Tag Archives: Affordable Care Act

What Circles the State Each Spring? Our Pro-Life Town Halls

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By Michael Ciccocioppo, Executive Director

This was my fifth year leading the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation town hall tour around the state. I was privileged to have our education director, Micaiah Bilger, as my co-presenter this year.

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Executive Director Michael Ciccocioppo and Education Director Micaiah Bilger

Based on the feedback we received at every stop along the way, the tour was an unequivocal success. People genuinely appreciate our brand of pro-life education. And we reached hundreds of citizens in their hometowns.

We traveled 1,200 miles in seven days this month, speaking in 11 different communities, starting in Ebensburg and continuing on to Uniontown, Pittsburgh, Titusville, Erie, State College, Scranton, Nesquehoning, Easton, Philadelphia and Lancaster. We have one last stop to make in Grove City on September 16. Click here for details.

People like the way we provide the most important information on some of the hottest pro-life topics of the day with high energy, passion and plain English.

This year, we covered seven topics at each stop:

  • The state of abortion in Pennsylvania
  • Gov. Wolf’s ties to the abortion industry
  • Hope for parents whose babies have poor prenatal diagnoses
  • Abortion and medical rationing in the era of the Affordable Care Act
  • The push for doctor-prescribed suicide
  • Encouraging signs for the pro-life cause
  • What you can do to help restore the culture of life in Pennsylvania

Since each event is one-and-a-half to two hours long, we keep our talks brief and focus on the most important aspects of each topic. When people want more details, we provide them during Q&A.

Special thanks to all those who hosted this year’s pro-life town halls. Check out a slideshow of photos from all these events here.

If you or a group would like to host a pro-life town hall in your community in 2016, contact the Federation at lifelines@paprolife.org or 717-541-0034.

Clearing Up Some Confusion on the Hobby Lobby/Conestoga Case

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I’ve noticed a lot of confusion this week in reports about the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the HHS Mandate. Here are two clarification points for you as you’re reading about the case:

Supreme CourtFirst — Many media outlets are saying the two companies, Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood Specialties, oppose providing birth control coverage to their employees. This is not true. The family owners of Hobby Lobby and Conestoga opposed only four of the 20 types of contraception that the government requires employers to provide. The families argued that the four types aren’t just contraception; they can be abortion-causing, life-destroying. Abortion is what the families object to paying for.

Second — Some pro-abortion groups claim that the four drugs/devices in question don’t cause abortions because they don’t interrupt a pregnancy. However, these groups define pregnancy as beginning when the embryo implants in his/her mother’s uterus. They fail to acknowledge that a new human life begins before that point. According to biologists, a new human being forms at the moment of fertilization. The four drugs/devices may sometimes work by preventing an embryo from implanting in the womb, thus killing him or her. That’s why the families who own Hobby Lobby and Conestoga are opposed. They do not want to be forced to pay for the destruction of innocent human lives.

As you read news about the case, please keep these facts in mind.

Learn the Latest Pro-Life News and Information at Our Spring Town Hall Tour

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This winter seemed as though it would never end, but the signs of spring are finally appearing. I love the warmth and hope that spring holds. It reminds me that good things are ahead.

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Micaiah Bilger during our 2013 Town Hall Tour

I feel the same way during our annual Pro-Life Town Hall Tour, which is coming up April 28 to May 6.

It’s a time when we travel across the state and connect with pro-lifers, sharing the latest information about pro-life issues and ideas for restoring a culture of life in our state.

This year, we’ll be talking about the effects of Obamacare on abortion and euthanasia, notorious abortionists in our state, pro-life progress in Pennsylvania, tools for communicating the pro-life message, and more.

I really enjoy the time I spend talking with people before and after the meetings. I always feel so hopeful after hearing about what pro-lifers are doing in their towns to support and encourage families to choose life.

Please join me and our Executive Director Michael Ciccocioppo to learn, connect, and be inspired for life. Join us in:

Gettysburg – Noon to 1:30 p.m. Monday, April 28
West Chester – 7 to 9 p.m. Monday, April 28
Danville – Noon to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 29
Lewistown – 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, April 29
Clarion – 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, April 30
New Castle – Noon to 1:30 p.m. Thursday, May 1
Latrobe – 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, May 1
Huntingdon – Noon to 1:30 p.m. Friday, May 2
Mechanicsburg – 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, May 6

For details, contact us at lifelines@paprolife.org or 717-541-0034.

Do Our Tax Dollars Fund Abortions?

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The issue of tax dollars paying for abortions can be complex and confusing. But it is happening, and taxpayers deserve to know the truth.

abortion-is-not-healthcareYou may remember that in 2013, Pennsylvania legislators passed Act 13, which stops taxpayer funding of abortion in the health insurance exchange created in the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare.

It was a big victory for Pennsylvania. We know that more abortions occur when tax dollars pay for them. We also know that polls consistently show a strong majority of Americans don’t want their tax dollars to pay for abortions.

Unfortunately, there are other avenues through which our tax dollars pay for abortion.

The nation’s largest abortion provider, Planned Parenthood, received $540 million in taxpayer funding in 2012. While the agency isn’t supposed to use that money for abortion, some former Planned Parenthood employees have said they do it anyway.

Another way our tax dollars go toward abortion is through the United Nations Population Fund. The U.S. gives millions to the UNFPA and other organizations that perform abortions overseas. Disturbingly, this includes support for the forced abortions that take place because of China’s One Child policy.

As if this isn’t enough, lately I’ve seen a growing push from pro-abortion advocates to overturn the pro-life Hyde Amendment, which protects our taxes from pay for abortions in health care programs such as Medicaid.

We have created a new petition to help us in our work to protect our tax dollars from paying for the deaths of innocent preborn babies. Sign the petition here.

Thanks To You, No Taxpayer Funding of Abortions!

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Thanks to you, it happened!

HB818Maria-Micaiah

Legislative Director Maria Gallagher and Education Director Micaiah Bilger with a copy of House Bill 818, signed by Governor Tom Corbett.

Thanks to you, Pennsylvania taxpayers will not have to pay for abortions under the health insurance exchange created by the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

House Bill 818, which became law as Act 13, ensures that Pennsylvania opts out of elective abortion coverage in the state health insurance exchange created through Obamacare.

Our team worked round the clock to ensure that you and your family would not be forced to pay for the expansion of abortion in the Commonwealth.

Lives will be saved, mothers will be empowered, and your hard-earned tax dollars will be safeguarded as a result of this remarkable legislative achievement.

Please join us as we work to make the next miracle happen. Donate today or volunteer with a pro-life chapter in your area!

Governor Signs Bill Protecting Pa. Tax Dollars from Abortion

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Legislation Allows the Commonwealth to Opt-Out
of Elective Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance Exchange

HARRISBURG, Pa. – Governor Tom Corbett signed into law Monday a measure to protect Pennsylvania tax dollars from being spent on abortion.

House Bill 818, which passed the state House in April and Senate on June 5, ensuresChoose Life! that Pennsylvania opts out of elective abortion coverage in the state health insurance exchange created through the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare.

“House Bill 818 is a true taxpayer protection bill,” said Maria Gallagher, legislative director of the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation. “We thank Governor Corbett and the legislators for protecting taxpayers’ interests and preserving Pennsylvania’s longstanding and time-tested policy that prevents taxpayer funding of abortion.”

The Affordable Care Act includes a provision allowing states to opt-out of abortion coverage in the health insurance exchanges. Pennsylvania joins more than 30 other states that have, or are in the process of, enacting opt-out legislation.

“National polls show the majority of women and men – on both sides of the abortion issue — agree that our tax dollars should not be spent on abortion,” Gallagher said. “Without this legislation, Pennsylvania taxpayers would be forced to support the abortion industry.”

House Bill 818 includes exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother, which are the same exceptions that apply to Medicaid funding of abortion in Pennsylvania. Therefore, the Pennsylvania bill is in line with state law and the U.S. Constitution.

The bill was sponsored by state Rep. Donna Oberlander, R-Clarion.

Victory! Pa. Senate OKs Bill to Prevent Tax Funding of Abortion

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Bill Protecting Pa. Tax Dollars Heads to Governor

HARRISBURG, Pa. – Pennsylvania taxpayers gained a victory Wednesday when the state Senate passed a bill to prevent tax dollars from being spent on abortions.

House Bill 818, which passed the state House in April, ensures that Pennsylvania opts out of elective abortion coverage in the state health insurance exchange created through the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare. The bill passed the Senate with bipartisan support, 31 votes in favor to 19 against.

“House Bill 818 is a true taxpayer protection bill,” said Maria Gallagher, legislative director of the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation. “We applaud the Senate for preserving Pennsylvania’s longstanding and time-tested policy that prevents taxpayer funding of abortion.”

The Affordable Care Act includes a provision allowing states to opt-out of abortion coverage in the health insurance exchanges. Pennsylvania is one of more than 30 states that have, or are in the process of, enacting opt-out legislation.

“National polls show that more than 70 percent of Americans oppose tax dollars being spent on abortion,” Gallagher said. “We are grateful to both the Senate and the House for listening to women and men throughout the Commonwealth who do not want their hard-earned tax dollars to be used for abortions.”

House Bill 818 includes exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother, which are the same exceptions that apply to Medicaid funding of abortion in Pennsylvania. Therefore, the Pennsylvania bill is in line with state law and the U.S. Constitution.

The bill, sponsored by state Rep. Donna Oberlander, R-Clarion, will go to Governor Tom Corbett’s desk for signature.

A Victory for Pennsylvania Taxpayers!

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House Approves Abortion Opt-out Bill in Federal Health
Insurance Exchange

HARRISBURG, Pa. – The Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed House Bill 818 on Tuesday, supporting the Commonwealth’s longstanding policy of not using taxpayer dollars to fund abortions.

Unborn child2“The legislation is in line with the restriction on public funding of abortion present in Pennsylvania’s landmark Abortion Control Act. It’s a long-standing policy that works,” said Maria Gallagher, legislative director of the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation. “We applaud House members – Republicans and Democrats, women and men – who have followed the will of the people in passing this critical bill.”

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Donna Oberlander, R-Armstrong, would allow Pennsylvania to opt-out of abortion coverage in the state health insurance exchange, which will be created by the Affordable Care Act using public dollars. The bill includes exceptions for rape, incest, and the mother’s life.

“Unless this legislation becomes law, starting next year, Pennsylvania will be in the abortion business – dramatically and radically reversing the Keystone State’s long-standing policy against public funding of abortion,” Gallagher said.

A Quinnipiac University poll showed that more than 70 percent of Americans, including the same majority of women, oppose public funding of abortion in the federal health care plan.

So far, 21 states have passed similar legislation to opt-out of abortion funding. A provision written into the Affordable Care Act allows states to opt-out of abortion funding in health care reform.

House Bill 818 now moves to the Senate for consideration.

Now, it’s important that we let our state Senators know that we want them to support HB 818 too.  To find out who your state Senator is, or to find out contact information for your state Senator, please click here.

Please call your state Senator to let the Senator know you want a “yes” vote on HB 818 when it is voted on in the Senate.

 Please share this message with your pro-life friends and family members.

Legislature Urged to Take Swift Action to Stop Tax Funding of Abortion in Pennsylvania!

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House Bill 818 simply safeguards Pennsylvania’s long-standing policy against tax funding of abortion—a policy which works, and which is supported by the vast majority of taxpayers.

Baby feetA Quinnipiac poll shows that more than 70 percent of Americans oppose public funding of abortion under the federal health care law. More specifically, in the same poll, 70 percent of American women opposed such abortion funding.

The bill is about only one thing: ensuring that Pennsylvania continues its long-standing policy against taxpayer funding of abortion. Twenty-one other states have passed similar legislation and signed it into law, and other states are expected to follow suit.

If HB 818 is not passed by the PA House and Senate and signed by the Governor, starting next year, Pennsylvania taxpayers will be paying for abortions under the health insurance exchange created by the federal health care law—radically reversing Pennsylvania’s decades-old policy against tax-funded abortions.

Call your state rep NOW and urge a yes vote on HB 818! To find out contact info for your state lawmaker, call us at 717-541-0034.

Why Hyde Amendment Won’t Prohibit Govt-Funded Abortion in Health Insurance Exchange

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Right now, Pennsylvania legislators are considering two bills that would allow our state to opt-out of abortion coverage in the state health insurance exchange programs under the Affordable Care Act.

The Pennsylvania House and Senate must pass an opt-out bill before January 1, 2014, or public funding of abortion will happen in Stop Abortion MandatesPennsylvania.

But some people have asked how that is possible. Doesn’t the Hyde Amendment prohibit government funding of abortions?

The simple answer is no, not under the federal health care law.

Douglas Johnson, legislative director for the National Right to Life Committee, explains in more detail:

“In reality, the Hyde Amendment is not a government-wide law — it applies only to funds appropriated through the annual appropriations bill that funds the Department of Health and Human Services. As National Right to Life has pointed out … and as the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service confirmed in two memoranda …, none of the funds that would be expended by the public plan, and none of the funds that will subsidize the purchase of private insurance plans, will ever flow through an HHS appropriations bill. Therefore, none of the funds will be covered by the Hyde Amendment.”

FactCheck.org also wrote an article calling out President Obama in 2009 for his false claim that there will not be government funding of abortion in the health care law.

This is why opt-out legislation must be passed in Pennsylvania. Please check out our legislative director’s excellent column on The Patriot-News to learn more about this important legislation.