Representative Rokita is pro-life and believes that life begins at conception.  He strongly believes that to encourage a culture of life rather than one of death, tax dollars should not be spent on abortions or to fund organizations that encourage it.  He also believes that government should not require health care workers to perform abortions against their will.

LEGISLATION THAT PASSED THE HOUSE

• In 2018, Representative Rokita voted to pass H.R. 4712, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act in the House.  He was an original cosponsor of this bill to enact an explicit requirement to provide medical protections to a baby born alive as a result of an abortion.  He had previously supported the measure in 2015.  The Senate has not acted on this bill.
• In 2017, Representative Rokita voted to pass H.J.Res. 43 which would nullify an Obama Administration regulation that would have prohibited states from redirecting Title X funds away from Planned Parenthood and similar groups.  Title X of the Public Health Service Act is a major federal family planning program.  He had cosponsored the resolution.  After passing the House and the Senate, President Trump signed this resolution into law on April 13, 2017.
• In 2017, he voted to pass the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.  He was a cosponsor of this bill to prohibit abortions after 20 weeks of fetal age.  Scientific evidence shows that unborn babies have the capacity to feel pain beginning at 20-weeks gestational age.  He had previously supported the measure in 2015 and 2013.  The Senate filibustered the bill 51 to 46 on January 29, 2018.
• In 2017, he voted to block funding of the District Columbia’s “Reproductive Health Non-Discrimination Act which would have prohibited employers within the District from engaging in “discrimination” on the basis of “decisions” regarding “reproductive health” matters.  This poorly written statute could require pro-life advocacy groups to pay for abortions.  He also pushed back against these efforts in 2015.
• In 2017, as Vice Chairman of the House Budget Committee, he helped lead house passage of H.R. 1628, the American Health Care Act.  This reconciliation bill would have replaced Obamacare and defunded Planned Parenthood.  Unfortunately, the Senate did not pass this bill.
• In 2017, he voted to pass H.R. 7, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act.  This bill, which he also cosponsored, would prohibit the government from funding abortions or health plans that cover abortions (except to protect the mother, or in cases of rape and incest).  He also supported the measure in 2015, 2014, and 2011.  The Senate has not acted on this yet.
• In 2016, he voted for the Conscience Protection Act.  This bill would strengthen and protect federal conscience protections for health care providers and prevent any level of governments from discriminating against health care workers and organizations that refuse to participate in abortions.  The Senate did not act on the bill.  Representative Rokita is an original cosponsor of 2017’s H.R. 644, the most recent reintroduction of this bill.
• In 2016, he voted against an effort to require the Federal Employees Health Benefits to cover abortions.  Representative Rokita is strongly opposed to providing tax-subsidized abortions on demand for federal employees.
• In 2016, as Vice Chairman of the House Budget Committee, he helped author reconciliation legislation to repeal Obamacare and defund Planned Parenthood.  The bill pass both the House and the Senate but was vetoed by President Obama. In 2015, he voted for the Women’s Public Health and Safety Act
• In 2015, he voted for H.R. 3134, the Defund Planned Parenthood Act.  He cosponsored this bill to prohibit federal funds from going to the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, or its affiliates, for a year until Planned Parenthood could certify that it was no longer performing elective abortions.  He is an original cosponsor of 2017’s H.R. 354, the most recent reintroduction of this bill.
• In 2015, he voted in favor of H. Res. 461, a resolution that established a Select Investigative Panel of the Committee on Energy and Commerce.  This Select Investigative Panel was tasked with investigating the disturbing undercover videos showing Planned Parenthood engaged in the sale of fetal tissue.  The Panel returned its result in 2016.  They recommended that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) stop funding fetal tissues research, that Planned Parenthood be stripped of taxpayer funding, and made criminal referrals.
• In 2012, he voted for H.R. 3803, the District of Columbia Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.  This bill would have replaced Washington DC’s current law allowing abortion at any time with a policy prohibiting abortion after 20 weeks, the point when science has proven a baby could feel pain.  The bill failed to garner the two-thirds support it needed in the House to be considered under fast-track suspension rules.
• In 2012, he voted for H.R. 3541, the Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act (PRENDA).  This bill would have prohibited abortions being done based solely on the gender of the child.  The bill failed to garner the two-thirds support it needed in the House to be considered under fast-track suspension rules.  Representative Rokita is a cosponsor of 2017’s H.R. 4660, the most recent reintroduction of this bill.
• In 2011, he voted for H.R. 358, the Protect Life Act.  This bill would have reversed Obamacare’s expansion of abortion.  It would have stopped certain federal agencies from subsidizing and administering health care plans that cover abortion on demand.  The bill passed the House, but failed to be considered by the Senate.

At the 2018 March for Life, Representative Rokita showed his support for the pro-life movement by standing with Notre Dame Right to Life.

ACTIVE LEGISLATION COSPONSORED

• H.R. 490, the Heartbeat Protection Act, which prohibits a physician from performing an abortion if a fetal heartbeat is detectable.  As cosponsor of this bill, Representative Rokita was award the Heartbeat Hero Award.  This bill is awaiting action by the House Judiciary Committee.
• H.R. 586, the Sanctity of Human Life Act, which grants legal and constitutional protections to human life beginning at conception.  This bill is awaiting action by the House Judiciary Committee.
• H.R. 681, the Life at Conception Act, which declares the right to life is vested in each human being at all stages of life, including the moment of fertilization.  This bill is awaiting action by the House Judiciary Committee.
• H.R. 1192, the Dismemberment Abortion Ban Act, which prohibits a physician from knowingly performing a dismemberment abortion.  These are abortions where an unborn baby is broken apart and extracted from the womb.  This bill is awaiting action by the House Judiciary Committee.
• H.R. 2918, the Patients First Act, which directs the National Institute of Health (NIH) to prioritize ethical stem cell research.  This bill is awaiting action by the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
• H.R. 4131, the No Abortion Bonds Act, which prohibits the use of federal tax-exempt bonds to finance the construction of abortion clinics.  This bill is awaiting action by the House Ways and Means Committee.
• H.R. 4844, the Ultrasound Informed Consent Act, which requires a woman seeking an abortion to receive an ultrasound.  This bill is awaiting action by the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

After the 2015 March for Life, Representative Rokita hosted a reception for Hoosiers, as he has done every year he has served in the House.  He met with the Purdue Students for Life, who made the journey from Indiana to Washington to march to protect the unborn.

IMPORTANT ACTIONS FOR PRO-LIFE CAUSES

• In 2018, Representative Rokita signed a letter to Vice President Mike Pence thanking him for his consistent pro-life leadership and urging his advocacy for pro-life issues in upcoming spending legislation.
• In 2018, he signed onto an Amicus Brief supporting the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA) in the Supreme Court Case NIFLA v. Becerra.  The Supreme Court is considering whether the State of California can force pro-life crisis-pregnancy centers to prominently place a notice informing visitors that California offers subsidized abortions in their facilities.   
• In 2017, Representative Rokita led a letter to the United States in support of Neil Gorsuch’s nomination to the United States Supreme Court.  Justice Gorsuch replaced Justice Antonin Scalia and many pro-life groups supported his nomination.  82 of Representative Rokita’s House colleagues signed onto the letter.
• In 2017, Representative Rokita signed a letter asking President Trump to consider replacing NIH Director Francis Collins with an individual more aligned with the President’s pro-life agenda and record.
• In 2016, Representative Rokita sent a letter to the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expressing disappointed about the FDA’s decision to loosen standards on the abortion drug mifepristone (RU-486).  This drug is used to terminate a pregnancy and can have serious health effects. 
• In 2013, Representative Rokita signed a letter to the Acting Director of the Office of Personnel Management expressing concerns that proposed rules for health insurance provided to Congressional staff and Members of Congress would not comply with the Smith Amendment.  The Smith Amendment specifies that funds should not be used for “abortion, or the administrative expenses in connection with any health plan under the Federal employee health benefits program which provides any benefits or coverage for abortions.”
• In 2011, Representative Rokita sent a letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius in support of Indiana’s right to prohibit state funds from going to entities that perform abortions or maintain abortion clinics.

MEMBERSHIP IN PRO-LIFE HOUSE GROUPS

• Republican Study Committee (RSC) - The RSC promotes a strong, principled legislative agenda that will limit government, strengthen our national defense, boost America’s economy, preserve traditional values and balance our budget.  Representative Rokita serves as a member of the Steering Committee, the RSC’s leadership.
• Values Action Team (VAT) - The VAT is dedicated to building and strengthening relationships with citizens groups for the purpose of preserving traditional values and protecting the right to life.
• Bipartisan Congressional Pro-Life Caucus - The Bipartisan Congressional Pro-Life Caucus works to eliminate taxpayer funding for abortion and preserve the rights of conscience for pro-life health care providers.