As Catholics, we believe that life begins at the moment of conception. 
Any attempt to deliberately terminate that life is an attack against that child and a disregard for its Right to Life

Topics Covered on this Page:
   Embryonic Stem Cell Research   
   Health Care Law (Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act - PPACA)   
   Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA)   
   Government Funding of Abortions   
   Protecting the Unborn   
   "Choose Life" License Plates in New Jersey

Listen to the Ending Abortion Webcast Event on July 10, 2010 - FREE. This virtual conference featured 30+ leading pro-life experts grouped into 10 "power panels" addressing the biggest challenges facing the pro-life movement -- and the solutions that can help bring an end to abortion in your community. (Click Here)

Another way to look at abortion. See the Super Bowl Ad that NBC rejected.

Government Funding of Abortions

On June 30, 2011, NJ Governor Christie used the line item veto to reduce the State Budget from $30.6 to $29.7 billion. The $900 million reduction included the (in)famous $7.5 million for “family planning services” which Sen. Loretta Weinberg has been trying to provide for Planned Parenthood, the women’s health/abortion organization (see article).

On May 23, 2011, the NJ Senate approved (23-13) yet another $7.5 million appropriations Bill (S2899) for “women's health and family planning services" introduced by Senator Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen) (see article). Curiously, the Bill was introduced the day after the State recognized an unexpected $500 million in additional revenue (see article). The claim is that the money will be used for women’s health services other than abortion but, in reality, any funding to Planned Parenthood frees up resources for them to continue to provide abortions. It is expected that the companion Bill (A4092) will be scheduled for a vote in the Assembly before the end of June.

On March 22, 2011, the battle over funding Planned Parenthood in New Jersey continued when Senator Frank Lautenberg spoke at a rally in Englewood. He and some state legislators criticized House Republicans for passing a budget bill last month that eliminates all funding for Planned Parenthood. Supporters also faulted the Christie administration for eliminating $7.5 million in funding for women's health centers. The senator criticized his opponents, claiming that the federal funding cuts eliminate money for contraceptives, HIV tests, cancer screenings and reproductive health services. Marie Tasy, executive director of New Jersey Right to Life, said women had ample opportunity for care at New Jersey's 82 federally qualified health-care centers, which provide the same screenings and checkups as Planned Parenthood for those with limited means (see article).  

On July 22, 2010, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie vetoed legislation (S2139 A3019) that would have provided $7.5 million in grants for 58 clinics providing birth control and other health counseling. Among these are 29 Planned Parenthood clinics, three of which provide abortion services (see article). Initial hopes for overriding the veto were dashed on August 3 when 6 Republicans initially voting for the legislation recognized that the money would have been redirected from the State Employees' Prescription Drug Program placing that program in a $5.6 million deficit (see article). A second attempt to override the veto on September 20, 2010 failed when the 7 Republicans who initially supported the bill voted against the override. The Bill's sponsor, Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen), said she would continue to pursue methods of funding the Bill which did not include Sen. Jennifer Beck's (R-Monmouth) suggestion to increase health care contributions by legislative and executive branch employees (see article).
Earlier, Senator Frank Lautenberg had asked Gov. Christie to approve the bill suggesting the state could apply for a Medicaid waiver that, if approved, would provide contraceptive counseling and supplies for those with incomes below 200 percent of the federal poverty level (see article).
On November 22, 2010, the State Assembly voted to transfer $5 million from "unspent" corrections funds to the "family planning clinics" to restore most of the $7.5 million blocked by the Governor's veto (see article). While the Bill (A3274) strictly prohibits funding of abortion procedures, funding of the Planned Parenthood organization will free up their own resources to perform abortions. The Assembly Bill has been referred to the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee for their approval before sending it to the Senate for a vote as the matching Senate Bill (S2293). The Committee has not approved the Bill as of December 2010. 
Even though A3274/S2293 has not been passed, Assembly Appropriations Bill A3273/S2393 (similar numbers) which expands the availability of family planning services under the Medicaid program in State Fiscal Year 2010-2011 was passed on December 20, 2010 (see article). This Bill expends $1.1 million in order to qualify for $15.1 million from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for "family planning". 
While this Bill seems fiscally prudent and there are many beneficial services available to pregnant women, the fact remains that as long as Planned Parenthood is a recipient of any funds their own resources are freed up for their Abortion Program. NJ Right To Life recommends contacting Governor Christie to urge him to veto this Bill and asking him not to allow our tax dollars used to fund Planned Parenthood/family planning clinics (see their Action Alert)

On March 24, 2010, President Obama signed an Executive Order which is said to prevent Federal funding of abortions under the Health Care Act (see article). This was necessary to satisfy Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., leader of the anti-abortion Democrats, who would not vote for the Bill without these assurances.

The National Health Care Law takes effect in various stages, each revealing provisions of the law which were not apparent during its passage. Among these is the provision that under the law, the the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) autonomously determines the applications of the law. Under the new HHS guidelines, most health insurance plans in the United States will have to provide full access to birth control, as well as abortion-inducing drugs such as “Ella” and “the morning after pill” by August 1, 2012. No co-pay can be required.
To address the concerns of employers who have religious objections to the new guidelines, the Obama administration issued a regulation establishing a religious exemption. Unfortunately, the religious exemption is extremely narrow and will only apply to churches and other houses of worship. Other religious organizations (i.e. colleges) will be forced to choose between ending their insurance programs or violate their conscience by including birth control and abortion-inducing drugs in their insurance programs.
Among other organizations, the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) has submitted comments opposing this proposed religious exemption regulation, and urging that it be substantially strengthened (see their article for more information). You can also submit your comments to HHS about this proposed religious exemption.

The Freedom of Choice Act is pending legislation in Congress It "declares that it is the policy of the United States that every woman has the fundamental right to choose to bear a child; terminate a pregnancy prior to fetal viability; or terminate a pregnancy after viability when necessary to protect her life or her health."
It prohibits a federal, state, or local governmental entity from denying or interfering with a woman's right to exercise such choices; or discriminating against the exercise of those rights 

The bills were reintroduced in the 110th Congress (2007-08), but, like their predecessors, were referred to committee without further action. As of June 2009, the bills have not been introduced in the 111th Congress (2009-10).

During his tenure in the United States Senate, Barack Obama co-sponsored the 2007 Senate version of the Freedom of Choice Act (S. 1173). Responding to a question regarding how he would preserve reproductive rights in a speech given to the Planned Parenthood Action Fund on July 17, 2007, Obama declared, "The first thing I'd do, as president, is sign the Freedom of Choice Act. That's the first thing that I'd do." However, in a press conference on April 29, 2009, President Obama said that although he supports a woman's right to choose, passage of the Freedom of Choice Act was "not highest legislative priority."

What can I do? Sign the FOCA Petition or write your Representative

The Knights of Columbus has fought a good fight in preventing the "Freedom of Choice Act" (FOCA) from being introduced in Congress (see below). This act would have allowed Federal funding of abortions nationwide. Now, the Health Care Reform bills being finalized in Congress will end up doing the same thing by mandating Federal funding of abortions - through the "back door". Don't let this slip through as yet another bill is hastily passed in Congress. 

The October 31, 2008 letter from the Supreme Knight on the Pro-Life Movement lists the accomplishments the Knights have made in stemming unrestricted abortions. In it, he warns that:
"All of these restrictions on abortion - all of the progress we've made over the past 35 years in trying to limit and reduce abortions in the United States - would be invalidated with the stroke of a pen if the next Congress passes, and the next president signs, the so-called 'Freedom of Choice Act' (FOCA)." The letter provides links to see the sponsors of this Bill in the House and Senate. Among the notable Congressman supporting the FOCA Bill are: Sen. Charles Schumer (NY), Sen. Frank Lautenberg (NJ), Sen. Robert Menendez (NJ) and former Senators Barack Obama (IL), and Hillary Clinton (NY), . Rep. Scott Garrett is not on the sponsor list.

Learn about Stem Cell research from Columbia Magazine's article of January 2011

On September 3, 2010, Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) said she plans to introduce legislation to permit government funding for embryo-killing research and claims to have widespread support to pass it this month (see article). This was in response to the August 23, 2010 ruling by the U.S. district court in Washington, DC which  issued a preliminary injunction stopping federal funding of human embryonic stem cell research. In a slap to the Obama administration's new guidelines, the Court ruled in favor of a suit that said human embryonic stem cell research involved the destruction of human embryos (see article). Judge Royce Lamberth said it violated a law passed in 1996 prohibiting federal money for research in which an embryo is destroyed. When the administration tried to distinguish between using already destroyed embryos and newly destroyed embryos, the judge said "the two cannot be separated" and embryonic stem-cell research "necessarily depends on the destruction of a human embryo." (see article)

On December 12, 2009, the National Institutes of Health released the first 13 "batches" of Embryonic Stem Cells for research using taxpayer dollars (see article). Government funds were made available by President Obama who lifted the ban on such funding in March 2009.
On March 9, 2009, President Barack Obama lifted the eight-year-old ban on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. His executive order marked the third time he reversed Bush-era policies on ethical questions about the nature of human life. Previously, without public ceremony, he lifted the prohibition on U.S. funding for international groups that promote abortion and proposed rescinding job protections for health-care workers who decline to carry out procedures that conflict with their moral beliefs. (see article)

The Vatican officials said on January 24, 2009 that they were disappointed by President Barack Obama's decision to end a ban on federal funding for international groups that perform abortions. (see article)
On January 23, 2009, Federal regulators gave the green-light for the first trial of an embryonic stem-cell treatment in humans. (see article)

From an article in Canada's National Post you might really consider the value of embryonic stem cell research. If it wasn't so serious, it would be laughable .
"British scientists have created human sperm using [embryonic] stem cells." "Researchers at the Northeast England Stem Cell Institute, who made the breakthrough using cells from an embryo, said that with some minor changes the sperm could theoretically fertilize an egg to create a child."
Science has reached a new level in oxymoronic research - they found out they can create "life" by destroying life. Next they will be making oranges out of orange juice.

Crack Down on Peaceful Protests at Abortion Clinics
As reported by NPR on September 1, 2011, the Obama Administration has decided to crack down on those protesting, conducting sidewalk counseling, or even praying for the mothers and their babies at Abortion Clinics. They are enforcing a 1994 law, the Free Access to Clinics Act (FACE), championed by then Sen. Ted Kennedy which imposes stricter limitations on peaceful protests of abortion clinics than any other peaceful protest. Under FACE, the Justice Department's civil rights division has filed eight civil cases since the start of the Obama administration. This contrasts dramatically with President Bush’s Administration where only one case was filed in eight years. (see related article)
This is not surprising since, when President Obama was an Illinois State Senator, he voted against a bill requiring doctors to care for babies born after failed abortions. As a Presidential candidate, he promised his first act would be signing the sweeping "Freedom of Choice Act," which would wipe out nearly all limitations on abortion and abortion subsidies. Fortunately, FOCA never reached his desk.

On May 9, 2011, the NJ Assembly passed A1406 “Permitting adoptees and certain others access to adoptee's original birth certificate.” The bill that would strip birth mothers of their privacy – a right that has been guaranteed to them for decades. The Senate passed an identical Bill S799 last year. The Bill is now before the Governor for his action. 
Prior to this law, birth mothers placed their children for adoption relying on a legal assurance of privacy. These rights will be retroactively removed and new parents offering their child for adoption will be faced with possibility of exposure in a very difficult decision process. The state of NJ should be doing everything possible to encourage adoption instead of placing roadblocks in the way of women choosing adoption. These bills will discourage adoption and make them fewer.
In today’s age, it is recognized that there is a critical need for access to medical history and Catholic Charity agencies in New Jersey DO provide such non-identifying information to adoptees whenever it is requested. An alternate Bill A3672/S2586, “providing access to adoptee's birth certificate under certain circumstances” introduced by Assemblywoman Joan Quigley (D-Bergen) proposes a fair and balanced approach to the sensitive issue of adoptions records. It provides a confidential intermediary system that would assist adoptees to obtain information while preserving privacy for those birth parents who want and need it.

On March 22, 2011, South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard signed a bill into law that requires women seeking abortions to first attend a consultation at “pregnancy help centers,” to learn what assistance is available “to help the mother keep and care for her child.”  It is the first state to have such a law establishing the nation’s longest waiting period — three days — after an initial visit with an abortion provider before the procedure can be done. The law provoked opposition from supporters of abortion rights (i.e. Planned Parenthood) who describe the requirements as unconstitutional and said they would challenge the law in court (see article).

In August 2010, the people of Alaska voted to require Parental Permission before a minor can have an abortion. The ballot measure was approved by 56% of the voters overcoming a $800,000 campaign by Planned Parenthood to defeat the measure. The Catholic News Agency reports that the Knights of Columbus raised more than $80,000 to air radio and television ads. Jim Minnery, Chairman of Alaskans for Parental Rights, described the support of the Catholic Church as playing a "crucial role" in the measure's passage (see the NJFPC article). The make up of the Alaskan Supreme Court has changed since 2004 when an earlier parental consent law was struck down. Even though the present court will probably uphold the law, abortion advocates promised to target teens for abortions regardless of the outcome. (see article)

The first "Choose Life" license plates were introduced in Florida on April 11, 2000. Since then 24 states have adopted these Pro-Life license plates.

In 2003, the Children First Foundation applied for the approval of these plates in New Jersey. Motor Vehicle Administrator Diane Legreid rejected it under the grounds that "state law bars organizational plates from containing a slogan or advocacy message" . The Children First Foundation took the issue to court where they argued the state violated its First Amendment rights. The case circulated in the court system until April 2010 where the appeals court took it under review.
Michael Drewniak, Governor Christie's spokesman, said the issue would be reviewed by the administration. "This is a matter that has been in litigation since the McGreevey administration initially denied the application," Drewniak said, "MVC is currently reviewing all aspects of the application in the context of the pending litigation."
The Children First Foundation and the NJ Family Policy Council (NJFPC) encouraged Governor Christie and the current Motor Vehicle Commissioner, Ray Martinez, to approve the plate without further delay (see article). Supporters signed petitions to Governor Christie for the New Jersey Choose Life license plate.

In December 2010, the NJ MVC said officials decided to allow the plates because they wanted to avoid further legal expenses. The decision was made unilaterally by state officials, not as part of a settlement with the plate's sponsors (see article).

The "Choose Life" plates went on sale Dec. 3, 2010. Opponents of the plate, including the press (see article) claim there is little demand for the plate. Considering that there has been little publicity about the introduction and ordering the "Choose Life" plates through the NJ MVC is quite cumbersome (see their Order Personalized Plates link), it is no wonder that "demand" is low. The "Choose Life" plates were not even listed on the list of Specialty Plates on the NJ MVC web site as of December 21.

The best way to obtain the new "Choose Life" plates is through the Children First Foundation by using their NJ link, http://njchoose-life.org/RequestNewJerseyPlate.asp, to place an order. $20 of the tax deductable $25 fee will help fund New Jersey’s non-profit pregnancy resource centers and maternity homes.