Life Advocacy Briefing

Opening Shots Fired

THE BATTLE IS JOINED OVER ESTABLISHED PRO-LIFE REFORMS usually renewed each year as provisions in various federal spending bills.

Coming out of the House Committee on Appropriations are two rollbacks of pro-life provisions in the State Dept. appropriation: Pres. Ronald Reagan’s Mexico City policy barring aid to organizations which promote or commit abortions in foreign countries and Pres. George W. Bush’s “abstinence-first” prescription in HIV/AIDS spending, chiefly in Africa.

The House Committee on Appropriations refused last week to drop a Mexico City rollback amendment folded into the measure by the relevant subcommittee chairman, Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY), one of the Congress’s most strident and devoted advocates of forcing taxpayers to fund abortionists. And the condom lobby secured deletion of the abstinence priority in AIDS funding.

The State Dept. appropriation bill is coming to the full House, probably this Wednesday, and pro-life Members are expected to request consideration of amendments to fix these two reversals.

Calls to House Members are needed now, urging them to restore both the Mexico City language and the abstinence promotion priority in the State Dept. appropriation. “Restore the abstinence emphasis in the HIV/AIDS fund and keep abortionists from getting US foreign aid,” would be one way to frame the message.

Calls may be placed via the Capitol switchboard at 1-202/224-3121. Operators can connect those who do not know the names of their Representatives, if such callers furnish their zip codes.

Worse Than Advertised

FOR SEVERAL DAYS AFTER THE SUBCOMMITTEE’s ADOPTION of the Lowey amendment to the Mexico City policy, the language of the proposal was unavailable for public viewing even among Capitol Hill staff. Hence, the magnitude of the chairman’s action was not only concealed but was apparently downplayed in public statements by the chairman herself.

Not having access to the language until well past our deadline, we at Life Advocacy Briefing relied last week on an Associated Press report, which cited the chairman herself as source for advising AP that “the contraceptive provision left intact the Reagan-era policy of banning aid to groups that provide or promote abortions.”

In reality, the amendment makes Planned Parenthood and its co-abortionists eligible for tax dollars under the US Agency for International Development (USAID) “family planning” programs. It reads, “No contract or grant which includes funding for the provision of contraceptives in developing countries shall be denied to any nongovernmental organization solely on the basis of the [Mexico City] policy … .” That is a loophole which guts the limitation and clearly falls afoul of the President’s recent letter warning he would veto bills which roll back pro-life policies.

Clearly no House Member who claimed allegiance to the cause of Life before the 2006 election can legitimately vote for the State Dept. appropriation measure unless a curative amendment is adopted.

President on Embryo Sacrifice

WE AWAIT, AT THIS WRITING, THE PRESIDENT’s VETO of S-5, the legislation which would force taxpayers to pay scientists for experiments requiring the sacrifice of embryonic human beings.

Here is the text of the President’s statement issued immediately after House final passage on June 7: “Today, the United States House of Representatives, with its vote on the embryonic stem cell bill, chose to discard existing protections on human life. This bill puts scientific research and ethical principle into conflict, rather than supporting a balanced approach that advances scientific and medical frontiers without violating moral principles.

“My Administration has sought to understand the dilemma of stem cell research not as a choice between science and ethics but as a challenge to advance medicine while meeting our solemn obligation to defend human life. That is why in 2001 I authorized the first federal funding for research on embryonic stem cells, under careful safeguards. This policy encouraged ethical research while requiring taxpayer funds not be used to support the creation, destruction or harming of living human embryos.

“Recent scientific developments have reinforced my conviction that stem cell science can progress in ethical ways. Researchers have been investigating innovative techniques that could allow doctors and scientists to produce stem cells just as versatile as those derived from human embryos but without harming life, and the House vote on this bill took place just after significant advances in stem cell research were reported in leading scientific journals. These reports give us added hope that we may one day enjoy the potential benefits of embryonic stem cells without destroying human life.

“I am disappointed the leadership of Congress recycled an old bill that would simply overturn our country’s carefully balanced policy on embryonic stem cell research. If this bill were to become law, American taxpayers would, for the first time in our history, be compelled to support the deliberate destruction of human embryos. Crossing that line would be a grave mistake. For that reason, I will veto the bill passed today.”

Good Point

QUOTING Dr. ALVEDA KING, challenging Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) in a news release responding to reports that the chairman of the House Committee on Ways & Means is turning his attention to “saving” Social Security: “Congressman Rangel has to be aware that since the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973, approximately 48 million Americans – about a third of them African Americans – have been aborted. Millions of those now deceased people would have been alive and paying into Social Security today had not Mr. Rangel and his friends in the abortion lobby had their way. It’s time Mr. Rangel and his fellow Congressmen connect the dots – save the babies, save Social Security.”

House Voting Records

Last week we published the final-passage roll call on S-5. In advance of that vote came three other roll calls, two of which were on a related House Resolution setting forth the rule under which the bill would be taken up. It is those two votes we report this week. As space permits, we will publish the third procedural vote, on an unsuccessful motion to send the bill back to committee.

In preparing the voting records below, we observed a phenomenon we do not recall having seen before on roll calls related to the cause of Life: With the exception of one vote cast by one Democratic Member against the motion to end debate, the vote on this procedural motion was strictly along party lines. That is, only one Democratic Member broke ranks with his party leadership; several other Members who have, in the past, demonstrated reliability, this time damaged their pro-life voting records.

Motion to End Debate – HRes-464 – Defining the rule for consideration of S-5, “Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act” to tax Americans for experimentation necessitating the killing of certain embryonic human babies – June 7, 2007 – Carried 221 to 195 (Democrats in italics)

Voting “no” / pro-life: Aderholt, Akin, Alexander, Bachmann, Bachus, Baker, Barrett (SC), Barrow, Bartlett (MD), Barton (TX), Biggert, Bilirakis, Bishop (UT), Blackburn, Blunt, Boehner, Bonner, Bono, Boozman, Boustany, Brady (TX), Brown (SC), Ginny Brown-Waite, Buchanan, Burgess, Burton (IN), Buyer, Calvert, Camp (MI), Campbell (CA), Cannon, Capito, Carter, Castle, Chabot, Coble, Cole (OK), Conaway, Crenshaw, Cubin, Culberson, Davis (KY), David Davis, JoAnn Davis, Tom Davis, Deal (GA), Dent, Lincoln Diaz-Balart, Mario Diaz-Balart, Doolittle, Drake, Dreier, Duncan, Ehlers, Emerson, English (PA), Everett, Fallin, Feeney, Ferguson, Flake, Forbes, Fortenberry, Fossella, Foxx, Franks (AZ), Frelinghuysen, Gallegly, Gerlach, Gilchrest, Gillmor, Gingrey, Gohmert, Goode, Goodlatte, Granger, Graves, Hall (TX), Hastert, Hastings (WA), Hayes, Heller, Hensarling, Herger, Hobson, Hoekstra, Hulshof, Hunter, Inglis (SC), Issa, Jindal, Johnson (IL), Sam Johnson, Jones (NC), Jordan, Keller, King (IA), King (NY), Kingston, Kirk, Kline (MN), Knollenberg, Kuhl (NY), LaHood, Lamborn, Latham, LaTourette, Lewis (CA), Lewis (KY), Linder, LoBiondo, Lucas, Lungren, Mack, Manzullo, McCarthy (CA), McCaul, McCotter, McCrery, McHenry, McHugh, McKeon, McMorris-Rodgers, Mica, Gary Miller, Miller (FL), Miller (MI), Moran (KS), Tim Murphy, Musgrave, Myrick, Neugebauer, Nunes, Paul, Pearce, Pence, Peterson (PA), Petri, Pitts, Platts, Poe, Price (GA), Pryce (OH), Putnam, Radanovich, Ramstad, Regula, Rehberg, Reichert, Renzi, Reynolds, Rogers (AL), Rogers (KY), Rogers (MI), Rohrabacher, Ros-Lehtinen, Roskam, Royce, Ryan (WI), Sali, Saxton, Schmidt, Sensenbrenner, Sessions, Shadegg, Shays, Shimkus, Shuster, Simpson, Smith (NE), Smith (NJ), Smith (TX), Souder, Stearns, Sullivan, Terry, Thornberry, Tiahrt, Tiberi, Turner, Upton, Walberg, Walden (OR), Walsh (NY), Wamp, Weldon (FL), Weller, Westmoreland, Whitfield, Wicker, Wilson (NM), Wilson (SC), Wolf, Young (AK), Young (FL)

Voting “yes” / anti-life:Abercrombie, Ackerman, Allen, Altmire, Arcuri, Baca, Baird, Baldwin, Bean, Becerra, Berkley, Berman, Berry, Bishop (GA), Bishop (NY), Blumenauer, Boren, Boswell, Boucher, Boyd (FL), Boyda (KS), Brady (PA), Braley (IA), Corrine Brown, Butterfield, Capps, Capuano, Cardoza, Carnahan, Carney, Carson, Castor, Chandler, Clarke, Clay, Cleaver, Clyburn, Cohen, Cooper, Costa, Costello, Courtney, Cramer, Crowley, Cuellar, Cummings, Davis (AL), Davis (CA), Davis (IL), Lincoln Davis, DeFazio, DeGette, Delahunt, DeLauro, Dicks, Dingell, Doggett, Donnelly, Doyle, Edwards, Ellison, Ellsworth, Emanuel, Engel, Eshoo, Etheridge, Farr, Fattah, Filner, Frank (MA), Giffords, Gillibrand, Gonzalez, Gordon, Al Green, Gene Green, Grijalva, Gutierrez, Hall (NY), Hare, Harmon, Herseth-Sandlin, Higgins, Hill, Hinchey, Hinojosa, Hirono, Hodes, Holt, Honda, Hooley, Hoyer, Inslee, Israel, Jackson (IL), Jackson-Lee, Johnson (GA), E. B. Johnson, Jones (OH), Kanjorski, Kaptur, Kennedy, Kildee, Kilpatrick, Kind, Klein (FL), Kucinich, Langevin, Lantos, Larsen (WA), Larson (CT), Lee, Levin, Lewis (GA), Lipinski, Loebsack, Lofgren, Lowey, Lynch, Mahoney (FL), Maloney (NY), Markey, Marshall, Matheson, Matsui, McCarthy (NY), McCollum (MN), McDermott, McGovern, McIntyre, McNerney, McNulty, Meehan, Meek (FL), Meeks (NY), Melancon, Michaud, George Miller, Miller (NC), Mitchell, Mollohan, Moore (KS), Moore (WI), Moran (VA), Murphy (CT), Patrick Murphy, Murtha, Nadler, Napolitano, Neal (MA), Oberstar, Obey, Olver, Ortiz, Pallone, Pascrell, Pastor, Payne, Perlmutter, Peterson(MN), Price (NC), Rahall, Rangel, Reyes, Rodriguez, Ross, Rothman, Roybal-Allard, Ruppersberger, Rush, Salazar, Linda Sanchez, Loretta Sanchez, Sarbanes, Schakowsky, Schiff, Schwartz, Scott (GA), Scott (VA), Serrano, Sestak, Shea-Porter, Sherman, Shuler, Sires, Skelton, Slaughter, Smith (WA), Snyder, Solis, Space, Spratt, Stark, Stupak, Sutton, Tanner, Tauscher, Taylor, Thompson (CA), Thompson (MS), Tierney, Towns, Udall (CO), Udall (NM), VanHollen, Velazquez, Visclosky, Walz (MN), Wasserman-Schultz, Waters, Watson, Watt, Waxman, Weiner, Welch (VT), Wexler, Wilson (OH), Woolsey, Wu, Wynn, Yarmuth

Not voting: Andrews, Bilbray, Cantor, Conyers, Garrett (NJ), Hastings (FL), Holden, Jefferson, Kagen, Lampson, Marchant, Pelosi, Pickering, Pomeroy, Porter, Ryan (OH), Tancredo

HRes-464 – Defining the rule for consideration of S-5, “Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act” to tax Americans for experimentation necessitating the killing of certain embryonic human babies – June 7, 2007 – Adopted 224 to 191 (Democrats in italics)

Voting “no” / pro-life: Aderholt, Akin, Alexander, Bachmann, Bachus, Baker, Barrett (SC), Bartlett (MD), Barton (TX), Bilirakis, Bishop (UT), Blackburn, Blunt, Boehner, Bonner, Bono, Boozman, Boustany, Brady (TX), Brown (SC), Buchanan, Burgess, Burton (IN), Calvert, Camp (MI), Campbell (CA), Cannon, Capito, Carter, Chabot, Coble, Cole (OK), Conaway, Costello, Crenshaw, Cubin, Culberson, Davis (KY), David Davis, JoAnn Davis, Lincoln Davis, Deal (GA), Dent, Lincoln Diaz-Balart, Mario Diaz-Balart, Doolittle, Drake, Dreier, Duncan, Ehlers, Emerson, English (PA), Everett, Fallin, Feeney, Ferguson, Flake, Forbes, Fortenberry, Fossella, Foxx, Franks (AZ), Frelinghuysen, Gallegly, Gillmor, Gingrey, Gohmert, Goode, Goodlatte, Granger, Graves, Hall (TX), Hastert, Hastings (WA), Hayes, Heller, Hensarling, Herger, Hobson, Hoekstra, Hulshof, Hunter, Inglis (SC), Issa, Jindal, Johnson (IL), Sam Johnson, Jones (NC), Jordan, Keller, King (IA), King (NY), Kingston, Kline (MN), Knollenberg, Kuhl (NY), LaHood, Lamborn, Latham, LaTourette, Lewis (CA), Lewis (KY), Linder, LoBiondo, Lucas, Lungren, Mack, Manzullo, McCarthy (CA), McCaul, McCotter, McCrery, McHenry, McHugh, McIntyre, McKeon, McMorris-Rodgers, Mica, Gary Miller, Miller (FL), Miller (MI), Mollohan, Moran (KS), Tim Murphy, Musgrave, Myrick, Neugebauer, Nunes, Paul, Pearce, Pence, Peterson(MN), Peterson (PA), Petri, Pitts, Platts, Poe, Price (GA), Pryce (OH), Putnam, Radanovich, Rahall, Rehberg, Reichert, Renzi, Reynolds, Rogers (AL), Rogers (KY), Rogers (MI), Rohrabacher, Ros-Lehtinen, Roskam, Royce, Ryan (WI), Sali, Saxton, Schmidt, Sensenbrenner, Sessions, Shadegg, Shimkus, Shuler, Shuster, Simpson, Smith (NE), Smith (NJ), Smith (TX), Souder, Stearns, Stupak, Sullivan, Taylor, Terry, Thornberry, Tiahrt, Tiberi, Turner, Upton, Walberg, Walden (OR), Walsh (NY), Wamp, Weldon (FL), Weller, Westmoreland, Whitfield, Wicker, Wilson (NM), Wilson (SC), Wolf, Young (FL)

Voting “yes” / anti-life:Abercrombie, Ackerman, Allen, Altmire, Andrews, Arcuri, Baca, Baird, Baldwin, Barrow, Bean, Becerra, Berkley, Berman, Berry, Biggert, Bishop (GA), Bishop (NY), Blumenauer, Boren, Boswell, Boucher, Boyd (FL), Boyda (KS), Brady (PA), Braley (IA), Corrine Brown, Ginny Brown-Waite, Butterfield, Capps, Capuano, Cardoza, Carnahan, Carney, Carson, Castle, Castor, Chandler, Clarke, Clay, Cleaver, Clyburn, Cohen, Cooper, Costa, Courtney, Cramer, Crowley, Cuellar, Cummings, Davis (AL), Davis (CA), Davis (IL), Tom Davis, DeFazio, DeGette, Delahunt, DeLauro, Dicks, Dingell, Doggett, Donnelly, Doyle, Edwards, Ellison, Ellsworth, Emanuel, Engel, Eshoo, Etheridge, Farr, Fattah, Filner, Frank (MA), Gerlach, Giffords, Gilchrest, Gillibrand, Gonzalez, Gordon, Al Green, Gene Green, Grijalva, Gutierrez, Hall (NY), Hare, Harmon, Herseth-Sandlin, Higgins, Hill, Hinchey, Hinojosa, Hirono, Hodes, Holt, Honda, Hooley, Hoyer, Inslee, Israel, Jackson (IL), Jackson-Lee, Johnson (GA), E. B. Johnson, Jones (OH), Kanjorski, Kaptur, Kennedy, Kildee, Kilpatrick, Kind, Kirk, Klein (FL), Kucinich, Langevin, Lantos, Larsen (WA), Larson (CT), Lee, Levin, Lewis (GA), Lipinski, Loebsack, Lofgren, Lowey, Lynch, Mahoney (FL), Maloney (NY), Markey, Marshall, Matheson, Matsui, McCarthy (NY), McCollum (MN), McDermott, McGovern, McNerney, McNulty, Meehan, Meek (FL), Meeks (NY), Melancon, Michaud, George Miller, Miller (NC), Mitchell, Moore (KS), Moore (WI), Moran (VA), Murphy (CT), Patrick Murphy, Murtha, Nadler, Napolitano, Neal (MA), Oberstar, Obey, Olver, Ortiz, Pallone, Pascrell, Pastor, Payne, Perlmutter, Price (NC), Ramstad, Rangel, Regula, Reyes, Rodriguez, Ross, Rothman, Roybal-Allard, Ruppersberger, Rush, Salazar, Linda Sanchez, Loretta Sanchez, Sarbanes, Schakowsky, Schiff, Schwartz, Scott (GA), Scott (VA), Serrano, Shays, Shea-Porter, Sherman, Sires, Skelton, Slaughter, Smith (WA), Snyder, Solis, Space, Spratt, Stark, Sutton, Tanner, Tauscher, Thompson (CA), Thompson (MS), Tierney, Towns, Udall (CO), Udall (NM), VanHollen, Velazquez, Visclosky, Walz (MN), Wasserman-Schultz, Waters, Watson, Watt, Waxman, Weiner, Welch (VT), Wexler, Wilson (OH), Woolsey, Wu, Wynn, Yarmuth, Young (AK)

Not voting: Bilbray, Buyer, Cantor, Conyers, Garrett (NJ), Hastings (FL), Holden, Jefferson, Kagen, Lampson, Marchant, Pelosi, Pickering, Pomeroy, Porter, Ryan (OH), Sestak, Tancredo