“America’s belief in the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is what makes our nation the greatest in the world. As long as I represent the Third District of Pennsylvania, I will continue to defend these unalienable rights, and work to protect the most vulnerable among us, especially the unborn.”

I strongly believe in protecting the lives of the unborn. As Americans, our rights are derived from the self-evident, fundamental right to life, which promotes equal rights and equal protection for the unborn. I have long emphasized that promoting pro-life policies and protecting American family values would be a priority of mine while serving the Third District. I will continue working to promote a culture of life which, among other things, upholds and actively supports pro-life policies.

Since being elected to Congress, I have worked to defend life by:

• PROTECTING THE RELIGIOUS FREEDOM OF PRO-LIFE PERSONS AND ORGANIZATIONS.  I co-sponsored H.R. 6097, the Religious Freedom Tax Repeal Act of 2012, to protect vulnerable religious organizations and small family businesses from the Department of Health and Human Services mandate that requires employer health plans to provide contraceptives, sterilizations, and abortifacients in violation of their conscience.  Rep. Kelly also co-sponsored H.R. 1179, the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act, which also protects religious freedom from being violated by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare).
• OPPOSING TAXPAYER FUNDING OF ABORTION.  I voted for H.R. 3, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, which prevents taxpayer funds from being used for abortions and H.R. 358, the Protect Life Act, which amends Obamacare to prevent abortion funding or coverage in the public option.
• OPPOSING GENDER AND RACE-BASED ABORTIONS. I co-sponsored and voted for H.R. 3541, the Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act (PRENDA) of 2012, a bill to oppose discriminatory sex-selection and race-selection abortions.
• OPPOSING ABORTION FUNDING IN FOREIGN AID.  I voted for H.R. 2059, a bill to prohibit funding to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), which has been deeply involved in promoting abortion, including the coercive abortions and forced sterilizations that are a part of China’s brutal one-child policy.
• OPPOSING ABORTION OF UNBORN CHILDREN WHO CAN FEEL PAIN.  I voted for H.R. 3803, the District of Columbia Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.  H.R. 3803 forbids the abortion of an unborn child who is at least 20 weeks old (the point at which the unborn child can feel the pain of the abortion) in the District of Columbia.  H.R. 3803 contains an exception to this ban where the life of the mother is in danger.

I have also co-sponsored the following legislation:

• Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act (H.R. 217), which prohibits organizations that perform abortions from receiving federal family planning dollars.

• Life at Conception Act (H.R. 374), which specifies that life begins at conception and gives unborn children all the rights and protections currently given to those living outside the womb.

• Ultrasound Informed Consent Act (H.R. 3805), which ensures that women seeking an abortion receive an ultrasound and the opportunity to review that ultrasound before giving informed consent to receive an abortion.

For more information concerning my work and views on pro-life issues, please contact my Washington, DC office.

I look forward to your feedback.