House Constitution Subcommittee Passes Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (H.R. 1797)

Today the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice approved the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (H.R. 1797) by a party line vote of 6-4.

H.R. 1797, as originally introduced would have only applied to the District of Columbia.

During the mark-up today, bill author and Subcommittee Chairman Trent Franks (R-AZ) offered a Manager's Amendment, to expand the bill to apply nationwide. The Franks Manager’s Amendment passed by a vote of 6-4.

With this change, the “Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act” will be a national prohibition on aborting pain-capable unborn children after twenty weeks gestation (post-fertilization age).

The IRS and the Coalition for Life of Iowa

Today the House Ways and Means Committee held a “Hearing with Organizations Targeted by Internal Revenue Service for Their Personal Beliefs.”

One of the witnesses was Ms. Sue Martinek, President of the Coalition for Life of Iowa (CFLI) who explained that CFLI “is a grass-roots, low-budget public charity founded in 2004, to provide prayer, education, and related activities about the sanctity of life from conception to death. Throughout our history, we have organized and sponsored educational forums and engaged in peaceful prayer activities.”

Statements from Martinek’s testimony: