Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser offered the following statement in response to efforts by Rep. Steve Driehaus (OH-01) to silence his critics through criminal statute concerning his vote in support of health care legislation that includes taxpayer funding of abortion:
“In an act of desperation and fear, Rep. Steve Driehaus is attempting to use a criminal statute to silence his critics. It is a fact that Steve Driehaus has voted for a bill that includes taxpayer funding of abortion. His own affidavit refers to an Executive order which purports to undo the harms of the actual bill for which he voted. The bill retains the language which Rep. Bart Stupak referred to as an ‘accounting gimmick’ that allows for federal dollars to go to insurance plans that cover abortion. Steve Driehaus’ claim that he did not vote for taxpayer funding of abortion in the health care bill is only supported by the partisan Democrats for Life of America and the splinter group, Catholics United. However, the National Right to Life Committee, Americans United for Life, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Ohio Right to Life, and numerous other organizations and policy experts agree that the bill uses taxpayer dollars to fund abortions. At the very least one must conclude that the point is one of national dispute rather than one that comes under a criminal statute that is designed to punish blatant falsehoods. We are confident that the Ohio Elections commission and, most importantly, the people of Steve Driehaus’ congressional district will see through this heavy-handed attempt to silence free speech in the public sphere. Because of these tactics, we will spend more resources to make sure that Steve Driehaus’ constituents know the truth of his vote.”
Rep. Steve Driehaus filed a complaint with the Ohio Elections Commission on Tuesday, October 6th alleging that the Susan B. Anthony List is falsely accusing him of voting for taxpayer funding of abortion as a result of his vote in support of health care legislation.
The complaint was spurred in part by the Susan B. Anthony List’s intention to put up four billboards across his Congressional district. Rep. Driehaus ordered Lamar Companies not to put up the billboards until the matter was settled by the Ohio Elections Commission, stifling the free speech of the Susan B. Anthony List. A hearing has been set by the Ohio Elections Commission for Thursday, October 14th In Columbus, OH.
For further information, please contact Kerry Brown at (703) 470-1926 or [email protected].
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