1.  The National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) has issued an urgent alert warning that the Obama Administration's health care legislation is an "attempt to smuggle into law the greatest expansion of abortion since Roe v. Wade."

Douglas Johnson, Legislative Director at the NRLC, said, "These bills, which President Obama is pushing hard, would result in federally mandated coverage of abortion by nearly all health plans, federally mandated recruitment of abortionists by local health networks, and nullification of many state abortion laws. They would also result in federal funding of abortion on a massive scale."

"The pro-life movement needs to go to Condition Red on these bills, because they pose a mortal threat to the unborn and they are on a fast track to enactment," he said.

An fact sheet on HR 3200, America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009, states that it contains provisions that will result in federally mandated coverage of abortion on demand in virtually all of America's health plans. Once abortion is established as a federal "essential benefit," the bill will also require "access" to elective abortion, which will require many issuers to establish and staff new abortion-providing sites.

In addition, the bill will result in the massive subsidization of elective abortion with tax dollars.

Furthermore, HR 3200 contains a provision preempting state laws, which "amounts to a hidden Freedom of Choice Act that could be applied to nullify state limitations on abortion, such as parental consent laws, waiting periods, and the like."

Pro-life Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) also warns of the abortion agenda in the health care bills and the imminent threat this represents:  "This is the big one!"

2.  The Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) has filed a suit in federal court against Mount Sinai Hospital on behalf of a Catholic nurse who was forced to participate in a late-term abortion under the threat of termination.

Under federal laws, hospitals that receive federal funds cannot force employees to participate in abortion procedures under any circumstances.  The New York Jewish hospital has known of senior nurse Cathy Cenzon-DeCarlo's religious objections to abortion since 2004.

The procedure dismembered an unborn child in the 22nd week of gestation. 

Matt Bowman, Legal Counsel for ADF, said, "Pro-life nurses shouldn't be forced to assist in abortions against their beliefs.  Requiring a devout, Catholic nurse to participate in a late-term abortion in order to remain employed is illegal, unethical, and violates her rights of conscience."

An ADF Fact Sheet on the case is available online at http://www.telladf.org/UserDocs/Cenzon-DeCarloFactSheet.pdf

Shortly before leaving office, the Bush Administration promulgated regulations to provide for better enforcement of the federal laws that protect the rights of medical personnel to refuse to participate in abortions.  Within weeks of assuming office, the Obama Administration proposed to repeal those regulations in their entirety.

After the public flooded the Department of Health and Human Services with comments in support of the rights of pro-life doctors, nurses, and medical students, the President now states that he supports "robust" and "effective" conscience regulations.

No action has been taken yet on this matter.