MEDIA ADVISORY: All Must RSVP to attend
May 31, 2012 evening event.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (05-24-12) – Americans United for Life President and CEO Dr. Charmaine Yoest will present U.S. Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ) with the 2012 Henry J. Hyde Defender of Life Award during a May 31 event. Previous winners include Speaker of the House John Boehner, Jessica Shanahan of New Yorkers for Parental Rights, and State Senator James Williamson of Oklahoma. Numerous office holders and Washington, D.C. luminaries are expected to attend.
“Rep. Chris Smith will be recognized for his heroic defense of life during his tenure as a U.S. Congressman, including his fight to end taxpayer-funding of abortion, his steadfast leadership in working to safeguard the health and safety of women against the harmful effects of abortion, and for his courageous work to defend the human rights of all human beings both domestically and internationally,” said Dr. Yoest.
The Henry J. Hyde Defender of Life Award was established to honor the legacy of Representative Henry J. Hyde (1924-2007). Hyde, former Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, was a renowned pro-life leader and author of the original Hyde Amendment. Representative Hyde also served as Honorary Chairman at Americans United for Life. Each year, this prestigious award is presented to someone who demonstrates outstanding leadership in the cause of Life.
WHAT: 2012 Henry J. Hyde Defender of Life Award Reception
WHEN: 6:00 P.M. EST on May 31, 2012
WHERE: 655 15th Street NW on the rooftop
Media must r.s.v.p. to [email protected].
For other participants, e-mail [email protected] or call 202-289-1478.
Twenty years ago, in 1992, AUL had the privilege of representing Congressman Smith and several of his colleagues, including Speaker John Boehner and former Congressman Henry Hyde, in an amicus curiae brief before the U.S. Supreme Court in the historic Planned Parenthood v. Casey case. Although Casey failed to overturn Roe v. Wade, the pro-life movement retrenched and the Americans United for Life legal team crafted a legal strategy focused on an enhanced state-based legislative emphasis that has resulted in the enactment of pro-life protections that have saved countless lives. At this year’s Defender of Life award ceremony, AUL will also be recognizing the 20 years of pro-life efforts to reduce abortion and expose its evils, particularly its devastating effect on the lives and health of women—championed by courageous men and women like Congressman Smith—that have been accomplished using the post-Casey strategy.
Also on May 31: In advance of the 20th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, Americans United for Life will host a luncheon symposium featuring a panel of legal experts who will discuss the significance of the decision. AUL is uniquely positioned to analyze Casey: as the legal arm of the pro-life movement, AUL crafted a post-Casey legal strategy that created a track record of pro-life victories achieved with AUL’s model legislation, available in Defending Life, now in its 7th edition.
To attend either event: Media must r.s.v.p. to [email protected].
For other participants, e-mail [email protected] or call 202-289-1478.
