Support Shimkus for House GOP Energy & Commerce Chairman
This is the 3rd time I’ve written about the chairmanship of a House committee, which is a lot. But as the National Right to Life Committee detailed in a letter to the House Republican Steering Committee on November 18:
There is no committee of the House of Representatives that has policy and oversight jurisdiction over as many areas of concern to the pro-life movement as the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Those would include abortion, embryonic stem cell research, and Obamacare.
Four of the 5 most senior E&C committee members want the chairman’s job when the Republican-dominated House convenes in January :
Joe Barton (TX-06): Pro-life
John Shimkus (IL-19): Pro-life
Cliff Stearns (FL-06): Pro-life
Fred Upton (MI-06): Pro-abortion
The one person who should not even be a contender is Fred Upton, particularly in light of the pro-life movement’s display of muscle in the 2010 elections. But which of the other 3 should get the job?
Sadly, Upton is more than a contender, he’s a leading contender. Read Upton’s atrocious legislative offenses against the sanctity of human life at Human Events. Kerry Picket wrote in the Washington Times November 29:
Mr. Upton’s voting record on financial, energy, and social issues are liberal to say the least and conservative activists are concerned Mr. Boehner may very well give Rep. Upton a pass. Congressman Upton, in a last ditch attempt to appeal to conservatives, has already “pledged” (h/t The Daily Caller) a number of agenda items he would stick to if he became chair, but his past liberal legislative actions are too vast to ignore. Glossing over such decisions on the congressman made would be irresponsible and tantamount to business as usual on Capitol Hill.
I agree but have decided it’s not enough to say no to Upton. Pro-lifers must also indicate who they support.
I support John Shimkus and urge fellow pro-lifers to call their representatives on the steering committee today, also expressing support for him. The vote is anticipated tomorrow.
Congressman Shimkus is from my home state of Illinois, and I have known him many years. While all 3 of the aforementioned pro-lifers co-sponsored the Born Alive Infants Protection Act (and Upton did not), it was Shimkus who went a step further and testified on its behalf on the House floor.
Shimkus’s pro-life accomplishments are many. But to the point of the E&C Committee, Shimkus has written a “Dear Colleague” letter detailing his intention to see fetal pain legislation reintroduced on the federal level, which is critical
Shimkus also detailed in that letter how he helped stop federal dollars from funding telemed abortions.
These 2 examples show Congressman Shimkus has his finger on the pulse of the latest pro-life and anti-life developments and wants to use his leadership position on the E&C Committee to steer their course.
For these reasons, I urge the Steering Committee to choose Congressman Shimkus as E&C chairman.
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.
If your representative is a Democrat, pray.
I just called Kevin McCarthy’s office and was not pleased by what happened. When I mentioned Energy and Commerce, the person handling the call immediately responded “Fred Upton.” McCarthy represents himself as pro-life, so I explained that we will tell our constituents in Bakersfield that McCarthy has cast a pro-abortion vote if he chooses Upton. I encouraged McCarthy to support Shimkus but I was told that “the vote is not public information until it has been cast” (with no explanation as to why Fred Upton’s name was immediately mentioned). The person handling the call then tried to hang up, not wanting to take down my name until I insisted upon it.
Please, any of you who think “my representative is pro-life, so he won’t support Upton” — think again! Make the call!
“If your representative is a Democrat, pray.”
But the rest of us don’t have to?
Sure Hal you can pray, but make sure you call your Republican representative as well :-)
The point was that if your congressman is a Democrat, it wouldn’t make much sense to call them to express your opinion on the chairmanship of the House Energy and Commerce Committee…but you can pray.
And Hal, if you feel so inclined, why don’t you just tell God that you’ve had a tough time reconciling all of the things you’ve heard about Him but if He’s as loving and kind and merciful as people say, that you’d like to get to know Him.
If you draw near to Him, He will draw near to you.
He is only a prayer away.
And then don’t concern yourself with how He’s going to communicate with you. He’s the Invisible God, right? That’s for Him to decide how He’ll manifest Himself to you.
Just have an expectancy. Be on the lookout…like the title of Francis Schaeffer’s classic, “He is There and He is Not Silent”.
Tim that’s disconcerting. Almost like “the deal(s)” is/are already in place.
You vote for me and I’ll make sure your district gets x or y.
Politics…