Healthcare Vote and Christmas Wishes from Americans United for Life

The Yoest family at

the Supreme Court in DC

Charmaine sends this note along,

Dear Friend of Life,

I wanted to take a break from public policy and wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas.

And yet, even as I write this, the television in my office is tuned to C-SPAN as pro-abortion Senators stand on the Senate floor – Senator Patty Murray just finished and now Senator Al Franken is beginning – two days before Christmas, they are arguing for the passage of the greatest single expansion of abortion since Roe v. Wade. It’s simply breathtaking.

My family had dinner last night with my brother and his family, who are here from Alabama to celebrate Christmas with us. Yesterday was also his birthday. As we ate birthday cake, we talked about the strong pull everyone feels to break away and just have Christmas.

But tomorrow morning at 8 am, on Christmas Eve, the Senate will vote. We are paying attention because we must. This is an historic moment and we are honored to be a part of the Life movement that is working to stop this tragedy.

I want to thank you. Frankly, I thought Senator Reid’s strategy to push this legislation through at Christmas-time was appalling, but shrewd. Pro-life Americans are rightly paying attention to family and friends and sacred traditions this week. But you’ve also taken the time to stand with us against this pro-abortion bill.

Thank you!

I also want to thank the AUL team. They’ve been putting in long hours – our legal team worked through the weekend to analyze Senator Reid’s amendment. Their analysis documented that the “compromise” worked out with Senator Nelson actually established the first-ever mandatory abortion tax. Our communications team has been working to get the word out – releasing a statement immediately after the 1 AM vote Monday morning. . . and our database guru, Stanley Bao, is working hard today to get this message to you. I’m privileged to work with a team of people so dedicated to the mission of defending life.

Last weekend, as Reid filed his amendment, it seemed as if even the heavens had opened up in protest, as a blizzard socked in the Nation’s Capital. Dedicated pro-life Hill staffers slept on cots and sofas in their offices over the weekend to work against this unprecedented expansion of abortion.

Having a Christmas blizzard reminded me of the classic story of General George Washington’s Christmas prayer at Valley Forge. In December of 1777, Washington moved the Continental Army to Valley Forge in order to try to survive the hard winter. You know the story I’m sure: the winter was so desperate and conditions so severe, that of the 12,000 men who began that encampment with Washington, 2,000 did not survive.

There is a story that General Washington was observed at prayer, alone in the woods that Christmas, and a famous painting depicting that scene is now hanging on display at Mount Vernon.

While we may never know the exact details of that prayer, this much is beyond dispute: Washington and his men remained faithful to their cause throughout that long winter. They endured, even when a path to victory was unclear and the future appeared hopeless.

May we too stand firm in the great calling of our time: Defending Life.

Merry Christmas, friends.

Charmaine Yoest, Ph.D.

President & CEO

Washington, DC: 655 15th St NW, Ste. 410 | Washington, DC 20005

Chicago: 310 S. Peoria Street, Ste. 500 | Chicago, IL 60607

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Thank you (foot)notes:

Be sure to follow Your Business Blogger(R) and Charmaine on Twitter: @JackYoest and @CharmaineYoest

Jack and Charmaine also blog at Reasoned Audacity and at Management Training of DC, LLC.