“The abortion industry has moved from ‘choice’ to coercion, actively manipulating the law to force pro-life people to comply with their deadly agenda,” said AUL’s Acting President Clarke Forsythe. “AUL applauds today’s lawsuit in Illinois, against an industry that harms both women and their unborn children.” WASHINGTON, D.C. (08-05-15) – Pro-life advocates filed a lawsuit today to defend […]
AUL Calls on Washington State to Repeal Discriminatory Rule Designed to Punish Pharmacists Who Respect Unborn Life
“Despite this missed opportunity to correct an unconstitutional abuse of power, the Washington State rule that punishes pharmacists and pharmacy owners who respect unborn life can and should be immediately repealed,” said AUL’s Clarke Forsythe. “Justice Alito is correct, when he wrote that the Court’s refusal to review this discriminatory rule is an ominous sign […]
AUL Will Continue Fight to Protect Conscience as Supreme Court Returns Challenges Brought By Religious Nonprofits to Lower Courts
“Today’s decision implicitly recognizes that the Obama Administration does not need to violate the First Amendment and hijack the health insurance plans of pro-life Americans to push life-ending drugs,” said Clarke D. Forsythe, Acting President and Senior Counsel of Americans United for Life. WASHINGTON, D.C. (05-16-16) In a three-page per curium opinion issued today, the U.S. Supreme Court vacated […]
AUL Will Continue Fight to Protect Conscience as Supreme Court Returns Challenges Brought By Religious Nonprofits to Lower Courts
“Today’s decision implicitly recognizes that the Obama Administration does not need to violate the First Amendment and hijack the health insurance plans of pro-life Americans to push life-ending drugs,” said Clarke D. Forsythe, Acting President and Senior Counsel of Americans United for Life. WASHINGTON, D.C. (05-16-16) In a three-page per curium opinion issued today, the U.S. Supreme Court vacated […]
AUL Joins Bioethics Defense Fund in Legal Brief Defending First Amendment Conscience Rights of Pharmacists
WASHINGTON, D.C. (02-05-16) – Americans United for Life joined a medical amicus curie (friend of the court brief) as co-counsel in an effort headed by the Bioethics Defense Fund (BDF) and lead attorney Dorinda Bordlee to defend the First Amendment freedom of conscience of pharmacists. The case, Stormans Inc. v. Wiesman, involves a 2007 Washington […]
AUL’s Legal Team Files 29th Brief Defending Conscience Rights of Americans Opposed to Life-Ending Drugs
“Obamacare’s punishing life-ending mandates represent the abortion industry’s move from ‘choice’ to coercion, and AUL won’t give up the fight to protect Americans’ freedoms,” said AUL’s Dr. Charmaine Yoest. WASHINGTON, D.C. (01-11-16) – Americans United for Life’s legal team filed an amicus curiae (friend of the court) brief today in seven consolidated cases before the U.S. Supreme Court […]
AUL Looks Forward to Supreme Court Review of Obamacare’s Anti-Life Mandates which Violate First Amendment Freedoms
WASHINGTON, D.C. (11-06-15) – Americans United for Life President and CEO Dr. Charmaine Yoest said that AUL is “optimistic that the Court will uphold Americans’ fundamental freedom of conscience” in its review of legal challenges to the landmark, anti-life law that is Obamacare. The U.S. Supreme Court announced that it will take up all seven […]
AUL Supports Conscience Rights of Catholic Nuns; Files 28th Brief Against Obamacare’s Draconian Anti-Life Mandates
“When the government goes to court – multiple times – to punish nuns who do not want to purchase life-ending drugs and devices, you know that the system is broken,” said AUL President & CEO Dr. Charmaine Yoest. WASHINGTON, D.C. (08-26-15) — Americans United for Life’s legal team filed an amicus curiae (friend of the […]
Illinois SB 1564 Continues to Move – Get Your Pastor’s Briefing Book
Illinois SB 1564, a bill that would dramatically reduce the state’s conscience protections for health care providers and pro-life pregnancy centers, continues to advance. Yesterday, the House Committee on Human Services voted along party lines to advance this dangerous bill to the House floor. If the bill passes the House, it will go to Governor […]
AUL Action Says a Vote to Disapprove RHNDA Vital for Preserving the Constitutional Freedoms of Pro-life Americans
WASHINGTON, D.C. (04-30-15) – Calling for passage of H.J. Res 43, the Joint Resolution of Disapproval on the implementation of the “Reproductive Health Non-Discrimination Amendment Act of 2014” (RHNDA) enacted by the D.C. government, Americans United for Life Action President and CEO Dr. Charmaine Yoest noted that defeating RHNDA “is vital for preserving the Constitutional freedoms of […]
AUL files 25th brief supporting Americans’ First Amendment Conscience Rights against Obamacare’s Draconian Anti-Life Mandates
“Our government should not punish citizens who have a conscientious objectionto Obamacare’s anti-life agenda,” said AUL’s Dr. Charmaine Yoest. WASHINGTON, D.C. (01-15-15) – Americans United for Life’s filed an amicus curiae (friend-of-the-court) brief today with the United States Supreme Court in Michigan Catholic Conference v. Burwell. This is AUL’s 25th brief demonstrating that the coercive, […]
U.S. Supreme Court Takes Up Healthcare Law Again, Considering Violations of First Amendment Conscience Rights
“Punishing Americans for their moral objection to life-ending drugs and devices is abhorrently un-American,” said AUL’s Dr. Charmaine Yoest. WASHINGTON, D.C. (11-26-13) – “The U.S. Supreme Court again has the chance to defend the constitutional rights of all Americans, in considering the punishing mandates in a landmark, anti-life law,” commented Americans United for Life President […]
As the march to the Supreme Court continues, the D.C. Circuit catches on: There is no need for the HHS mandate
With a mixed decision in Gilardi v. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the march to the U.S. Supreme Court gains momentum. While on the one hand the D.C. Circuit ruled that a private business cannot be considered a “person” with free exercise rights under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), the court did […]
AUL Files Twelfth Brief Supporting First Amendment Freedom of Conscience
“In this brief, we are targeting the Achilles heel of Obamacare – using the law to compel compliance with an abortion agenda is clearly unconstitutional,” said AUL’s Dr. Charmaine Yoest. WASHINGTON, D.C. (04-30-13) — For the twelfth time, Americans United for Life has filed an amicus curiae brief in a legal challenge to Obamacare. In a brief filed today […]
AUL Files Comments with the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights in Defense of Freedom of Conscience
“The threats to the freedom of conscience are real and growing, and all too often the attacks are coming from our government which is supposed to defend our civil liberties,” said AUL’s Dr. Charmaine Yoest. WASHINGTON, D.C. (04-19-13) — Americans United for Life (AUL) filed a comment with the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights to express concern […]
AUL Supports Freedom of Conscience in Two More Cases
AUL has filed two more amicus briefs supporting freedom of conscience and arguing that the Obama Administration’s “HHS mandate,” requiring insurance coverage for “all FDA-approved contraceptives” including so-called “emergency contraceptive” and the abortion-inducing drug ella, is patently unconstitutional. In O’Brien v. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, a private business and its owner are […]
Major Win for Conscience in Washington State has National Implications
Following a 12 day trial, a district court in the state of Washington has issued a resounding decision supporting the conscience rights of pharmacists and pharmacies. The case, Stormans v. Selecky, began after the Washington Board of Pharmacy (“Board”) issued new regulations requiring pharmacies to dispense life-ending “emergency contraception” (both Plan B and ella) regardless […]
Majority of Americans support basic abortion restrictions, but conscience protections misunderstood
On Monday, Gallup published the results of a recent poll demonstrating that “[l]arge majorities of Americans favor the broad intent of several types of abortion restriction laws that are now common in many states, but have mixed or negative reactions to others.” On one level, the results affirmed what AUL has been saying for years: […]
AUL Files Testimony in Support of Washington Pharmacists
Americans United for Life has filed written testimony with the Washington Board of Pharmacy in support of pharmacist freedom of conscience. The Board of Pharmacy is reconsidering rules promulgated in 2007 that require pharmacists to fill prescriptions for “emergency contraception” without regard for conscientious objections. In its testimony, AUL argues that freedom of conscience is […]
Idaho Acts to Protect Conscience
Idaho has become the third state to provide comprehensive protection for health care freedom of conscience. Governor Butch Otter has permitted Senate Bill 1353 to go into effect without his signature. AUL worked with Idaho Chooses Life, a state pro-life policy group, to help enact this important legislation. The new law protects any licensed health […]
Drastic Reduction of Abortions in Michigan Demonstrate the Importance of Incremental Protections
As life-affirming laws in Michigan increase, the abortion rates in Michigan continue to plummet. Michigan state health officials announced last week that the abortion rate in the state have dropped to a record low since record-keeping began in 1979. The current abortion rate shows a 50% drop since the peak in 1987, and a 3.7% […]
Court Watch: Implications of California Supreme Court’s Marriage Decision
In its controversial 4-3 decision on marriage, the California Supreme Court also decided, for the first time anywhere in the United States, that as a matter of state constitutional law, sexual orientation is a “suspect classification” deserving of heightened protection. The legal repercussions of this case are yet to be known. However, we may soon […]
Contemporary Threats To Healthcare Freedom of Conscience
By Denise M. Burke, AUL Vice President & Legal Director Over the last few decades, abortion advocates and others have launched a concerted campaign to force hospitals, healthcare institutions, health insurers, and individual healthcare providers to provide, refer for, or pay for elective abortions, abortifacient drugs, contraceptives, assisted reproductive procedures such as in vitro fertilization, […]
Oklahoma Legislature Overrides Governor’s Veto
AUL’s Oklahoma State Network Affiliate, Maressa Treat sends the following message about activity in her state. Last night Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry vetoed SB 1878, an omnibus pro-life bill, but today pro-life legislators came together and overrode the veto! The Oklahoma State Senate voted at 11:00 am to override Governor Henry’s veto, 37-11. And thirty […]
