Throughout the month of August, members of Congress are back in their districts on recess. During this time, especially in odd years without a November election posing an immediate worry, Representatives and Senators hold town halls and meetings with their constituents. In off-years without November elections, legislation becomes a prime focus of these meetings. Pro-life activists should attend events in their congressional districts and let their elected officials know that they must stand for women’s health and protect the right to life of their unborn constituents.
This August, there are two abortion-related issues that are likely to surface in conversations with Members.
First, recall that the House passed H.R. 1797, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, in June.
Know how your member voted on this landmark pro-life legislation that will protect pain-capable babies and safeguard the health of women from gruesome late-term abortions. If your representative supported this bill that will save over 15,000 unborn lives per year, be sure to offer a big THANK YOU and encourage him or her to keep standing up for life.
If your member voted against this commonsense lifesaving legislation, ask why. Don’t be shy! Get your representatives to explain their vote. Look them in the eye and ask why they voted against protecting the lives of unborn children who feel excruciating pain as they are violently killed in late-term abortions. Ask why they failed to protect women from dangerous late-term abortionists like Kermit Gosnell.
Second, Obamacare.
On October 1, the abortion-funding Obamacare exchanges will go online. Although few know how the disastrous pro-abortion Obamacare law will operate, one thing we do know is that the exchanges will use taxpayer dollars to fund abortions.
As Rep. Chris Smith, the co-chair of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, explained last year, the exchanges are set up on a cheap, dirty, political accounting gimmick that will require pro-life taxpayers to fund abortions without even being informed of it during enrollment.
Don’t let the state opt-out clause fool you, either: even if your state has opted out of abortion coverage in the exchanges, you will still end up paying for abortions in liberal states. And what if you, upon realizing that your money is funding abortions, want to opt out? You’ll have to drop out of your healthcare plan in its entirety.
So tell your representatives to fight Obamacare’s pro-abortion exchanges that will include the largest expansion of abortion in since Roe v. Wade. Hold their feet to the fire and let them know that you are counting on them to stand resolute for life. Just as the town halls of August 2009 led to a dramatic swing in public opinion against Obamacare, the town halls of August 2013 can be our moment to expose Obamacare for what it is: a huge expansion of elective abortion, funded by taxpayers.
You can visit the House website and find your Representative by entering your zip code. Click here for a list of Senators.
