End of weekend: House Democrat pro-life remnant hanging tough
From The Hill, tonight:
Freshman Rep. Steve Driehaus (D-OH) is getting VP Joe Biden’s fundraising help Monday, but he says his healthcare vote can’t be bought.
Driehaus is part of a group of Democrats, led by Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI), who are insisting that a provision banning abortion funding be included in whatever reconciliation agreement is worked out.
And Driehaus… sounds pretty firm.
“While I certainly support this initiative… I will not bend on the principle of federal funding on abortion…. They are going to have to do it without me and without the other pro-life Democrats.”…
Also, CNN reported yesterday pro-lifer Heath Shuler is a “no,” which is great.
And FireDogLake.com reported today:
The Stupak 6 looks pretty set. Marion Berry (D-AR) took the unusual step of introducing his own health care bill out of nowhere this week, a sign that he’s setting up some excuse of “I had my own bill.” He’s in the Stupak bloc.
Kathy Dahlkemper sounds a bit more uncommitted in this local story, but her spokesman says “She was opposed to the Senate abortion language. Period,” and nothing’s being done to change that. Dahlkemper may be holding out for some promise of accompanying legislation, but she sure looks like a no to me.
No one outside the Stupak circle knows for sure who is in it, and they may no longer know for sure how many are still standing. But the aforementioned report comes from a pro-abort, so it appears there are at least a solid 6. On March 12 Stupak said he’d lost “1 or 2 of my 12.”
Former Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave wrote on a Susan B. Anthony update (raising $ for pro-life ads in target districts) today:
The good news? You and I can stop this. We can provide reinforcements to these brave pro-life Democrats and mobilize even more pro-life constituents in districts where they are wavering.
As a former member of Congress, I know first-hand what it’s like to be put under Party pressure. I can sincerely tell you that calls and e-mails of support from constituents to put principles first make all the difference.
So please make your calls and write your emails tomorrow.
Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.
High five to all these Democrats. I hope people who take viscous delight in insulting and deriding Democrats see this and think twice before unleashing mockeries against them
Are we now celebrating Dems and Repubs that claim to have a position on the right to life?
Since when do we need an elected representative to determine what is right and what is wrong for us?
Any discussion about abortion language in a government run health care program is a distraction.
Abortion is NOT health care. A trained medical practitioner that kills a child in the womb is NOT a doctor.
From the Hippocratic Oath; “…I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody if asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect. Similarly I will not give to a woman an abortive remedy. In purity and holiness I will guard my life and my art…”