Any House member who votes for the Senate bill, based on promises of later “fixes,” is virtually certain to be voting for federal funding of abortion.
American Catholic bishops are being kept at the negotiating table with pledges to enact abortion protections as separate legislation amending the Senate bill after it is passed. A vote for the Senate bill now, they say, is just a way “to keep the process moving.”
The pledges, however, are written in disappearing ink, if written at all. Abortion provisions are not likely to pass muster as budget measures, and hence can’t be passed with a mere 51 votes as part of reconciliation. The Senate does not have 60 pro-life votes to stop a filibuster against anti-abortion legislation.
The National Right to Life Committee issued a strong statement saying that:
When all of the pro-abortion provisions are considered in total, the Senate bill is the most pro-abortion single piece of legislation that has ever come to the House floor for a vote, since Roe v. Wade. Any House member who votes for the Senate health bill is casting a career-defining pro-abortion vote. A House member who votes for the Senate bill would forfeit a plausible claim to pro-life credentials. No House member who votes for the Senate bill will be regarded, in the future, as having a record against federal funding of abortion . . .
Given these political realities, all House members who vote for the Senate bill would become accessories to the sin of abortion, according to Catholic theology. Or they would become enablers, according to medical/psychologic terminology.
Chicago-style politics is in high gear to accomplish Obama’s goals. Methods include promising Members a safe harbor if they get voted out of office. Or there are threats, such as an “ethics” investigation for “verbally abusing” a staff member, say by raising one’s voice or saying a bad word. Other promises mentioned in the blogosphere include making a pesky FBI investigation go away, or getting a favorable real estate deal, or landing a federal judgeship for a family member.
Those are the types of promises that today’s Leaders can be trusted to keep.
Below is a list of House Democrats who are undecided according to The Hill. 13 of them voted for the pro-life Stupak amendment. Please contact these undecided House members and tell them that the Senate bill cannot be fixed if the House votes for it. The Capitol Switchboard is: (202) 224-3121. Call and tell the operator which office you would like to be connected to.
More contact information can be found at http://www.contactingthecongress.org/ and http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW_by_State.shtml .
* — Voted for Stupak amendment in Nov.
(Y) — Voted yes in November
Undecided
Brian Baird (Wash.)
Marion Berry (Ark.) * (Y)
John Boccieri (Ohio) *
Dennis Cardoza (Calif.) * (Y)
Kathleen Dahlkemper (Pa.) * (Y)
Steve Driehaus (Ohio) * (Y)
Bart Gordon (Tenn.) *
Mary Jo Kilroy (Ohio) (Y)
Ron Kind (Wis.) (Y)
Dan Maffei (N.Y.) (Y)
Scott Murphy (N.Y.)
Solomon Ortiz (Texas) * (Y)
Tom Perriello (Va.) * (Y)
Nick Rahall (W.Va.) * (Y)
John Spratt (S.C.) * (Y)
Bart Stupak (Mich.) * (Y)
John Tanner (Tenn.) *
Leaning Yes
Russ Carnahan (Mo.) (Y)
Jim Oberstar (Minn.) * (Y)
Leaning No
Michael Arcuri (N.Y.) (Y)
