Call To Action
Federal and State

Please take a moment to review the action alerts below. Most are time sensitive and require you to take immediate action. Thank you for your help. Together we are a loud voice. We can make a difference in the legislative process.

For Catholics, public virtue is as important as private virtue in building up the common good.  In the Catholic tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue; participation in the political process is a moral obligation.  --Faithful Citizenship, USCCB

 

 

 

Update From LifeNews

Congressional Panel Holds Biased Hearing on Stem Cell Research

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A House committee on Thursday held a hearing on stem cell research that a leading pro-life group says was biased towards forcing taxpayers to fund embryonic stem cells. Those are the cells that can only be obtained by destroying days-old unborn children. "As expected, today's House hearing on stem cell research was nothing more than the liberals' attempt to destroy confidence in the incredible breakthroughs with iPS and adult stem cells," Family Research Council president Tony Perkins told LifeNews.com afterwards. "Through their choice of witnesses, they showed that they would ignore the advances of ethical research and instead use the hearing to promote the killing of embryos." Perkins said the panel should have focused on iPS cells that are embryonic-like but don't require the destruction of human life to obtain. "By all accounts, the developments with iPS should make the debate over ESC obsolete," he said. Perkins concluded: "Although the witnesses from our side, including distinguished doctors Amit Patel and John Fraser, can prove that hundreds of patients have been treated with alternatives to ESC, liberals willfully disregard the evidence. The liberals couldn't muster a single witness who had been helped by ESC--mainly because no such patient exists."

 

U.S. House Subcommittee hearing on funding Embryonic Stem Cell Research

Catholic Congressman leads the effort for unethical stem-cell research.

Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., chairman of the Subcommittee on Health in the Energy and Commerce Committee, is behind “Stem Cell Science: The Foundation for Future Cures." Rep. Pallone supports destructive embryonic research.

Given the success of adult stem-cell research, federal funding for life-destroying embryonic stem-cell research is unnecessary.

Adult stem cells are found in all tissues of the growing human being and, according to latest reports, also have the potential to transform themselves into practically all other cell types, or revert to being stem cells with greater reproductive capacity.

Please call committee members and ask them to stand strong and protect life in all stages.

Hearing Thursday, May 8

Stem Cell Science: The Foundation for Future Cures
Subcommittee on Health Hearing
10:00 a.m. in room 2322 Rayburn House Office Building
Connect to the Audio Webcast (56 kbps

Contact Rep. Frank Pallone
237 Cannon Building
Washington, D.C. 20515-3006
Phone: 202 225-4671
Fax: 202-225-9665

Members of Subcommittee on Health in the Energy and Commerce Committee

 

 

CRITICAL RESPECT-LIFE ALERT: SUPPORT IMPROVING VIRGINIA’S INFORMED-CONSENT LAW

Legislation Would Make Ultrasound Available to Women Considering Abortion

The Virginia Catholic Conference has endorsed HB 1315, which would improve Virginia's "informed consent" law by requiring that every pregnant woman considering an abortion first be given the opportunity to view an ultrasound image of her unborn child. Many women who initially decide to get an abortion change their minds and choose life when they are able to see their baby in an ultrasound image. The House of Delegates approved this bill by a 62-37 margin.

Now before the Senate, this bill is scheduled to be heard this Thursday, February 28, by the Senate Committee on Education and Health. Please take action here to contact the members of that Committee and encourage them to support this critical legislation. Virginia Catholic Conference 2/26

 

 

Senate Must Act on Nominations to Federal Courts and Agencies

180 Nominees Waiting for Confirmation Process in the Senate

Yesterday President Bush met with Nominees and Senators at the White House to encourage hearings for his nominees. Many courts and federal agencies have vacancies due to the Senate's inability to schedule hearings and give the nominess an up or down vote.

President Bush called on the Senate to uphold their constitutional responsibility and fill these vacancies.

"I have nominated skilled and faithful public servants to lead federal agencies and sit on the federal bench. The Constitution also gives senators an important responsibility. They must provide advice and consent by voting up or down on these nominees. Unfortunately, the Senate is not fulfilling its duty."

"The confirmation process has turned into a never ending political game, where everyone loses. With more than a 180 of my nominees waiting for the confirmation process in the Senate, it is clear that the process is not working. About half these nominees have been waiting for more than a hundred days. More than 30 have been waiting a year or more. And nine have been waiting for more than two years."

President Bush said that the backlog was creating a strain on the government. Vacant positions are affecting issues from the economy to public safety to national security.

Contact Senator Patrick Leahy and Senator Harry Reid

Ask Sens. Patrick Leahy and Harry Reid to schedule hearings for President Bush's judicial nominees.

Senator Patrick Leahy

Washington
433 Russell Senate Office Bldg
(at Constitution and Delaware)
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-4242

Email Senator Leahy: senator_leahy@leahy.senate.gov

Senator Harry Reid

Washington
528 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: 202-224-3542 / Fax: 202-224-7327
Toll Free for Nevadans: 1-866-SEN-REID (736-7343) -Restricted to calls originating from area codes 775 and 702

Email Senator Reid: http://reid.senate.gov/contact/email_form.cfm

 

Virginia Action Alert

Two Abortion Bills Need Your Support

The Virginia House of Delegates passed two abortion bills on Friday by wide margins, including a measure requiring abortion practitioners to allow women to seen an ultrasound of their unborn child and another about a baby's abortion pain. The bills now head to the Senate where they will have a tougher time getting approval.

The House backed HB 1315, a measure by Delegate Kathy Byron, that requires allowing women a chance to see an ultrasound of their baby before an abortion.

Pro-life groups hope it will give women more information about the development of their baby and encourage them against an abortion. The House approved the bill on a 62-37 margin.

The second measure, HB 1556, requires abortion facilities to give women information about the pain a baby feels during the abortion procedure. Delegate Ben Cline's bill would have the abortion centers tell women an unborn child may feel during an abortion done when the unborn child is more than 20 weeks gestation and the House passed it 68-31. LifeNews

Virginia Catholic Conference supports these bill

Contact your state senator and ask them to support these bills

 

Michigan Action Alert

Oppose HB 4616 Embryonic stem cell research

From the Michigan Catholic Conference

Legislation that seeks to amend a state law that protects human embryos from being destroyed may soon be voted on in the House Judiciary Committee.  Rather than pursuing ethical and proven adult stem cell research, some in the House are seeking to allow for destructive embryo research in this state.

Michigan Catholic Conference is urging citizens to contact their state representative and urge him or her to vote NO on House Bill 4616.  This legislation would not only permit the destruction of human embryos in Michigan for research purposes, but would also allow for embryos that were cloned in other states to be trafficked into Michigan to be destroyed.

Help Protect Human Embryos from Destruction
Urge Your Legislator to Support Ethical Stem Cell Research

To Contact your representative

 

California Action Alert

Sarah's Law - "Family Notification" Ballot Initiative

Currently in California a minor may obtain an abortion without her parents knowledge or consent. Sarah's law would require a doctor to notify a parent or adult family member over 21 before she may obtain an abortion.

Signatures are being collected throughout the state to put this initiative on the November ballot.

We need your help.

Go to the FriendsofSarah.com website and request a petition. Collect signatures from your friends and family and from parents at your childrens school.

Background: Who is Sarah? *

“Sarah” was a 15 year old girl who became pregnant. Without her parent’s consent or notice, Sarah visited a clinic and the abortionist performed an abortion on Sarah, unknowingly tearing the right side of her cervix. Unaware of this complication, Sarah suffered blood poisoning, fever, chills, abdominal pain and nausea for four days before finally being admitted to the hospital. When hospital personnel discovered the tear and post-abortion infection, they placed Sarah in the Intensive Care Unit, but the infection was too far advanced and Sarah died. Hospital physicians reported that had Sarah received prompt medical care, she would still be alive today.

Sarah’s parents did not know that she was pregnant. Sarah’s parents didn’t know that Sarah had an abortion. Her parents could have saved her….if they had known.

Help us protect our daughters.

 

Help Put Marriage Amendment on November Ballot

On January 31, the Attorney General announced that VoteYesMarriage.com has 150 days to qualify The Voters' Right to Protect Marriage Initiative for the California ballot. 

Why is a Marriage Amendment Necessary?

The California Marriage Amendment is Vitally Necessary

to Protect the People's Vote on Marriage

In 2000, Californians gave overwhelming support (61.4%) to Proposition 22, the Protection of Marriage Initiative (a statute, a regular law on the books, which was not an amendment to the California State Constitution). The people's will to keep marriage between one man and one woman was unmistakable. Proposition 22, which became Family Code, Section 308.5 clearly stated that "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California."

But judges and politicians have ignored and blatantly assaulted the people's vote. Reasoning that they could easily ignore Proposition 22, these judges and politicians made themselves superior to the voters, the very opposite of Abraham Lincoln's cherished vision of "government of the people, by the people, and for the people," by undermining marriage at every opportunity. That's wrong. (Further understand why Prop. 22 didn't protect marriage rights. PDF)

For More Information: VoteYesMarriage.com

 

Colorado Action Alert

Denver archbishop warns legislation endangers Catholic Charities

A proposed Colorado law restricting religious exemptions from anti-discrimination laws could threaten the Catholic character of charitable organizations that receive government funds.

The bill is so restrictive that it would forbid preferring Catholics for appointment to key leadership positions in Catholic non-profit organizations.  The local archbishop has even advised the public that he will have to end Catholic Charities' involvement with government programs if the bill passes.

The summary of Colorado legislature's House Bill 1080(HB 1080) says that the bill "limits the applicability of the exception from compliance with employment nondiscrimination laws for religious corporations, associations, educational institutions, or societies when employing persons to provide services that are funded with government funds."

The bill itself is short, taking up only twenty three lines.  It amends the present blanket religious exemption by requiring every religious corporation, association, educational institution, or society that "accepts government funds to provide services" to comply with anti-discrimination laws.  As listed in the Colorado Revised Statutes, characteristics protected by the anti-discrimination regulations include "disability, race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, age, national origin, or ancestry."

Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Denver, criticized HB 1080 in a January 23rd column titled "How to write a really bad bill."  He said the proposed law would attack the religious identity of non-profits and compromise Catholic organizations that co-operate with government agencies in providing necessary social services. 

HB 1080, the archbishop believes, would hinder Catholic non-profits from hiring or firing employees based on the religious beliefs of the Catholic Church.  Though recognizing that many non-Catholics work at Catholic Charities, Archbishop Chaput said the bill would remove the ability of the non-profit to maintain a Catholic leadership.

"...the key leadership positions in Catholic Charities obviously do require a practicing and faithful Catholic, and for very good reasons.   Catholic Charities is exactly what the name implies:  a service to the public offered by the Catholic community as part of the religious mission of the Catholic Church," the archbishop wrote.

It is believed that the Anit-Defamation League (ADL) is behind this bill. CNA

Archbishop Chaput's column: HB 1080, how to write a really bad bill

Contact your Colorado Legislators:

Find your Legislator Ask them to reinstate the religious exemption

 

 

 

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