Last week, a number of pro-life groups, including Americans United for Life, sent a letter (below) to President Bush requesting that implement regulations that would keep U.S. taxpayer funds (Title X family planning services) from being used to promote and facilitate abortion.
Dear President Bush:
On behalf of the undersigned groups we thank you for strongly supporting the dignity of human life at all stages of development. We applaud your defense of human life and specifically thank you for firmly rejecting any proposals to weaken or eliminate the Mexico City Policy, which you re-implemented at the beginning of your Presidency.
Will you now take swift action to protect human life in another area of law–regulations governing Title X family planning services? We remain concerned that the Administration has for seven years allowed the Clinton regulations governing Title X family planning services to continue. Now, funding for Title X during fiscal year 2008 will increase by nearly $17 million to a record high of almost $300 million. One thing that most Americans can agree upon is that abortion is not a form of family planning. Yet, these Title X funds continue to be used by abortion providers such as Planned Parenthood to promote abortion despite the plain statutory provision from 1970 banning such use.
Regulatory changes promulgated under President Reagan clarified the law that Title X recipients may not refer for abortion or combine family planning services with abortion services. These were defended by President George H.W. Bush and were upheld under Rust vs. Sullivan (500 U.S. 173) in 1991. Unfortunately, by the time they were being enforced, President Bill Clinton took office and rescinded these pro-life regulations. He then implemented statutorily unsupported harmful regulations that require that recipients of Title X funding refer for abortion. Moreover, these regulations allow the co-location of abortion clinics with their affiliated Title X family planning clinics—in some cases utilizing the same waiting rooms, staff and facilities. More than a minimal economic separation between abortion providers and family planning clinics is warranted.
We respectfully ask that you make the necessary changes to the Title X regulations to prevent U.S. taxpayer funds from being used to promote and facilitate abortion. Changes to the Title X regulations are still possible. We ask you to make the much needed changes to ensure that federally supported family planning services are separated from abortion services.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Tony Perkins, President
Family Research Council
Tom Minnery, Senior Vice President
Focus on the Family
Leslee Unruh, President
Abstinence Clearinghouse
Dr. Carl Herbster, President
AdvanceUSA
Denise M. Burke,
Vice President & Legal Director
Americans United for Life
Gary Bauer, President
American Values
Georgette Forney, President
Anglicans for Life
Co-founder,
Silent No More Awareness Campaign
Dorinda C. Bordlee, Esq.
Bioethics Defense Fund
Joel Brind, Ph.D., President
Breast Cancer Prevention Institute
Terrence Scanlon, President
Capital Research Center
Dorothy Wallis, President and CEO
Caring to Love Ministries
John F. Brehany, Ph.D.,S.T.L.,
Executive Director
Catholic Medical Association
Cathi Herrod, President
Center for Arizona Policy
Pastor Rod Parsley, Founder & President
Center for Moral Clarity
Jim Backlin
Vice President for Legislative Affairs
Christian Coalition of America
Wendy Wright, President
Concerned Women for America
Karen Testerman, Executive Director
Cornerstone Policy Research
Phyllis Schlafly, President and Founder
Eagle Forum
David Fowler, President
Family Action of Tennessee
Maurine Proctor
Family Leader Network
Eileen Macapanas Cosby, President
Filipino Family Fund
John Stemberger,
President and General Counsel
Florida Family Action
Kelly Shackelford, President
Free Market Foundation
Ray Ruddy
The Gerard Health Foundation, LLC
Kelly Rosati, JD, Executive Director
Hawaii Family Forum
Peggy Heartshorn, President
Heartbeat International
Jo Tolck, Executive Director
Human Life Alliance
Ron Shuping,
Executive VP of Programming
The Inspiration Networks
Mathew D. Staver,
Founder and Chairman
Liberty Counsel
Dean and Professor of Law, Liberty
University School of Law
Dr. Patricia McEwen, Director
Life Coalition International
Steven Ertelt, Editor
LifeNews.com
Day Gardner, President
National Black Pro-Life Union
Thomas A. Glessner, JD, President
National Institute of
Family and Life Advocates
Rev. Duane Motley, Executive Director
New Yorker’s for
Constitutional Freedoms
Bill Brooks, President
North Carolina Family Policy Council
Thomas J. Shaheen,
Vice President for Policy
Pennsylvania Family Institute
Carmen Pate, Co-Host
Point of View Radio Talk Show
Steve Mosher, President
Population Research Institute
Marie Bowen, Executive Director
Presbyterians Pro-Life
Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director
Priests for Life
President,
National Pro-life Religious Council
William J Murray, Chairman
Religious Freedom Coalition
Dr. William Greene, President
RightMarch.com
Joseph A. Brinck, President
Sanctity of Life Foundation
Kristan J. Hawkins, Executive Director
Students for Life of America
Marjorie Dannenfelser, President
Susan B. Anthony List
C. Preston Noell III, President
Tradition, Family, Property, Inc.
Andrea Lafferty, Executive Director
Traditional Values Coalition
Julaine K. Appling, CEO
Wisconsin Family Council, Inc.
