Contact: Colleen Nolan, 708-371-7810; Karen Hayes, 708-805-7725 cell; both with Concerned Women for America of Illinois

PALOS HEIGHTS, Ill., Oct. 3 /Christian Newswire/ -- Eighty-three U.S. Congressmen, including Illinois Congressmen John Shimkus (R-19) and Jerry Costello (D-12) sent a letter dated September 26, 2008, to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt asking for information about the dramatic and sudden increase in Medicare and Medicaid-funded abortions due to rape in Illinois.

According to a document by the U.S. Health and Human Services Department, the spike, entirely due to increased numbers in Illinois alone, rose from 20 in FY2005 to 84 in FY2006 and 363 in FY2007. Other states show no comparable increases.

The letter requested specific information about this puzzling and alarming increase including whether the abortions were in a particular region or facility in Illinois, if the criminal rapes were verified, and, if unlawfully funded, were the funds recovered or are they in the process of being recovered.

Concerned Women for America (CWA) of Illinois stands with these honorable Congressmen in requesting this vital information in light of the disturbing fact that sexual assault crimes may be involved in these cases in our state.

Concerned Women for America is the nation's largest public policy women's organization.