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Heartbeat Applauds Ohio’s Fight Against FOCA

By Virginia Cline, Director of Public Relations/Policy

Photo from Ohio Statehouse

03.24.09—Heartbeat International supports key members of the127th Ohio General Assembly in their fight against the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA), a bill to be introduced into the 111th U.S. Congress “sooner rather than later” according to the spokesman of its sponsor U.S. Rep. Nadler (D-NY). Ohio State Senators Tim Grendell (R-Chesterland) and Steve Buehrer (R-Delta) introduced Senate Concurrent Resolution 6 urging the President and Congress to oppose FOCA; and State Rep. Shannon Jones (R-Springboro) hopes to introduce the House version.

FOCA is federal legislation designed to kill more than 550 common sense laws protecting women’s health across the country, including laws prohibiting taxpayer funded abortion, bans on partial birth abortion, and laws passed by the Ohio General Assembly over the past 36 years to reduce the number of abortions. It is the public policy of the state of Ohio to prefer childbirth over abortion to the extent that is constitutionally permissible.

“FOCA will undermine Ohio’s preference for childbirth over aborting a baby,” said Heartbeat International President Peggy Hartshorn, Ph.D. “We are very grateful to our dedicated elected officials who are diligent about protecting women’s health and committed to supporting alternatives to abortion.”

S.C.R. 6 states that “The Freedom of Choice Act is a radical attempt to enshrine abortion-on-demand into American law, to sweep aside existing laws that the majority of Americans support, such as requirements involving fully informed consent, parental involvement, and that licensed physicians perform abortions, and seeks to prevent states from enacting similar protective laws in the future.”

“FOCA will lead to government sponsored abortions without any safeguards and that will equal more abortions. More abortions at taxpayers’ expense mean more women and men hurt by the trauma of aborting a child,” said Hartshorn, “and that will lead to an increased need for abortion recovery services.”

More than 60 percent of Ohio’s pregnancy support organizations use charitable donations to fund support groups for healing the effects of abortion related trauma. Of the 181 nonprofit organizations providing pregnancy support services in Ohio, 85 are affiliated with Heartbeat International.

Heartbeat affiliates provide all the facts on abortion – from post-traumatic stress disorder to possible medical complications – that abortion clinics often leave out. Heartbeat affiliates provide emotional support and practical help needed to sustain a healthy pregnancy or recover from abortion. Pregnancy resource centers set the standard for true reproductive healthcare for women in America.

Ask your state senator to vote for Resolution S.C.R. 6. You can find your senator here