PARTIAL BIRTH ABORTION BAN UPDATE . . .H.R. 1122, introduced by Rep. Canady (R-FL) and Sen. Santorum (R-PA), would ban partial-birth abortions or late term abortions, such as the "dilation & extraction" (D&X) procedure. The D & X procedure involves the complete delivery of the child except for the head. The child's skull is then punctured, the brains suctioned out and the dead baby delivered. The House passed H.R. 1122 by a veto-proof majority in March. On May 15th, the Senate voted on two compromise proposals -- the Boxer/Feinstein proposal failed 72-28, and the Daschle proposal failed 64-36. Both proposals, offered in an effort to make the ban acceptable to President Clinton, would have rendered the ban meaningless. On 5/20/97, the Senate passed the Partial Birth Abortion Ban by a vote of 64-36. 67 votes will be needed to override a threatened presidential veto. MISSOURI'S "SPECIAL SESSION" . . .On May 16, 1997, Missouri's Governor, Mel Carnahan, issued a proclamation calling for a "Special Session" of the Missouri General Assembly. Governor Carnahan stated, "because of the irresponsible actions of the anti-family planning extremists in the Missouri House, the members of the General Assembly did not do their job and pass a budget by May 9 ..." [Statement from Gov. Mel Carnahan, Re: Special Session, 5/12/97] The budget process stalled because legislators could not reach an agreement on the budget bill, which appropriates money for family planning through the Department of Health -- (H.B. 10). In 1993, after taking office, Governor Carnahan lead the effort to get family planning tax dollars for Planned Parenthood. And, since that time, pro-life members of the General Assembly -- Republican and Democrat -- have insisted that family planning money (i.e. tax dollars) should not be used to support organizations that provide abortions, such as Planned Parenthood. As the May 9th budget deadline approached, pro-life legislators refused to pass H.B. 10 as long as Planned Parenthood was receiving tax dollars. Because H.B. 10 was not passed, Governor Carnahan stated, "the losers will be the thousands of women who won't get the health services they need ... and that is unacceptable." [Statement from Gov. Mel Carnahan, Re: Special Session, 5/12/97] But, before 1993, "no tax dollars were ever spent for organizations like Planned Parenthood ..." "Such organizations survived off of federal grants, charitable contributions, and grants, as well as money received from patient fees ..." And, "Planned Parenthood performed all the same services they currently provide with no tax money" from Missouri taxpayers. In fact, "most Missourians have made it clear that they do not believe it is appropriate to use tax money to provide abortions and therefore, the overwhelming majority of Missouri House members have tried to prevent Planned Parenthood (a major abortion provider) from receiving your tax money." [Above quotes and information taken from CAPITOL REPORT, State Representative Luann Ridgeway, District 35, 5/19/97]SAVE OUR CONSTITUTIONAL PATENT RIGHTSAccording to an Eagle Forum Alert, "Congress is poised to pass a bill that would take away the traditional rights of American inventors in order to accommodate foreigners and multinationals." [EAGLE ALERT, 5/17/97] H.R. 400 has already passed in the House by a voice vote. H.R. 400 was amended (the Kaptur amendment passed 220-193), to exempt small businesses, universities and independent inventors from some of the provisions; however, the Senate version (S. 507), introduced by Sen Hatch (R-UT) appears to be far worse than the amended H.R. 400. S. 507 could be voted on in the next few weeks. [Alliance For American Innovation, constituent letter, 4/25/97] These bills have moved very quickly and quietly through the House and the Senate, with very little debate and/or media attention. "The patent system strengthens and safeguards the nation's economic infrastructure. It is well known throughout the world that the U.S. patent system is the secret of job generation in America. It has been the protector of American creativity for over 200 years. All of this is about to be lost." [ Steven Michael Shore, President, Alliance For American Innovation, ALERT, 2/19/97]ACTION TO TAKE: Call your two U.S. Senators at 1/800-962-3524. CHEVRON OFFERS HOMOSEXUAL BENEFITSOn April 30th, the same day that Disney/ABC was promoting lesbianism through its sitcom ELLEN, the Chevron Corporation became the first oil company to offer full benefits to the unmarried domestic partners of its employees, to begin in 1998. Members of the Chevron Lesbian and Gay Employees Association lauded the decision. Allen Wildmon, Associate Director of the American Family Association (AFA) said, "the purpose of domestic partner benefits is to equate a homosexual relationship with marriage between a man and a woman. At what point should the line be drawn? Should companies, in the name of 'diversity' approve benefits for two men and one woman who live together as domestic partners? Adult siblings living in an incestuous relationship?" Chevron, which is headquartered in San Francisco, may have made the move in response to that city's ground-breaking requirement that all companies doing business with San Francisco be required to extend benefits to the homosexual domestic partners of employees.WRITE TO: The Chevron Corporation, Chrm. Kenneth T. Derr, 575 Market Street San Francisco, CA 94105, Phone: (415) 894-7700. -Email: chevweb@chevron. com [AFA ACTION ALERT, 5/9/97] THE ERA OF BIG GOVERNMENT . . .Since 1980, the federal budget has increased from $576 billion to more than $1.6 trillion -- a rate of increase far larger than the inflation rate. In the same period, the typical family's tax burden has increased from $11,620 to $22,707, according to the Tax Foundation. [James Bovard, "The Error of Big Government," The American Spectator, 2/97, pg 36] |