PRI Weekly Briefing: Exposing Abortion Strategies
Dear Colleague:
If you've ever wondered how the leaders of the pro-abortion movement talk
among themselves, wonder no more. Thanks to the Catholic Family and Human
Rights Institute (C-FAM), we have in our possession a series of memos
written by the intellectual epicenter of the pro-abortion movement, the
Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR). It reveals a legal strategy -- a
vast, left-wing conspiracy, to paraphrase Hilary Clinton -- to absolutely
gut protections for human life both in the U.S. and around the globe. And
they are ready to play dirty to get their way.
We write this week about CRR's domestic strategies. Next week, we will
detail their international strategies, which we come face-to-face with in
our work overseas.
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Steven Mosher
President
PRI Weekly Briefing
29 December 2003
Vol. 5 / No. 41
Exposing Domestic Abortion Strategies
The internal Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR) memos were never
intended for public dissemination. Reading them, one can see why. As
Congressman Christopher Smith remarked, before placing them into the
Congressional Record, "It is especially important that policy makers know,
and more fully understand, the deceptive practices being employed by the
abortion lobby. These documents are from recent CRR strategy sessions
where, according to a quote from a related interview session, one of the
CRR's trustees said, 'We have to fight harder, be a little dirtier.' These
documents expose the wolf donning sheep's clothing in an attempt to
sanitize violence against children. These papers reveal a Trojan Horse of
deceit."
CRR opposes any regulation of the abortion business, wants Medicaid to pay
for abortions in all 50 states, and even objects to "Choose Life"
license
plates. Their answer to any and all challenges to the abortion-on-demand
mentality is the same: Sue, sue, sue.
OVERTURNING 'TRAP' LAWS:
The CRR would overturn in the courts any standard medical regulations of
abortion clinics. To use the CRR's own jargon, these medical regulations
are called "targeted regulation of abortion providers" or TRAP laws.
According to CRR, "TRAP laws regulate the medical practices of doctors who
provide abortions by imposing burdensome requirements that are different
and more stringent than regulations applied to comparable medical
practices. These excessive and unnecessary government regulations
ultimately harm women's health and inhibit their reproductive choices."(2)
In reality, however, these laws protect women from dangerous medical
complications, even death, under the hand of the abortion-clinic worker.
One so-called TRAP law -- Arizona statute 36-431(A); 13-707(A)(3),
13-802(C) -- ensures that an abortionist has a valid medical license: "A
person is guilty of a class 3 misdemeanor who . . . establishes, operates
or maintains [an abortion clinic] unless the person holds a current and
valid license . . ."
Another such law -- Missouri statute 301.3 -- requires that nurses in
abortion clinics work under a registered nurse: "The abortion facility
nursing service shall be under the direction of a legally and
professionally qualified registered nurse."
Another law -- Missouri statute 19 CSR 30-30.060(1)(c)(4) -- provides for
adequate medical response to life-threatening complications: "Physicians
performing abortions. shall have staff privileges at a hospital within
fifteen (15) minutes travel time from the facility or the facility shall
show proof there is a working arrangement between the facility and a
hospital within fifteen (15) minutes travel time from the facility
granting the admittance of patients for emergency treatment whenever
necessary."
EXPANDING MEDICAID COVERAGE FOR ABORTION:
So far, courts have ordered 13 states to provide coverage for abortion
under Medicaid (Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Illinois,
Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont
and West Virginia). Three states (Hawaii, New York and Washington)
voluntarily provide coverage for abortion under Medicaid. Five states
(Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Virginia and Wisconsin) either voluntarily, or
by court order, provide some abortion coverage under Medicaid. But seven
states (Florida, Idaho, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania
and Texas) have warded off litigation attempts to mandate abortion
coverage under Medicaid.
The CRR litigation strategy would press courts to mandate universal
abortion coverage under Medicaid for every state.
NO CHOICE ON LICENSE PLATES:
According to the CRR memo, "We are following through on cases challenging
Choose Life license plates and the fundraising these plates do for
so-called Crisis Pregnancy Centers. We are currently seeking law firm
support for new cases in two or three states."
License plates for cars with the popular "Choose Life" message have
been
legal in Florida since 1998. Over 24,000 plates were sold in Florida that
year, raising almost $500,000.00 dollars. As of September 2003, over
$2,000,000.00 has been raised and the tags continue to sell, raising over
$70,000.00 per month. Every tag sold raises $20 to help organizations,
such as, maternity homes, crisis pregnancy centers and certain non-profit
adoption agencies, which are helping women committed to making an adoption
plan for their child.
Choose Life, Inc., the Florida group that developed the idea, is
communicating with groups and individuals in over 40 states at this
time,(3) including Virginia State Delegate Richard H. Black
(R-Loudoun-Virginia), author of Virginia's parental consent law, whose
efforts to promote the tag have gained wide support but have been blocked
by a pro-abortion Governor and lawmakers.
ROE NO MORE?
The final section of the document reveals the reason for this aggressive
campaign of lawsuits. The abortion movement is in a near state of panic
over the possibility that Roe v. Wade may be overturned. The authors of
the memo write that ". . . we are examining whether our traditional work
will continue or whether we need to anticipate a new legal landscape,
either because limitations on the right to choose will be firmly
established and viable legal challenges will dwindle or because Roe v.
Wade will be overturned or substantially undermined, also eliminating the
cases that make up much of our current docket."
That those opposed to a Culture of Life are glumly mulling over worst-case
scenarios should give us all hope.
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ENDNOTES
1. Center for Reproductive Rights, DOMESTIC LEGAL PROGRAM OF STRATEGIC
PLANNING THROUGH OCTOBER 31, 2003; placed into the U.S. Congressional
Record by U.S. Representative Christopher Smith (R-NJ), December 8, 2003.
2. Center for Reproductive Rights, "Targeted Regulation of Abortion
Providers: Avoiding the "TRAP," September 2003;
http://www.crlp.org/pub_bp_trap.html.
3. http://www.choose-life.org.
__________
Steve Mosher is the president of Population Research Institute, a
non-profit organization dedicated to debunking the myth that the world is
overpopulated.
__________
© 2003 Population Research Institute.
Permission to reprint granted. Redistribute widely. Credit required.
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