Washington, D.C. – Today the Susan B. Anthony List announced support for an amendment filed by Senators Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) to prevent government funding for abortion or health plans that cover abortion in the Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act. [Read letter to the Senate.] The Nelson Amendment is co-sponsored by Sens. Robert Casey ( D-Penn.), Sam Brownback (R-Kansas), John Thune, (R-S.D.), Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), Mike Johanns (R-Neb.) David Vitter (R-La.), and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) The amendment closely mirrors the Stupak-Pitts Amendment which passed the House of Representatives earlier this year by a vote of 240-194.
“Every day, public servants like Bart Stupak and Ben Nelson decide where they are willing to draw a line in the sand, what principles they are willing defend, no matter the cost,” said Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser. “During today’s vote on the Nelson Amendment, Americans will be watching the actions of self-described pro-life senators and senators from pro-life states.
“Today’s vote may not be the last opportunity to take a principled stand for women and unborn children,” said Dannenfelser. “If the Nelson-Stupak language is not present in the final version of health care reform, no senator who breaks the current consensus and votes to expand publicly funded abortion can legitimately call himself pro-life. This is especially true for the sponsors of the Nelson amendment.
“On behalf of a majority pro-life America, I urge senators to vote yes in support of the pro-life Nelson-Hatch-Casey Amendment. Despite claims by abortion advocates, there is no middle ground on this issue – either you fund abortion or you don’t. There is no room for compromise when human life is at stake. Americans – women included – reject the radical feminist vision of an abortion for every home, at government expense.”
As part of its Votes Have Consequences project, the Susan B. Anthony List has funded $130,000 in television (video), radio ads and educational phone calls across Nevada calling on Senator Reid to defend Life in health care reform. The Susan B. Anthony list plans to renew its ad buys in mid-December. The Susan B. Anthony List also delivered a letter to Reid signed by 15 pro-life leaders earlier this year, urging the senator to cease calling himself “pro-life” as long as he supports the inclusion of abortion in health care reform.
For the last several months, the Susan B. Anthony List has mobilized tens of thousands of pro-life Americans nationwide to urge Congress to exclude abortion from healthcare reform. Susan B. Anthony List activists have sent nearly 500,000 letters to Congress requesting an explicit exclusion of abortion from health care reform.
The Susan B. Anthony List is a nationwide network of Americans, over 167,000 residing in all 50 states, dedicated to mobilizing, advancing, and representing pro-life women in politics. Its connected Candidate Fund increases the percentage of pro-life women in the political process.
CONTACT: Joy Yearout (703) 380-6674 or jyearout [at] www.sbaprolife.org
