WASHINGTON – ABC News White House correspondent Jake
Tapper has posted an exclusive report that President
Obama opposes the bill to prohibit performing or
coercing abortions to eliminate unborn babies of an
undesired sex – usually girls – on which the U.S. House
of Representatives will vote this afternoon.
NRLC Legislative Director Douglas Johnson commented, “It
is appalling, but not surprising, that President Obama
now stands with the pro-abortion political committees
and his Hollywood donors, rather than with the coerced
women, and their unborn daughters, who are victimized in
sex-selection abortions.”
The legislation is the Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act (PRENDA)
(H.R. 3541). The House will vote on the bill under
“Suspension of the Rules,” which means that a two-thirds
vote will be required for passage. The roll call is
expected to occur before 3 PM EDT today.
The bill would make it a federal offense to knowingly do
any one of the following four things: (1) perform an
abortion, at any time in pregnancy, “knowing that such
abortion is sought based on the sex or gender of the
child”; (2) use “force or threat of force. . . for the
purpose of coercing a sex-selection abortion”; (3)
solicit or accept funds to perform a sex-selection
abortion; or (4) transport a woman into the U.S. or
across state lines for this purpose. However, “A woman
upon whom a sex-selection abortion is performed may not
be prosecuted or held civilly liable for any violation .
. .”
The bill also specifically states, “Nothing in this Act
shall be construed to require that a healthcare provider
has an affirmative duty to inquire as to the motivation
for the abortion, absent the healthcare provider having
knowledge or information that the abortion is being
sought based on the sex or gender of the child.” The
White House statement falsely claimed that the bill
would “subject doctors to criminal prosecution if they
fail to determine the motivations” for an abortion.
Founded in 1968, the National Right to Life Committee
(NRLC), the federation of 50 state right-to-life
affiliates and more than 3,000 local chapters, is the
nation's oldest and largest grassroots pro-life
organization.
