LifeSiteNews-led coalition: "Democrats should get over their abortion obsession"

Contact: Dustin Siggins, 888-678-6008 ext. 939, dsiggins@lifesitenews.com
 
FRONT ROYAL, Va., March 17, 2015 /Standard Newswire/ -- Twelve leading media groups and pro-life voices are urging the Senate to pass the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015 without changes to its pro-life provisions.

With a cloture vote on S. 178 being held this morning, the national coalition urged Republicans to continue to try and save "born and unborn lives alike," and demanded that Democratic Senators "get over their abortion obsession."

"For nearly two months, Democrats supported the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015 without issue, including with 10 Democratic cosponsors," said the group. "Just two weeks ago, the Senate Judiciary Committee passed the bill by a voice vote, indicating full bipartisan support for helping trafficking victims."

"Unfortunately, as the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act was about to pass on the Senate floor last week, Democrats decided that federal funding for abortion was more important than helping people get out of sex slavery -- and may put the brakes on this life-saving bill."

"We commend Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for refusing to back down on this important issue when asked about it on CNN, and call upon Democrats and Republicans alike to follow Senator John Cornyn's lead in ignoring the abortion industry's blatant attempt to fill its pockets at the expense of trafficked women.

"Democrats should get over their abortion obsession," said the group, "and stop using federal dollars to fund Planned Parenthood's War on Women."

LifeSiteNews Editor-in-Chief John-Henry Westen, who called the potential failure of S. 178 in today's vote "hostage-taking" by the abortion industry's allies, added that "Abortion supporters say that they value women, but when the rubber hits the road they are willing to allow women to languish in sex slavery if federal funds don't fill their pockets."

"This bipartisan, life-saving legislation has been a victim of partisan politics long enough -- it's time for the Senate to act."

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins was likewise critical of abortion supporters, saying that "this bill was created to rescue victims -- not create more. If Planned Parenthood and other groups are so determined to give women access to abortion, why don't they donate the funds to pay for the abortions?"

Students for Life of America president Kristan Hawkins said that "helping victims of sex trafficking without caveats is a no-brainer that both pro-life and pro-choice groups can, and should, easily support. To do otherwise is abhorrent."

Texas Right to Life Director of External Relations Melissa Conway praised her state's senior senator for his role in today's vote. "Kudos to Senator John Cornyn from Texas for leading the Senate GOP in this fight. We hope that six Democrats will join Republicans in ignoring the big-money abortion industry in order to do what's right for the born and unborn alike."

"Young girls and women shouldn't be sentenced to the horrors of human trafficking and sex slavery," said Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Casey Mattox. "Withholding help for these girls and women in desperate need for any reason is tragic, but holding that help hostage because it doesn’t include abortion funding is downright wicked."

Pro-life blogger and nurse Jill Stanek said that Republicans had already compromised enough, and should keep the bill's funding consistent with the Hyde Amendment. "Since sex trafficking victims are ALL being raped, there should be NO rape/incest abortion funding exception," said Stanek. "At the very least, the Senate should not be expanding federal funding of abortion."

John Hawkins, founder of the conservative website Right Wing News, said that "it's hard to believe that Democrats are so desperate to kill babies that they'd rather let women be beaten and raped then put any kind of brakes on federal funding of abortion."

And Anna Maria Hoffman and Gabriella Hoffman, co-founders of the Millennial-focused CounterCulturedUSA.com, said that "It's not surprising that radical pro-abortion groups like Planned Parenthood are pushing for taxpayer funding for abortion in this legislation, which is focused on protecting victims of human trafficking. Pro-abortion groups never cease to exploit a piece of legislation for their own anti-life agenda."

Blogger and Virginia GOP official Justin Higgins said that " This legislation needs to pass now. If Senator Warner is intent on being the centrist that he promised in his re-election campaign, today's vote is an opportunity to prove himself."

Likewise, influential Oklahoma blogger Jamison Faught said that "rather than please deep-pocketed special interests by holding up this important bill, Senate Democrats should focus on helping women and children who are victims of sex trafficking."

"Victims of human trafficking deserve our strong support and protection," said Andrew Guernsey, President of the Johns Hopkins University student organization Voice for Life. "But government-funded abortion is false compassion that perpetuates the cycle of violence."

"Some Senate Democrats are carelessly throwing victims of human trafficking under the bus in order to cater to the abortion industry. This is abortion politics at its worst and the most vulnerable among us – women and unborn children alike – deserve better," said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List.

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