House of Pain
For years, we've known that even tiny babies can feel the pain of abortion. And thanks to ultrasound technology, so can the people performing them. Some doctors, like Anthony Levitano, are so haunted by the horrors of the job that they walk away--never to return. For Dr. Levitano, the turning point came after he lost his own six-year-old. After performing more than 1,000 abortions, the thought of taking the life of someone else's child was just too much. He quit the business and dedicated his life to protecting the unborn.
Yesterday, Dr. Levitano tried to do exactly that as a witness to the House's volatile hearing on fetal pain. Rep. Trent Franks, Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Constitution, is determined to rid D.C. of abortions after the 20-week mark, which is when most studies agree that babies can feel pain. He knew it would be a touchy subject for the District, whose leaders are so rabidly pro-abortion that they wanted Congress not only to allow abortions--but pay for them! Under Rep. Franks's H.R. 3803 (which, as of yesterday, had almost 200 cosponsors), anyone caught performing late-term abortions would be fined or imprisoned.
Considering that D.C. has one of the highest abortion rates in the country, you can imagine the outcry from groups like Planned Parenthood. A law like Rep. Franks's would put a serious dent in their profit margins. Already, NARAL Pro-Choice America, who, not-so-coincidentally, just endorsed President Obama's reelection campaign, promises to flood the Hill with phone calls. As far as NARAL chief Nancy Keenan is concerned, Americans have a constitutional right to make babies suffer. Any attempt to ease unborn pain is "out of touch with our nation's values and priorities." Delegate Eleanor Homes Norton (D-D.C.) was particularly incensed that the GOP wouldn't allow her to testify yesterday. As Rep. Franks made clear from the beginning, Democrats had an opportunity to submit one witness--and she wasn't it. In perhaps one of the greatest ironies of all, she accused Congress of "picking on people" who "cannot protect themselves." (A complaint that she and 55 million unborn children share).
The hearing itself was an emotional time for everyone involved. In Del. Norton's place, the Democrats put a young mother on the stand who opted to have a late-term abortion when her baby was diagnosed with a severe brain abnormality. Dr. Brian Calhoun was asked how often children were diagnosed with these disabilities, and he thought about one in 200. He was one of three physicians, including Anthony Levitano, representing the Republicans. At one point, Dr. Levitano described in gruesome detail, what the procedure entails, and told the members, "If you refuse to believe that this [doesn't] inflict severe pain on that unborn child, think again." Pulling out a stainless steel clamp, he said, "You know you have it right when you clamp and you see the... baby's brains. You can then extract the skull pieces. Many times, a little face may come out and stare back at you. Congratulations! You have successfully performed a second-trimester suction abortion." The room fell silent. Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) said later that it was perhaps the most moving testimony he's ever heard in all of his years in Congress. (Watch it here, starting at the 7:48 mark.)
Del. Norton thought she was denied a voice. But what about these innocent children, living in the same city that guarantees Americans the pursuit of life? We cannot stand by and allow the nation's capital to pursue a policy of unlimited legal abortion until the moment of birth. It's an assault on who we are as a people and an affront to everything this city represents. Call or email your congressmen and ask them to speak for the children who can't. Tell them to support H.R. 3803. Then, contact your senators and encourage them to cosponsor Sen. Mike Lee's (R-Utah) companion bill, S. 2013.
Repeal, Restore, Repeat
After voting 29 times to repeal, defund, and dismantle ObamaCare, it seems ridiculous to suggest that House Republicans are backing off the President's health care law. But the media still insists on planting those doubts in articles about the strategy meetings Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) is leading in advance of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in June. Reporters say this is evidence that the GOP is caving on a full repeal. Nothing could be further from the truth, says Speaker Boehner. "Our economy continues to struggle, and the president's health care law is making things worse--raising health costs and making it harder for small businesses to hire workers. The only way to change this is by repealing ObamaCare in its entirety. We voted to fully repeal the president's health care law as one of our first acts as a new House majority, and our plan remains to repeal the law in its entirety. Anything short of that is unacceptable."
** Thanks to all of you who called Congressman James Lankford (R-Okla.) and encouraged him to stay strong on ENDA despite the threats he's received. Rep. Lankford told us on Thursday that his phones rang off the hook all night long! This weekend, you can hear more about how he's coping with ThinkProgress's attacks on the new edition of Washington Watch Weekly. Also, Pastor Ken Hutcherson of Antioch Bible Church in Redmond, Washington will be with us to talk about the marriage debate in Washington State. Last, but not least, Dr. Jeff Myers, President, Summit Ministries, will join a jam-packed show to share his views on marriage. For more information or to find a radio station near you, visit FRCRadio.org.
