Rep. John Boehner
1011 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Minority Leader Boehner,
As you are well aware, President Obama has recently taken a new approach to healthcare reform. Next week, as Republicans and Democrats gather at the White House to make a renewed attempt at a bipartisan healthcare reform bill, we urge you to stand by the Stupak Amendment. In a recent interview with Katie Couric, the president said, “Let’s just go through these bills — their ideas, our ideas — let’s walk through them in a methodical way so that the American people can see and compare what makes the most sense.” It seems that President Obama has now realized he simply cannot afford to ignore the areas of greatest bipartisan consensus.
American public opinion polling tells us that there can be no greater bipartisan agreement than on the subject of limiting public funds for abortion. An overwhelming majority of Americans—72% according to a recent Quinnipiac poll—oppose using public funds to subsidize abortion in the name of “health care.” Last fall, 64 House Democrats (1/4 of the Democratic members) joined your caucus in the House to pass the Stupak Amendment to exclude abortion funding from the House health care bill. This vote was the single largest bipartisan success in the health care debate thus far.
The American people want clear language to prevent the use of taxpayer dollars for abortion or any health care plans that cover abortion. This is the status quo, as defined by the Hyde Amendment and numerous longstanding budgetary riders. The only legislative language that will maintain the status quo is the bipartisan Stupak Amendment as passed by the House.
On behalf of the 72% of Americans who do not want to pay for abortions, we urge you to demand the President uphold his claim to “protect the consciences of taxpayers.” Any bipartisan effort on health care must begin with the end in mind —that means jettisoning the issues like abortion funding that offend an overwhelming bipartisan American majority from the start. We urge you to honor the national consensus against taxpayer funding of abortion on-demand. Please stand true to your party platform and do all you can to protect the consciences of the American taxpayers.
If the President cannot begin this bipartisan process by abiding by what Americans of all stripes have already made astoundingly clear, he cannot expect to proceed well. If the President does not support language to completely take abortion off the table, then he reveals that abortion ideology is more precious to him than even his top domestic priority.
The pro-life position is gaining momentum. The Susan B. Anthony List and our allies are witnessing a springtime of pro-life activism, the likes of which has not ever been seen before, including the year 1973 when Roe v. Wade struck down every pro-life law in the nation. The grassroots tidal wave of support for the Stupak amendment has only strengthened the bipartisan coalition advocating respect for the consciences of the majority of taxpayers.
Sincerely,
Marjorie Dannenfelser
President, Susan B. Anthony List
Tom McClusky
Sr. Vice President, Family Research Council Action
Tom Minnery
Senior Vice President, Government and Public Policy, Focus on the Family
David Bereit
National Director, 40 Days for Life
Brian Burch
President, CatholicVoteAction.org
Andy Blom
Executive Director, American Principles in Action
Gary Aldrich
Chairman, CNP Action, Inc.
Steven Ertelt
Editor and CEO, Lifenews.com
Penny Pullen
President, Life Advocacy Resource Project
Dr. Pat McEwen
Director, Life Coalition International
Joseph A. Brinck
President, Sanctity of Life Foundation
Dr. Carl Herbster
President, AdvanceUSA
Dorothy Wallis
President, Caring to Love Ministries
Steven W. Mosher
President, Population Research Institute
Samuel E. Ericsson
President, Advocates International
Dana Cody, Esq.
President, Life Legal Defense Foundation
Kristan Hawkins
President, Students for Life of America
Fr. Frank Pavone
National Director, Priests for Life
President, National Pro-life Religious Council
Georgette Forney
President, Anglicans for Life
David Ripley
President, Idaho Chooses Life
Christopher Bell
President, Good Counsel, Inc.
Gary L. Bauer
President, American Values
Rev. Paul Stallsworth
Taskforce of United Methodists on Abortion and Sexuality—Lifewatch
Jo Tolck
Executive Director, Human Life Alliance
Penny Young Nance
CEO, Concerned Women for America
Dr. Charmaine Yoest
President, Americans United for Life
Joyce Zounis
Beyond The Bandaide Radio
Jim Hughes
National President, Campaign Life Coalition
Bradley Mattes
Executive Director, Life Issues Institute
J.C. Willke, M.D.
President, Life Issues Institute
Margaret H. Hartshorn, Ph.D.
President, Heartbeat International
Theresa Bonopartis
Director, Lumina/Hope Healing After Abortion
