Defunding Planned Parenthood

This week, the House acted to defund Planned Parenthood and hold them accountable for their horrific actions that have been revealed in recent videos.

First, the House passed the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, with my support, to require any health care practitioner to preserve the life of a child born alive in the case of an abortion as they would any other child. The atrocious videos of Planned Parenthood involve discussions of instances where a baby is born ‘intact’ during the course of an abortion. The legislation provides that if a born-alive child is cut open for body parts or if there are other actions taken to kill the child, the punishment is first degree murder. Murder is exactly what these acts are and the offenders must pay for their crime.

Next, I supported legislation to defund Planned Parenthood for one year. While I believe taxpayer funds should never be used on abortions, it is especially unacceptable when these illegal and horrific practices are happening. Federal funding for abortion has been illegal since 1976 yet Planned Parenthood continues to get away with it. I’m proud this legislation would put an end to Planned Parenthood’s continued blatant disregard for the law.

While I am pleased that the house passed this legislation this week, our ultimate goal is not only to defund Planned Parenthood for a year, but to completely eliminate the use of taxpayer funds for abortions. Additionally, these crimes must be investigated and the illegal actions must face criminal penalties. I urged federal law enforcement to execute a full criminal investigation into the alleged actions on the House floor this week. The House will continue our own investigations, including investigations I am participating in as a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

This fight is not over and I will not waver in my support for the unborn. Below is a snapshot of the legislation the House has passed and is working on to accomplish this.

PASSED BY THE HOUSE: H.R. 7, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act

This bill would prohibit federal funds from being used for abortions.

PASSED BY THE HOUSE: H.R. 36, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act

This bill would ban abortions nationwide 20 weeks after conception except in the cases of incest and rape.

PASSED BY THE HOUSE: H.R. 3134, the Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2015

This bill would impose a one-year moratorium on all federal funding to Planned Parenthood and any of its affiliates while investigations are conducted.

PASSED BY THE HOUSE: H.R. 3504, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act

This bill requires any health care practitioner to preserve the life of a child born alive in the case of an abortion as they would any other child.

COSPONSORED: H.R. 426, the Sanctity of Human Life Act

This bill would declare that life begins at conception.

What do you think? Should Planned Parenthood continue to receive federal funding? Click here to take my poll and let me know.

From our Nation's Capitol XXXV

Monday, September 14, 2015: Today, after 20 years, we finally celebrate the beginning of dredging for the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project (SHEP). I am honored to be a part of the ceremony on Tybee Island to commemorate this momentous event alongside Col. Marvin Griffin of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Curtis Foltz and my predecessor, former Congressman Jack Kingston. This project represents the future of our area and will certainly be an economic stimulus for the entire Southeastern United States.

Congressman Carter at the beginning of dredging for SHEP

As fate would have it, it is a beautiful day and you can actually see the barges out in the ocean as the dredging has officially begun. Following this great event, I head to the DeSoto Hilton to address the Downtown Savannah Rotary to report on the first eight months of the 114^th Congress and discuss the issues that we will be facing in the near future. The Downtown Savannah Rotary is one of the oldest Rotary Clubs in the state. The remainder of my afternoon is spent in our Savannah office meeting with constituents to discuss their concerns. Whenever I am in the district I try to schedule office time to meet with constituents one on one, realizing that they deserve this opportunity as I have the honor and responsibility of being their voice in Washington.

Tuesday, September 15, 2015: I begin the day with a visit to the Georgia Institute for Plastic Surgery, a state of the art surgical center that is equipped to perform a wide array of procedures large and small.

Congressman Carter at the Georgia Institute for Plastic Surgery

My tour guides and good friends, managing partner Dr. Rich Greco and Certified Nurse Anesthetist Janice Izlar, do a great job of explaining the services provided here as well as at their satellite offices in Vidalia/Statesboro and Hilton Head. Afterwards, I head to the Savannah Civic Center where I have the opportunity to speak at the 2015 Stand Down for Homelessness Event, a collaborative effort by area veterans organizations and local nonprofits to reach veterans and others in the area who are facing homelessness. The Stand Down was adopted by two Vietnam era veterans in 1988 that recognized veterans were highly represented in the homeless population. This collaborative effort of many of our military and nonprofit agencies reminds me of how great of a need exists in our area and how fortunate we are to have such a caring community.

Congressman Carter at the Stand Down for Homelessness event in Savannah

Afterwards, I head to the airport to hop on a plane to Washington.

Wednesday, September 16, 2015: My day is off to an early start as I have the opportunity to speak at the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Annual Legislative Conference. This group of pharmacists from around the country consists primarily of those in the hospital and other health system settings. Next, along with my Legislative Assistant in charge of military affairs, Nick Schemmel, I travel to the new Coast Guard headquarters in Anacostia for a tour and briefing with Rear Admiral John Nadeau, the Assistant Commandant for Capability. This impressive facility will serve this important branch of our military for many years to come and they will be joined in the near future by the Department of Homeland Security as they move their headquarters to this same campus. Afterwards, I head back to the Capitol for a meeting with the American Peanut Sheller’s Association before meeting with the Georgia Chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM GA).

Congressman Carter with the Georgia Chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management

Next, I meet with representatives from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regarding the Harris Neck Wildlife Refuge before our weekly staff briefing to review events of the past week and discuss the upcoming week. After our weekly Whip Team meeting to discuss our agenda for the upcoming week, I head to a special meeting of the Republican Conference to discuss Planned Parenthood and the upcoming budget extension. We finish the day with our first and only votes of the day when we vote on two bills, the National Forest Small Tracts Amendments Act of 2015 and the National Liberty Memorial Clarification Act of 2015.

Thursday, September 17, 2015: I start the day with our weekly meeting of the Republican Conference followed by a joint hearing between the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the Committee on Natural Resources regarding EPA’s Animas spill. While it is rare for two committees of this size to meet together, this is a very serious issue where over 3 million gallons of heavy metal filled waste water spilled into the Animas River impacting three states as a result of the errors of the EPA. Afterwards, I head back to my office for a meeting with representatives from the Georgia Credit Unions to discuss federal issues impacting their work followed by a call with the Center for Medicare Services (CMS) Acting Administrator, Andy Slavitt.

Congressman Carter meeting with representatives from the Georgia Credit Unions

Next, I head to the House chamber to deliver a one minute speech slamming Planned Parenthood, calling for an end to their federal funding, and for those involved in trafficking fetal tissue to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. You can find a link to my speech here. Afterwards, I head to a Committee on Homeland Security subcommittee meeting before heading to a Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing on the Federal Air Marshal Service. Our first vote series of the day is next followed by more debate on Planned Parenthood where I have the opportunity to speak again on the appalling and disgusting videos that have been released recently regarding the sale of fetal tissue by this organization. Our second and final vote series of the day follows this debate as we pass the Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act and the combined rule for the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act and Defund Planned Parenthood Act.

Friday, September 18, 2015: My first meeting of the day is with the Committee on Homeland Security Subcommittee on Oversight and Management Efficiency to discuss how we can make DHS more efficient followed by a members meeting of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform to discuss next week’s agenda. Afterwards, I have the opportunity to meet with Congressman Ed Royce (R-CA), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, about the State Department’s plans to build the Foreign Affairs Safety Training Center (FASTC). Chairman Royce has shown great leadership in this boondoggle of a project, demanding that the State Department be fiscally responsible. Next, I head to the House chamber for our final votes of the week as we pass two pro-life bills to finish up a tense week of dealing with the atrocities of Planned Parenthood. My final meeting of the day before I head to the airport is with the Christian Science Committee on Publication for the State of Georgia to discuss the incorrect impositions that are put upon the church by Obamacare.

Congressman Carter meeting with the Christian Science Committee on Publication for the State of Georgia

On my way to the airport I have a radio interview with NPR Atlanta to discuss the Fort Frederica expansion bill that I introduced this week in the House and the companion bill that Senator Isakson introduced in the Senate.