FRC: Increase in Abortion Rate Underscores Need to Get U.S. Taxpayers Out of Abortion Business, Enact Pro-Life Protections

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Jan 11, 2011, 12:40 ET

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new report released this morning by the Guttmacher Institute finds an abortion rate increase of 1 percent, to 19.6 abortions per 1,000 women of child-bearing age in 2008.

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Jeanne Monahan, Family Research Council's Director for the Center of Human Dignity, made the following comments:

"The nation's abortion rate has declined for many years because of the tireless work of and growth of pregnancy resource centers, pro-life educational campaigns, and the enactment of state laws such as parental notification and informed consent. Recent polls indicate that a majority of Americans now describe themselves as pro-life, and are overwhelmingly opposed to their hard earned dollars going to pay for abortions.

"However, this report indicates that much work remains to be done in Congress and in state legislatures to protect mothers and their unborn children.

"In its 2008-2009 annual report, the country's largest abortion provider, Planned Parenthood, reported that it took home $363.2 million in government grants and contracts during that time period -- a $13.6 million increase from the prior year -- and performed an unprecedented 324,800 abortions in the same time frame. In other words, abortionists have an overabundance of funds. Claims made by Guttmacher that a slight increase in abortion somehow warrants fewer restrictions on late-term abortions or an increase in restrictions on peaceful protests is absurd. How can they say abortion rates aren't high enough?

"Moreover, the last Congress approved abortion funding in the health care law and funding for abortion in the District of Columbia. Funding abortion will only increase, not decrease the abortion rate. This is why we urge the new Congress to approve newly introduced legislation by U.S. Reps. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) and Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.) called the 'No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act,' which would wipe the slate clean of government projects that force Americans to pay for abortions and abortion coverage.

"Several states have enacted legislation to opt out of abortion funding as part of health care reform. Women have a right to know that their unborn babies are children which is why we are working with state legislators to pass ultrasound bills such as the law recently enacted by Louisiana," concluded Monahan.

SOURCE Family Research Council