it should be expected that more abortions will be performed once the restriction is removed. One question that follows is who is going to be having those abortions? Note these numbers:

Blacks make up 30 percent of the Medicaid recipients in Illinois while they are 14 percent of the whole.
Latinos make up 16 percent of the Medicaid recipients in Illinois while they are 16 percent of the whole.
Asians make up 5 percent of the Medicaid recipients in Illinois while they are 5 percent of the whole.

Since 51 percent of the Medicaid recipients in Illinois are minorities, whether it is intended or not, the passage of HB 40 will increase the number of abortions in the minority community.

A bit of history is important here. IFI contributor Tami Jackson wrote in an article titled “Margaret Sanger’s Dream Come True: Eugenics by Abortion”:

[Margaret] Sanger was a nurse and a birth control advocate in the early 20th century. But more importantly, she formed the organization, American Birth Control League, which would eventually become Planned Parenthood.

. . .

[She] espoused sinister motives for advancing birth control and abortion: she fully endorsed eugenics for the betterment of race and society.

Sanger was a Darwinist who embraced a utilitarian view of human life, and proposed to rid our nation of the criminal element and “inferior races” through abortion and breeding programs.

Margaret Sanger was born in 1879 and died in 1966, so this issue is not new. Today, Sanger is seen as a feminist hero and the Democratic Party supports full funding for Planned Parenthood.

Take ACTION: Click HERE to send a message to your state to ask him/her to vote AGAINST this pro-abortion bill. Ask them to consider how abortion providers and eugenicists are promoting abortion to destroy the innocent pre-born human lives of black and brown babies.