Congresswoman Bachmann is a strong and vocal pro-life advocate. She has stated that life begins at conception. She does not grant the exceptions for rape and incest and states that those cases are extremely rare compared to the broader issue. Congresswoman Bachmann supports the Mexico city policy of not issuing government funds to organizations that provide or promote abortion. She supports removing funding from Planned Parenthood and opposes all government funding for abortion.
There has been only one significant vote on abortion while Congresswoman Bachmann has been in office. That vote was to prevent the use of funds from being used by Planned Parenthood. Congresswoman Bachmann voted in favor of that amendment.
While there has been only one vote on abortion while she has been in office, Congresswoman Bachmann has introduced, cosponsored, and supported a great deal of legislation dealing with abortion. One of these was the Positive Alternatives Act, which would have allowed states to use block grants in welfare funding to provide assistance to women who are pregnant or may be pregnant.
Among the legislation that Congresswoman Bachmann has co-sponsored is the Right to Life Act to extend rights to the unborn, the Child Interstate Notification Act, the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act, and the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act.
Right to Life
On January 22, 2008 Congresswoman Bachmann spoke on the House floor about her support for the National Right to Life legislation. In this speech she confirms her opposition to abortion and her belief that raising the child or putting it up for adoption are superior choices to abortions.
Ms. BACHMANN. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Mr. Hensarling from Texas' Fifth District. He has confirmed once again to me, Mr. Speaker, that not only is he a giant among men here in this body, but he is a gentle giant, and those are the greatest of all.
I think I have seen a tenderness here this evening, a softness and an eloquence that he speaks, the foundational nature of the issue that we are grappling tonight. There is a sweet sorrow, if you will, regarding this subject because we are talking about something that is dealing with the foundational nature of this country and yet of all humanity, and that is life and what we will do with life.
And I jotted down just a few words before I came up to manage this hour. And I wrote down that every generation, Mr. Speaker, seems to grapple with an issue that transcends all others. That issue for 31 years has been whether government will protect from destruction life, innocent human life.
Our American landscape has changed so dramatically over these last 31 years. I was in high school when the Roe v. Wade decision came down. I hate to admit I was so ignorant when I was a junior in high school, I didn't even know what abortion meant. I didn't even know what it was. What innocence that time was in the early seventies here in the United States.
In that time, Mr. Speaker, we have lost 50 million fellow Americans, and now we've lost the children, some of whom those 50 million would have borne. There are 50 million women whose bodies were violated by the horrific violence that we call here in this chamber abortion. There are 50 million men who have lost out on the tremendous privilege and joy of fatherhood, and our Nation today is poorer because we're missing, Mr. Speaker, 50 million fellow Americans, so sadly.
An inordinate number of these 50 million Americans are children of color. We needed those children of color in our Nation. We needed those African American babies, those Latino babies, those Asian babies. We need them, Mr. Speaker, in our Nation.
And we mourn together the loss of these priceless treasures that would have woven a beautiful tapestry of humanity even here in our midst. Yes, we mourn with a great sadness, but we also rejoice, and we also take great joy in the fact that today, even now, we're making a down payment because today is a new day.
It's a new day for a future of change, and it's my hope and my prayer that it is today, Mr. Speaker, that the words that are spoken on this floor would captivate the attention of young women and young men across our Nation, young people who may have had the chance to turn this show this evening on television, who would choose to respect their bodies and would choose to respect their sexuality and choose to respect their fertility because fertility is a gift. It's not a given. It's a gift.
Ask those people who can't have children. Ask women with love who would love to bear a child but can't, young people who will choose to be givers in this Nation, givers to one another in love, givers to themselves, givers to our Nation and givers to the next generation of Americans.
Today, earlier, I had the great privilege of being in my home State of Minnesota. I went up to the steps of our State capitol. Thousands of Minnesotans had gathered. You think it's cold in Washington, DC? There is nothing like a March For Life rally in the State of Minnesota. It was sub-zero. I wasn't wearing boots. I had a wool overcoat on, and in a moment, my feet were tingling, freezing cold. There were thousands that were there that had braved sub-zero freezing temperatures, holding signs, from cities across the State of Minnesota because they wanted to be there to choose life, Mr. Speaker, and march for the greatest gift that any of us have ever had, the gift of life.
I want to take these few minutes right now to thank the Americans and the people across the globe who have chosen to adopt children. There is no such thing in this country as an unwanted child. There is no such thing. There is a line a mile long of men and women who would give anything tonight to adopt a child. Yes, even the less than a perfect child there's a mile long group of people who would say me, let me, just like Mother Theresa
of India who said give them to me and I will take these children.
Thank you to those who have chosen to give life, and whether you kept that child or blessed another family with a child, thank you for choosing life tonight.
I want to thank parents who have chosen to be foster parents, who have taken children in less than ideal situations, or parents that couldn't cope with a child who was difficult. I thank the foster parents who have opened your hearts, opened your arms, opened your homes, who've inconvenienced yourselves, but yet, you have chosen a better way, to give life in a different sort of way to children in foster homes.
I also want to thank the women who have chosen life and the parents who have encouraged their young daughters or their sons to be supportive of women in a situation where they didn't know if they would choose life or if they would choose to take life. I thank the parents.
It's easy when your child is suffering with an unplanned pregnancy to say it's okay, I'll support you, I'll take you to that abortion clinic, I will pay for that abortion. But they don't always recognize that there is a price that that young woman will pay for the rest of her life in her emotion because her arms will be forever empty, and she'll know that there is a baby that could have been hers and yet was not, or a young man who knows he could have been a father to that baby.
Parents, think again. Taking the easy way isn't always the easy way, Mr. Speaker, and for boyfriends who just heard the news that their girlfriend is pregnant, oh, my gosh, of course I will pay for the abortion you say, let's do that. You don't need this; I don't need this. We've got a whole life in front of us. Who needs this? We can do this. I will borrow the money from my parents, the boyfriend might say, Mr. Speaker, or yet he might say I'll drop you if you don't have this abortion. I'll leave you. I'll walk out on you.
There's another way. There's another choice. There's a choice called life, and it may be inconvenient and it may be embarrassing and it may be expensive, and yes, it will change your life and there may be pain, but there will be joy when you hear that first cry, when you hold that hand that literally covers your finger. And when you look in those eyes and you stroke that silky hair, there is nothing like that baby that you will see, and it will change your life as a young man. It will change your life as a young woman.
That baby has the power to change America. Every baby has the power to change this country. They are America's greatest natural resource.
I thank my parents, David and Jean, who gave me life. I thank my husband who stood by me with our five babies and who stood by me when we lost a baby. I thank you for standing by me when we didn't know if we could go on anymore, and I thank you for stepping up to the plate, for being willing to bring 23 foster children into our home so we could offer an alternative for those children and hopefully give them a down payment on a future and on a hope.
These remarks that we gave here tonight are not about condemning anyone. Who could? Who could? I couldn't condemn anyone. Who could? But it's about lifting up people. We're here to lift up people. These remarks tonight weren't given to judge anyone. Who could? We're here to heal and offer a healing alternative.
That's why recently I introduced a bill, and it's a bipartisan bill. Democrats are on this bill. Republicans are on this bill. This is not partisan. This is about life, and this is about humanity and choosing the best that are among us, and in the Positive Alternatives Act, we just say something very simply. It says that today there are tax dollars that go to Planned Parenthood, the largest provider of abortion in the United States. Tax dollars go to Planned Parenthood.
There are not tax dollars that go to life care centers in this country, and we want to change that. We want to level the playing field.
And we want to give a positive alternative all across this great country so that there is a chance for men and women to say, let me think about this. Maybe I don't want to choose death. Maybe I want to choose something else. Maybe there's someone out there who can help me through a difficult time, who could help me with my medical needs, who could help me to get a job, who could help me get some education, who could help me get clothes on my back, who could help me if I want to keep this baby, who could help me if I want to give this baby to a family who maybe doesn't have a baby. It's just common decency to allow for an alternative that leads to life and not lead to guilt and to death, and perhaps remorse that even a lifetime could never erase.
We are such a great country, Mr. Speaker. I know you feel that way, I know you do. And we're a blessed country. Let's choose life. Let's choose the better way. It's the American way.
Planned Parenthood and Government Funding
In July of 2008, Congresswoman Bachmann spoke on the House floor about the government money being given to Planned Parenthood. In the speech, Congresswoman Bachmann speaks about a recent article denoting the tax exempt status of Planned Parenthood. She discusses the movement of Planned Parenthood into mainstream shopping centers, and the financial success of the company. She calls for Planned Parenthood to be defunded and to remove the tax exempt status from the group.
Mexico City Policy
In January of 2009 Congresswoman Bachmann spoke on the House Floor about the recent policy change by the Obama administration to abandon the Mexico City policy of not providing funding to international groups that provide or recommend abortions.
Mrs. BACHMANN. I thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith). I would like to just thank him for the years and years and years of commitment that he has had to the unborn here in America. The unborn have had a friend in Chris Smith. I thank you. That through thick and thin, it seems like we got a lot closer to our goal. Right now, it seems like we are a lot farther away when you look at the way the winds are prevailing.
It has been 36 years since we have had the fateful decision of Roe v. Wade. In 36 years, we look at the fruit of that decision and what it has led to. Has it been freedom for women? Some might say so. Has it been enslavement for women? There are a lot of women who testify that yes, it has been enslavement for them, to years of depression, fighting perhaps alcoholism, drug addiction, because they had no idea what terminating the life of their little child would do to them in terms of ripping up their insides. They didn't really know what the decision would mean.
My husband has had the privilege of counseling women and men who have been in that decision, abortion -minded women, who have later deeply regretted that decision that they made. I know for my husband and I, we are just so grateful God gave us five biological children over the years that we are grateful for, and we lost one.
The baby that we lost taught us so much. When that baby died, it changed our lives. I know for me, personally, I couldn't speak for 3 days after I lost that baby. Something was touched in the center of my soul, something so deep, so fundamental about human life that I can't even put into words right now. But the one thing I do know is that we are created in the image and likeness of a holy God.
I just think that we should not be about the business of taking away something that is so precious and so life-giving and that can never be altered. It is a decision that, once it's made, can't be changed.
When we lost our own baby, my husband and I decided we wanted to open up our home to children that were in difficult circumstances. And so we brought in 23 children over the years, not all at once, but over the years, and it changed us for the better, bringing in kids who are in really some of the very tough, tough situations. But, you know what? I have often heard that phrase from Planned Parenthood that says, ``Every Child a Wanted Child.''
I just want the American public to know, every child is a wanted child. There's a foster parent out there that wants to take in a child in at-risk situations. There are adoptive parents out there that are crying tonight, literally crying themselves to sleep, because they want to take in a child.
No, we are not talking just perfect children. We are talking special needs children. Children with disabilities of every kind. There are parents that want to adopt those children.
And so when I look at the policy that is coming down the pike here in our Nation's Capitol or we are looking at reviving this policy of having the American taxpayer pay for international abortions, my heart breaks. It breaks because it's all so unnecessary. It's unnecessary because there is love. There are homes. There are men, there are women that want to offer the positive alternative.
For years, one of our colleagues from Pennsylvania, JOE PITTS, offered legislation called the Positive Alternatives Act. He was gracious to allow me to offer that bill last year. I offer it again now this year. It says to the men and women of America who are in a pregnancy that maybe they didn't count on that there's another way. Abortion isn't the only answer. There's a positive alternative.
Can we allow tax money, your tax money, the American people, to go to pay for international abortions? Shouldn't we allow your tax money to go to offer to pay for positive alternatives for men and women, to offer them counseling, hope. Isn't this the time of hope and change? Let's offer true hope and change that will make an eternal difference in the lives of America's next generation.
We have lost 50 million. We have lost 50 million Americans. Part of the generation that would be up and working right now to build this country into a better Nation, but we have lost them to eternity. We have lost them.
I say we have a chance now for true hope and true change, to have a positive alternative so that tax money won't be spent just on death, but tax money now could be to offer life, a true positive choice. That is why I am so grateful to my colleague from New Jersey, the wonderful Representative Chris Smith, because for years and years and years he has known, he has fought. He gets it.
The next generation needs us. They need our voice. And that is why I am so grateful that I can be a Member of Congress, to make that message now and to make that plea with my beloved colleague, just to beg our colleagues to join us. If we can offer death, certainly our country is good enough to offer life.
With that, I yield back.
Positive Alternative Act
In January of 2009, Congresswoman Bachmann released a press statement noting legislation that she was introducing to make changes to the TANF program,
Bachmann Re-Introduces Positive Alternatives Act
Washington, D.C., Jan 22, 2009 -
Today, as thousands of pro-life citizens from across the country came to Washington for the annual March for Life, commemorating the anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court decision, Roe v. Wade, U.S. Representative Michele Bachmann (MN-6) re-introduced her pro-life initiative - the Positive Alternative Act. This legislation protects life and helps women in need by improving family services offered through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program.
In introducing this legislation, Rep. Bachmann stated:
"Today, women with unplanned pregnancies face many challenges. I strongly believe that groups and organizations that can help women navigate these challenges and empower them through counseling should be supported through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program.
"The TANF program is best known for funding economic benefits for low-income families with children. Over the years, improvements have been made to the program to strengthen its efficiency and help individuals achieve self-sufficiency – but more can be done.
"One way we can further improve the program is through my legislation, the Positive Alternatives Act, which would ensure states have the flexibility to use their TANF block grant dollars to offer women who are pregnant or think they may be pregnant alternative-to-abortion services. This includes information or counseling that promotes childbirth instead of abortion and assists pregnant women in making informed decisions about parenting or adoption.
"Not only do these services help reduce the occurrence of abortion, they also help resolve social, familial and economic challenges many women face that lead to destructive lifestyles and more long-term dependency on government assistance.
"Rest assured that I will continue to make it my mission to see that these pregnant women’s needs are met. Their well-being and the safety of their children depend on it."
Opposition to Freedom of Choice Act
In February of 2009, Congresswoman Bachmann made a video to discuss her opposition to the Freedom of Choice Act.
Official Website Statements
Minnesota Values
Minnesota has its own unique way of life, traditions, and culture. I am a strong advocate of Minnesota’s hunting and fishing heritage, and I firmly support the right of law-abiding citizens to own and bear arms.
Our Founding Fathers considered this right so fundamental that they protected it in the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The Second Amendment states that the people’s right to keep and bear arms may not be infringed, and I believe that citizens who are in compliance with the law should not have that guaranteed right taken away. I am a member of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus which is a bipartisan group of nearly 300 U.S. Representatives and Senators committed to fish and wildlife conservation and preserving opportunities to hunt, fish and trap.
Additionally, I firmly believe the right to life extends to all people – including the born and unborn. I am a member of the bi-partisan Congressional Prayer Caucus and believe that our nation must never be ashamed of its Judeo-Christian roots and faith.
Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act
In April of 2009, Congresswoman Bachmann released a statement noting her co-sponsorship of the PreNatal Nondiscrimination Act.
Bachmann Supports PreNatal Nondiscrimination Act
Washington, D.C., Apr 1, 2009 -
U.S. Representative Michele Bachmann (MN-06) today cosponsored the PreNatal Nondiscrimination Act, which would prohibit sex-selection abortion and race-selection abortion.
“Congress has repeatedly criticized other nations for promoting sex-selection abortions – and rightfully so. But, Congress has yet to do anything to end the practice right here in the United States,” said Bachmann. “Every child deserves the chance to live – little girls every bit as little boys. Every child has the right to life – regardless of race. The fact that federally funded institutions perform abortions based on sex and race in 2009 is abhorrent and we must put an end to it today.”
Plan B
In April of 2009, Congresswoman Bachmann wrote an article discussing the push to get Plan B contraceptives introduced to girls at younger and younger ages.
Is No Girl Too Young for Plan B? 4/23/2009 | Email Michele Bachmann | All Posts By Blogger
Yesterday, the Food and Drug Administration said it will acquiesce to a New York federal court's order to allow 17-year-old girls access to the “morning after pill.” The FDA’s decision reverses a restriction put in place by the FDA under President Bush that prohibited girls under the age of 18 from accessing so-called Plan B birth-control pills.
What this means is that 17-year-old girls will now be able to obtain “morning after pills” over the counter with just an ID displaying their date of birth -- and nothing else.
What's even more troubling is that the judge also told the FDA to reconsider making the drug available to girls of all ages without a prescription.
Regardless of your views on the issue of abortion, the FDA decision and the judge's ruling raise some giant red flags.
One, the FDA has never approved that a high-dose of a drug be available non-prescription when a low dose of the same drug requires a prescription. The low-dose I refer to here is regular birth control pills. Birth control requires a prescription, yet this judge is urging the FDA to allow use of a more heavily concentrated dose with no prescription at all. Does that make any sense?
The reason why birth control requires a prescription is because women need medical oversight when taking it. The same holds true for the “morning after pill” – to say nothing of the parental oversight needed for girls accessing the pills.
According to Wendy Wright with the CWA:
"It can cause blood clots, heart attacks and strokes. Women who are sexually active should be regularly tested for conditions that may not produce symptoms. And under-age, sexually-active girls deserve counseling and help in case they are in a coerced or abusive relationship.
"Making the morning-after pill over-the-counter for teenagers denies medical counseling and testing to girls who need mature guidance. A thirteen-year-old who may be pregnant is also a girl who may be sexually abused and at risk of contracting a sexually-transmitted disease."
Two, the FDA may be trampling the will of states and localities and what they feel is best to monitor birth control distribution and regulation. In the United States, each state has different laws and policies about whether or not minors — anyone under the age of 18 — may get contraceptive prescriptions and counseling from a health care professional.
But in those states in which minors can not receive even a prescription for birth control without parental consent, minors will now be allowed to receive the "morning after pill" without not only parental consent, but also without a prescription.
This ruling blatently steps on parents' ability to protect the health and well-being of their minor daughters.
As Wright further notes:
"Minors need permission to go on a field trip, get a piercing, or use a tanning booth. But now, by one judge’s order, girls will be encouraged to rely on an ineffective drug without medical oversight or parental involvement."
Another great example of putting politics before common sense.
Floor Speech - Taxpayer Funding
In June of 2009, Congresswoman Bachmann spoke on the House floor about taxpayer funding and abortion.
Support for March for Life
In January of 2010, Congresswoman Bachmann released a press statement noting her participation in a Right to Life March.
Bachmann Participates in the Minnesota March for Life
St. Paul, Jan 22, 2010 - U.S. Representative Michele Bachmann (MN-06) addressed hundreds of Minnesotans today at the State Capitol as they gathered to take part in the Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life March for Life to observe the 37th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Congresswoman Bachmann issued the following statement to commemorate the event:
“As millions of Americans March for Life today, it's important to remember what is at stake because in one year alone, we’ve seen an onslaught of attacks on life and the unborn from this Congress and this Administration.
“We saw Democrats vote overwhelmingly against an amendment that would make Planned Parenthood ineligible to receive money for so-called ‘family planning’ services through appropriations funding for the Department of Health and Human Services. We saw the ban lifted on abortion funding for the District of Columbia. Funding for abstinence education was eliminated as well. And almost a year ago to this day after Americans marched to remember the 36th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the President rescinded the Mexico City Policy, thereby making available millions of dollars to foreign NGOs that promote and perform abortion. The list goes on. While the majority of Americans are increasingly identifying themselves as pro-life, we have a Washington controlled by liberal Democrats who are hell-bent on promoting abortion as a viable means of birth control. It just doesn’t make sense and more importantly, these actions are grossly out of touch with the American people.
“While Americans take time today to remind their elected officials of the importance of human life, we remember that we are not alone. Communities, churches, non-profits and dedicated individuals are working hard to educate unexpected mothers and fathers and provide care and supplies for those who decide to foster and not destroy life. If our efforts mean a single life is saved, it is worth it, for there is no value on the difference one life can make.”
New Hampshire Debate
On January 14, 2011, Congresswoman Bachmann participated in the Presidential debate in New Hampshire. When asked about her position on abortion and the exceptions for rape an incest, she states that she is fully pro-life and the instances of those cases are small compared to the overall topic of abortion.
FOREMAN: Hi, John. Representative Bachmann, I have a question for you. Governor Pawlenty says he opposes abortion rights except in cases of rape, incest, or when the mother's life is at stake. Do you have any problem with that position? And if so, why?
BACHMANN: I am 100 percent pro-life. I've given birth to five babies, and I've taken 23 foster children into my home. I believe in the dignity of life from conception until natural death. I believe in the sanctity of human life.
And I think the most eloquent words ever written were those in our Declaration of Independence that said it's a creator who endowed us with inalienable rights given to us from God, not from government. And the beauty of that is that government cannot take those rights away. Only God can give, and only God can take.
And the first of those rights is life. And I stand for that right. I stand for the right to life. The very few cases that deal with those exceptions are the very tiniest of fraction of cases, and yet they get all the attention. Where all of the firepower is and where the real battle is, is on the general -- genuine issue of taking an innocent human life. I stand for life from conception until natural death.
Support for Defunding Planned Parenthood
In February of 2011, Congresswoman Bachmann released a press statement noting her support for defunding Planned Parenthood.
Bachmann Joins Colleagues to Defund Planned Parenthood
Washington, Feb 10 -
Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (MN-06) joins her colleagues in efforts to defund Planned Parenthood from receiving any further federal dollars.
“As a co-sponsor of the Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act introduced by Representative Mike Pence (IN-06), I know Congress must take up this critical issue right away. Tax dollars have been flowing to this heinous organization far too long.
“Recently we witnessed corruption in Planned Parenthood centers as undercover videos showed employees coaching underage sex rings. Clearly the greed of Planned Parenthood has driven the organization to new depths. Performing abortions – ending a heartbeat in the womb – is no longer enough.
“Written into the Declaration of Independence is the right to life, liberty and a pursuit of happiness. But by Planned Parenthood’s own records 324,008 abortions were performed in 2008 and 2009. These children had their rights robbed from them. America was founded as a moral nation but this is a far deviation from that standard. Our nation must return to its moral roots. I will continue to expose the corruption of Planned Parenthood until every penny of federal funding to them is dried up.”
New Hampshire Debate
In June of 2011, Congresswoman Bachmann participated in the Presidential debate in New Hampshire. She was asked about the exceptions of rape and incest and stated that she was 100% pro-life.
Tom Foreman is standing by up in Rochester.
FOREMAN: Hi, John. Representative Bachmann, I have a question for you. Governor Pawlenty says he opposes abortion rights except in cases of rape, incest, or when the mother's life is at stake. Do you have any problem with that position? And if so, why?
BACHMANN: I am 100 percent pro-life. I've given birth to five babies, and I've taken 23 foster children into my home. I believe in the dignity of life from conception until natural death. I believe in the sanctity of human life.
And I think the most eloquent words ever written were those in our Declaration of Independence that said it's a creator who endowed us with inalienable rights given to us from God, not from government. And the beauty of that is that government cannot take those rights away. Only God can give, and only God can take.
And the first of those rights is life. And I stand for that right. I stand for the right to life. The very few cases that deal with those exceptions are the very tiniest of fraction of cases, and yet they get all the attention. Where all of the firepower is and where the real battle is, is on the general -- genuine issue of taking an innocent human life. I stand for life from conception until natural death.
Huckabee Forum
In December of 2011, Congresswoman Bachmann participated in a forum that was hosted by Mike Huckabee. In that forum, she was asked about her support for a constitutional amendment and states her support for such a measure.
Campaign Website Statements
Minnesota Values
As a strong advocate for a culture of life, I have earned the support of the Susan B. Anthony List, Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL), and the National Pro-Life Alliance. My legislation, the Positive Alternatives Act, makes it clear that the pro-life position supports the unborn child and the mother.
As a former foster-mother for 23 children, I have been an advocate for foster families in Congress and was recently appointed to the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute’s Advisory Board. In fact, I testified before the House Ways and Means Committee for my School Choice for Foster Kids Act, which would provide some stability for foster children.
In the State Senate, I led the charge to free Minnesota education from the federal No Child Left Behind mandates and in Congress I am continuing my work to return control over education to parents and local educators.
I fully support Minnesota’s hunting and fishing heritage, earning me the backing of the NRA and sportsmen across the District.
Voting Record
Amendment - Planned Parenthood Funds
In February of 2011, the House passed an amendment to prevent the use of funds by Planned Parenthood. Michele Bachmann voted in favor of the amendment to prevent funds from going to planned parenthood.
Michele Bachmann voted in favor of the amendment to prevent funds from going to planned parenthood.
Prohibits transporting a minor child across a state line to obtain an abortion. Makes an exception for an abortion necessary to safe the life of the minor. Prohibits the prosecution of the doctor if he: (1) reasonably believed that before the minor obtained the abortion, the required parental consent or notification or judicial authorization took place; or (2) was presented with documentation showing that a court waived parental notification requirements or authorized the minor's abortion.
Requires an abortion provider who knowingly performs an abortion of a pain-capable unborn child (defined as 20 weeks) to first: (1) inform the woman of the probable age of the child; (2) provide to the woman an Unborn Child Pain Awareness Brochure (unless she waives receipt); (3) provide information that pain medicine administered to the mother may not prevent pain in the child, but in some cases anesthesia or pain-reducing drugs can be administered directly to the child; (4) give the woman the provider's best medical judgment of the risks and costs of such anesthesia or analgesic; and (5) obtain the woman's signature on the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Decision Form and her explicit request for or refusal of the administration of drugs to the child. Creates an exception to save the life of the mother.
Prohibits the expenditure of funds authorized or appropriated by federal law or funds in any trust fund to which funds are authorized or appropriated by federal law (federal funds) for any abortion. Prohibits federal funds from being used for any health benefits coverage that includes coverage of abortion. (Currently, federal funds cannot be used for abortion services and plans receiving federal funds must keep federal funds segregated from any funds for abortion services.) Disallows any tax benefits for amounts paid or incurred for an abortion or for a health benefits plan that includes coverage of abortion, including any medical deduction for such amounts or any credit for such an employer-sponsored plan. Prohibits the inclusion of abortion in any health care service furnished by a federal or District of Columbia health care facility or by any physician or other individual employed by the federal government or the District. Provides that such prohibitions shall not apply to an abortion if: (1) the pregnancy is the result of forcible rape or, if the pregnant woman is a minor, incest; or (2) the woman suffers from a physical disorder, injury, or illness, including a life-endangering physical condition caused by or arising from the pregnancy itself, that would place her in danger of death unless an abortion is performed, as certified by a physician.
Amends the Public Health Service Act to prohibit the Secretary of Health and Human Service (HHS) from providing any federal family planning assistance to an entity unless the entity certifies that, during the period of such assistance, the entity will not perform, and will not provide any funds to any other entity that performs, an abortion. Excludes an abortion where: (1) the pregnancy is the result of an act of rape or an act of incest against a minor; or (2) a physician certifies that the woman suffered from a physical disorder, injury, or illness that would place the woman in danger of death unless an abortion is performed, including a condition caused by or arising from the pregnancy. Excludes hospitals from such requirement so long as the hospital does not provide funds to any non-hospital entity that performs an abortion. Requires the Secretary to annually provide Congress: (1) information on grantees who performed abortions under the exceptions; and (2) a list of entities to which grant funds are made available.
Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) to prohibit federal funds from being to used to cover any part of the costs of any health plan that includes coverage of abortion services. (Currently, federal funds cannot be used for abortion services and plans receiving federal funds must keep federal funds segregated from any funds for abortion services.) Requires any qualified health benefit plan offered through an Exchange that includes coverage for abortions to also offer a qualified health benefit plan through the Exchange that is identical in every respect except that it does not cover abortions. Prohibits a federal agency or program and any state or local government that receives federal financial assistance under PPACA from requiring any health plan created or regulated under PPACA to discriminate against any institutional or individual health care entity based on the entity's refusal to undergo training in the performance of induced abortions, require or provide such training, or refer for such training. Creates a cause of action for any violations of the abortion provisions of PPACA. Gives federal courts jurisdiction to prevent and redress actual or threatened violations of such provisions by issuing any form of legal or equitable relief, including injunctions and orders preventing the disbursement of all or a portion of federal financial assistance until the prohibited conduct has ceased. Gives standing to institute an action to affected health care entities and the Attorney General. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to designate the Director of the Office for Civil Rights of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to receive and investigate complaints alleging a violation of PPACA abortion provisions. Requires the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to ensure that no multistate qualified health plan offered in an Exchange provides coverage of abortion services.
Prohibits: (1) the expenditure of funds authorized or appropriated by federal law or funds in any trust fund to which funds are authorized or appropriated by federal law for any abortion or for health benefits coverage that includes coverage of abortion; (2) any tax benefits for amounts paid or incurred for an abortion or for a health benefits plan (including premium assistance) that includes coverage of abortion; and (3) the inclusion of abortion in any health care service furnished by a federal health care facility or by any physician or other individual employed by the federal government.
To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit taking minors across State lines in circumvention of laws requiring the involvement of parents in abortion decisions.
Amends the Public Health Service Act to require an abortion provider who knowingly performs an abortion of a pain-capable unborn child (defined as an unborn child who has reached a probable stage of development of 20 weeks or more after fertilization), to first: (1) inform the woman of the probable age of the child; (2) provide to the woman an Unborn Child Pain Awareness Brochure (unless she waives receipt); (3) provide information that pain medicine administered to the mother may not prevent pain in the child, but in some cases anesthesia or pain-reducing drugs can be administered directly to the child; (4) give the woman the provider's best medical judgment of the risks and costs of such anesthesia or analgesic; and (5) obtain the woman's signature on the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Decision Form and her explicit request for or refusal of the administration of drugs to the child. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Brochure that includes a statement that there is substantial evidence that the process of being killed in an abortion will cause the unborn child pain and that the mother has the option of having pain-reducing drugs administered directly to the child. Creates an exception to save the life of the mother. Establishes civil penalties for willfully failing to comply with this Act. Authorizes: (1) the U.S. Attorney General to bring a civil action under this Act; and (2) private rights of action for violations of this Act.
To amend title X of the Public Health Service Act to prohibit family planning grants from being awarded to any entity that performs abortions, and for other purposes.
To ensure that women seeking an abortion receive an ultrasound and the opportunity to review the ultrasound before giving informed consent to receive an abortion.
Declares that the right to life guaranteed by the Constitution is vested in each human being beginning at the moment of fertilization, cloning, or other moment at which an individual comes into being. Prohibits construing this Act to authorize the prosecution of any woman for the death of her unborn child.
To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit taking minors across State lines in circumvention of laws requiring the involvement of parents in abortion decisions.
To ensure that women seeking an abortion receive an ultrasound and the opportunity to review the ultrasound before giving informed consent to receive an abortion.
To amend title X of the Public Health Service Act to prohibit family planning grants from being awarded to any entity that performs abortions, and for other purposes.
Amends the General Education Provisions Act to prohibit the provision of federal education funding to state or local educational agencies that provide unemancipated minors with postcoital emergency contraception or prescriptions for such contraception on the premises of elementary or secondary schools.
