Commentary

The Catholic News Agency is reporting that Planned Parenthood received a record amount of government funding in 2018-2019. America’s largest death merchant received $616 million in taxpayer funds last fiscal year, primarily from Medicaid.

Planned Parenthood’s public funding has increased by 27% since 2010.

That data is not coincidental. That year marks the imposition of ObamaCare on the nation, with its demand for expanded Medicaid eligibility.  In other words, that 27% windfall in government funding is the direct result of ObamaCare.

And just to make all of you a bit angrier, the same news article makes it clear that Planned Parenthood performed a record number of abortions in 2018-19. Oh – and their adoption referrals dropped by some 25%.

But here is the real twist or the blade: Planned Parenthood’s assets have now reached a staggering $2.2 billion.

Those assets – like buildings, equipment, cash reserves – represent the profit margin that Planned Parenthood has been socking away as a result of taxpayer investment in the abortion giant. Those assets represent real economic and political power.

Idaho Chooses Life has been driven for many years to find ways to get at this coerced partnership between taxpayers and the nation’s largest death merchant. It is hard to believe that we can overcome legalized abortion until we have starved this dragon.  We made real headway in the 2019 Legislative Session, when lawmakers approved a new rule restricting family planning dollars from going to Planned Parenthood.  That restriction on Medicaid benefits is still under consideration by the federal government – and your prayers are needed.

One of the things we learned in the 2019 Session was just how ridiculous this Medicaid-Planned Parenthood scam really is. There is absolutely no justification for this subsidy.  Medicaid recipients can receive family planning services from real doctors, with better health care oversight.  Planned Parenthood of Idaho, for instance, does not have a single doctor on staff at any of its three facilities.  Yet we continue to spend millions in subsidizing those facilities, by sending Medicaid patients to their offices to receive substandard care.

You can see the CNA story here.

Idaho’s congressional delegation joined 203 other members of Congress in signing on to an amicus brief filed with the U.S. Supreme Court in a critical pro-Life case.

The high court has agreed to review a case coming out of Louisiana involving a requirement by that state that any abortionist operating in Louisiana have admitting privileges at a local hospital. Planned Parenthood and their allies are trying to get the law declared “unconstitutional” because it places a burden on abortionists.  They want to shirk their duty to provide emergency care to women, and seek to slough off those hard cases on emergency room personnel working in Louisiana hospitals.

This is an issue which carries great import for every state – including Idaho. We have received testimony and pleas for help from Idaho doctors who object to being forced into caring for post-abortive patients.  Some believe this forces them into becoming an accomplice in Planned Parenthood’s abortion business.  Others simply object to being forced into providing treatment for women about whom they know little, and without the benefit of knowing the details of the abortion.

In Idaho, Planned Parenthood’s abortionist lives in Seattle and comes to town once a week to destroy the lives of preborn children. She then gets back on the plane, leaving area physicians to clean up any complications arising from the abortion.

The intervention by 207 members of Congress is unprecedented, and is a measure of the importance pro-Life leaders attach to the pending case.

We commend Sens. Crapo and Risch, as well as Congressmen Simpson and Fulcher for their leadership in this matter. Lives can be saved if the Supreme Court turns back Planned Parenthood’s perverse view of the U.S. Constitution.

Make no mistake about this: the heartbeat of the present Democrat Party is abortion. More abortion, free abortion, many abortions and celebrating abortion.  It has become the virtual sacrament of the Left.

And if there is one thing Donald Trump has done, even beyond his extraordinary leadership in economic matters, is threaten legalized abortion. He has begun correcting the destructive influence of a federal judiciary operating well outside the boundaries of the Constitution.  There is hope now, even in the 9^th Circuit, that common-sense protections for women and babies will be received with more respect for the Legislatures and the people they represent.

The president has also significantly reduced the taxpayer subsidies going to Planned Parenthood. There is the $60 million which the nation’s largest abortion provider lost by its refusal to abide by the law of Title X, which requires a clear separation between abortion services and family planning services.  Trump is the first president since Reagan to require compliance with the law as a condition of receiving taxpayer funds.  And the fact that Planned Parenthood chose to forego the money proves what we have long feared: That, despite the law and Planned Parenthood’s propaganda, taxpayers have been subsidizing Planned Parenthood’s abortion operations all along.  The only reason they are leaving that kind of money on the table is because they cannot – and have never  – meet the clear congressional  requirement that “family planning services” not be used in any way to help subsidize abortions.

But the President has gone further in threatening the sweet privilege the Abortion Industry has long enjoyed. His Administration has just published new rules to fully implement federal law as it relates to abortion services under ObamaCare.  Despite the fact ObamaCare required that any insurance plan covering elective abortion carry a separate and discreet bill for abortion insurance, no such bills have ever been sent to those insured.  Once his scam insurance revamp was enacted, Obama simply declared that it would be “good enough” if the costs of elective abortion services were hidden in one premium bill to the insured.

Soon, that little subterfuge will be no more. In states where abortion insurance is allowed, people will soon be receiving a separate bill for an elective abortion fund – even if they do not want an abortion.  Men, for example, covered by ObamaCare insurance will have to pay the extra premium if they live in states like California and Illinois.  The subsidies for abortion in such states will soon become a personal problem for those obtaining health care through Obama Exchanges.

We could go on at much greater length to explain the ways in which Donald Trump is threatening the abortion policies and priorities of the Left. But pro-Life principles are at the core of the Trump Presidency, and explain the hysteria which grips Democrats across the land.

Donald Trump must be removed at all hazards – before something happens to Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

We must continue to lift this man and his family up in daily prayer as he wrestles not just against the likes of Nancy Pelosi – but against dark principalities and spiritual realms.

The Abortion Industry once again flouts its contempt for Life and Faith.

Texas Equal Access Fund, a group which is so enthralled by abortion that it raises money to pay for the abortions of women who can’t afford one, is desecrating the Christmas Season by offering holiday candles to donors. The theme of this year’s abortion celebration is “Abortions Are Magical”.

You read that right: “Abortions Are Magical”. No longer something to be avoided, or even a decision to be agonized over.  Nope, according to these morally bankrupt folks, abortions are to be celebrated.

In an article published by Breitbart (Dec 9 2019), TEAF not only wants to help spread the joy of abortion, they want to combat the social stigma associated with killing an innocent child.

Breitbart quotes the group as arguing that abortions “provide new beginnings for people….”

Apparently, abortion is such a wonderful experience that society should really be encouraging folks to go out and get one. After all, if an abortion is a “magical carpet ride”  – why wouldn’t we want every young woman to seek one out?  Shouldn’t everyone experience the thrill of ending a life?

But, of course, most Americans still know better. And most women who have undergone the procedure have learned the painful lesson that the promise of freedom and a “new beginning” is a vicious con.  Women suffer intense pain and a life-long challenge of carrying the burden of what might have been.

The folks behind this campaign to normalize the destruction of innocent life suffer from a seared conscience, obviously.

In the face of such sacrilege and blatant evil, we must redouble our efforts to bring the story of Christ’s love and hope to a broken and confused world. We must continue to reach out and convey His offering of a genuine new beginning – which begins by choosing Life.

As we gather in our homes with friends and family on this day of remembrance – we ask the Lord’s blessing on your family, our state and nation.

This is a day to bring to mind all the blessings God has bestowed upon us as individuals and as a nation. While the present cultural confusion gives us reason for anxiety – we do well this day to look over America’s long history, to the vision of our dependence upon God’s merciful intervention in the affairs of men.  On this day, we ask that you join with us in thanking Almighty God for His mercy in granting us a president and vice-president who humbly appreciate the Gift of Life and the many blessings which He has granted to America.  May the Lord send them protection, wisdom and encouragement.

Here are a few excerpts from Thanksgiving Proclamations issued by statesmen in nobler times:

“[It is] our duty as people, with devout reverence and affectionate gratitude, to acknowledge our many and great obligations to Almighty God and to implore Him to continue and confirm the blessings we experience.”

• President George Washington, Thanksgiving Proclamation, 1795

“I have thought fit, according to the ancient and laudable practice of our renowned ancestors, to appoint a day of Public Thanksgiving to God, for the great benefits which He has been pleased to bestow upon us, in the year past.”

• Governor Samuel Adams, 1795

“No human counsel hath devised, nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy….I do, therefore, invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States … to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November as a Day of Thanksgiving and Prayer to our beneficent Father, who dwelleth in the heavens.  And I recommend to them that … [they] fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and union.”

• President Abraham Lincoln, 1863

“May we on that [Day of Thanksgiving] in our churches and in our homes give humble thanks for the blessings bestowed upon us during the year past by Almighty God.”

• President Franklin Roosevelt, 1933

The Supreme Court of California drove a tank over the conscience rights of Christians in that state by upholding a law which forces taxpayers to fund elective abortions.

The Missionary Guadalupans of the Holy Spirit, a Catholic women’s service group, filed a lawsuit against the State of California because the state now requires all insurance plans to provide abortion coverage. Members of group policies are thus forced to subsidize the abortions of other members, despite any moral or religious objections to that heinous practice.

That law, signed by Jerry Brown in 2014, defines abortion – even elective abortions – as “medically necessary care”. His action came after intense lobbying from Planned Parenthood. The nation’s largest death merchant demanded that the state deny approval for any health insurance plan that did not define abortion as “basic care”.  They even went so far as to insist that the State of California rescind approval for any policies it had previously sanctioned if those plans denied abortion coverage in all circumstances.  The Democrat Administration of Jerry Brown was all too happy to submit.

The Missionary group argued in court that the only abortions which could possibly be defined as “medically necessary” were those rare cases in which the mother’s life was threatened by the pregnancy.

But the California Supreme Court nevertheless upheld a lower court ruling against the religious order. Their edict seems to blatantly contradict several U.S. Supreme Court rulings against abortion mandates which do not accommodate religious objections.

It is unclear as of this writing whether the religious community will take their case to federal court.

But what is clear is the growing oppression demanded by the radical Left, and the sniveling obedience of liberal politicians to that unconstitutional agenda.

Planned Parenthood has long been a player in Boise and Ada County elections. But their role has generally been disguised by moving money through other PACs in order to avoid shooting their own candidates in the foot with a controversial endorsement.  After all, it is a tough sell to carry the “stamp of approval” from the largest Abortion Chain in America.

But that time of shadowy deception has passed. Given the fact that Idaho Republicans have largely abandoned Boise, Planned Parenthood and their allies have become emboldened.  Democrats obviously feel that they no longer have to worry about appealing to moderate or conservative voters.  The fight now is to push Boise politics as far left as possible.  And the crown jewel of Leftist politics is defending the “right” to kill your baby under any circumstances – with taxpayer support if necessary.

They have raised over $21,000 to help elect three candidates to office in Boise.

The Abortion Industry is backing Lauren McLean for Mayor. They have donated $1000 to her campaign have spent substantial amounts in independent expenditures to motivate abortion-minded voters to back her bid to oust Dave Bieter.

We have no idea what Bieter did to antagonize Planned Parenthood. While he was in the Legislature, he faithfully supported their agenda –  earning a perfect ‘0’ rating from Idaho Chooses Life.

There are also two candidates for the Boise City council who have received the official backing of Planned Parenthood: Patrick Bageant and Meredith Stead. Both have received money from abortionists, and both of these folks have proudly proclaimed their endorsement by Planned Parenthood on literature mailed to Boise voters.

Friends, this is a disturbing development. It is bad enough that Boise City leaders have created a friendly environment in which Planned Parenthood can operate its killing factory on State Street.  But to have the next generation of political leaders in Boise proudly proclaim their fealty to the Abortion Industry – as if this were a good thing – is very troubling.  It is a critical warning sign to conservatives that we must rouse ourselves from slumber and despondency to fight for the future of Idaho’s capital city. It is simply irresponsible to allow Boise to become a one-party town, dominated by an increasingly radical social and economic agenda.

Idaho media have been running a story this week about women’s access to family planning services under Medicaid. In their stories, they claim that the Legislature imposed new barriers on low-income women seeking birth control and other services.

Here is lead paragraph from an AP story Betsy Russell has re-posted on her blog: “Idaho officials have submitted a Medicaid expansion waiver requiring patients to get referrals from primary physicians before they can get family planning services such as birth control, abortions or pregnancy care.”

That sentence is patently false.

The referral language the Legislature adopted has to do with obtaining family planning services from someone other than your primary care physician. As in Planned Parenthood.  The rules adopted by the Legislature for Medicaid encourage the woman to obtain family planning services from their primary care physician.  In no way is the Legislature denying access to such services.

The Legislature did this because certain birth control methods carry significant health risks. And it is best for the woman if she is under the care of a primary care physician, so that any health problems can be monitored.  Even Planned Parenthood officials have publicly admitted as much, even as they bemoan the potential loss of tax dollars subsidizing their operation.

One could surmise that local media are attempting to manipulate women into supporting Planned Parenthood by giving them false information.

Obviously false media reports are not just a national problem; we have our very own local version.

The trial going on in San Francisco is reminding America about the whole Planned Parenthood baby parts trafficking scheme. While the judge in this case is going to great lengths to shield the Abortion Industry from public scrutiny – details are seeping out of the courtroom.

Here is a new and sickening fact for you: Planned Parenthood clinics are selling the scalps of freshly-killed babies for profit; companies are buying the scalps to test products for treating baldness.

Let that sink in for a minute. Please.

Is it really possible that this kind of barbaric profiteering is tolerated in America?

We do, indeed, live in such a time. White has become black; evil is called “good”.  The people who traffic in aborted baby parts are the victims; those who expose their barbarity are on trial.

There were more revelations in court yesterday, as Planned Parenthood’s “star” victim took the stage to explain how she has been victimized by the undercover videos. Abortionist Deborah Nucatola became infamous when a video surfaced of her eating salad while discussing the procedures she uses to maximize organ harvesting from late term babies right before she snuffs them out.

She took the stand on Thursday, tearing-up as she told the jury that she has been personally and professionally damaged by the release of the video. One report indicated that she even worked up a sob or two.  But under cross-examination, Nucatola reportedly cracked when confronted with a prior deposition in which she contended that she had “done nothing wrong” and “didn’t care” if the

video of her luncheon were publicly released.

In a surprising move, the judge in the case, changed his mind and allowed the defendants to play the infamous video for the jury. It was the first time he has allowed any of the video evidence collected by the Center for Medical Progress to be introduced in the trial.

It is not hard to understand that Mrs. Nucatola is having a hard time with the truth in a courtroom. Research has come to light from Operation Rescue that she conducts something like 200 abortions each and every month.  Over the course of her 21 year killing spree – the estimate is that she has personally destroyed the lives of some 50,000 preborn children.

While it is easy to look at a person like Abortionist Nucatola as evil, the real challenge for all of us is to face the truth: She operates because we allow it. She is protected by the law and a media conspiracy of silence and deception; Nucatola is allowed to continue her ghastly butchery because too many of us are complacent in the face of pure evil.  American society has fallen into a deep tar pit from which it may not escape – certainly not without great cost.

May the Lord rescue us.

That’s certainly a big topic. Many conservatives in Idaho and across the country could produce volumes of critique.  Or we could open the phone lines to those new Idahoans who packed up and left one of the most beautiful places on earth to raise their families in the Gem State.

Taxes. Gun control.  Sanctuary cities.  Voluntary shutdown of the state’s power grid. Corruption.  Homelessness.  Just to name a few.

But we would submit this insanity as the core problem: California just passed a law requiring all state universities to become first trimester abortion centers, while simultaneously forbidding the sale or production of animal fur products in the state. The moral confusion among this state’s Democrat leadership is so profound that they now, legally, prioritize the lives of animals over the lives of human beings.

Under California law, every public university will now have to distribute RU-486 pills to students as part of their basic health plan. That means colleges in that left coast state will become abortuaries.  And there is no protection for health care workers in those student health centers who might object to becoming abortionists.  Nor is there any conscience protection for pro-Life students or taxpayers who object to seeing their taxes and fees being used to destroy innocent human life.

To make matters worse – if that is even possible – it turns out that Planned Parenthood will come in for substantial subsidies through this new expansion of abortion in the once-golden state. As we read the initial story, we wondered whether Planned Parenthood would be upset with the new competition.  But those concerns were clearly addressed by lawmakers who depend on the Abortion Industry to get elected and pay campaign bills.  Planned Parenthood will get millions in “consulting fees” as it assists the various health care centers on campus distribute the drugs.  We would not even be surprised to learn that Planned Parenthood will serve as the wholesale agent for the lethal drugs since it continues to benefit from a sweetheart deal with the drug’s manufacturer.

The course of self-destruction so eagerly sought by California lawmakers and a substantial portion of the electorate is really difficult to watch. And, at least on human terms, there seems little hope of a course correction.  What a travesty and blight on the Republic.