Two weeks ago today Republican House leaders outdid themselves on the scale of betrayal by suddenly pulling a vote on the Pain Capable 20-week abortion ban the day before 500,000 pro-lifers to whom they’d promised that vote descended on Washington for the March for Life.
I was pretty angry that day, and, if anything, I’m angrier today. I’m not alone in wanting the political scalp of turncoat ringleader Congresswoman Renee Ellmers (pictured above with Speaker John Boehner) and whoever all her allies are found to be.
Some have been outed: Reps. Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania and Jackie Walorski of Indiana. At least one other is now trying to disclaim responsibility.
They’re running scared from the avalanche of pro-life anger.
I’m all in on ousting every last culprit and have let my friends in D.C. know I’ll help however I can.
So I am surely one of those whose “abhorrent and childish behaviors” have “appalled” Ellmers, as she wrote in an ill-conceived response to the blowback on January 30.
In that statement, Ellmers, true to her newly revealed character, turned on GOP leadership:
I remain disappointed that the concern for the language of mandatory reporting of rape to law enforcement held by House Republican women and many men were not addressed before our leadership made the decision to pull the bill from the House floor in the eleventh hour.
While I have nothing good to say about the GOP House leadership, we now know Ellmers’ contention isn’t true. As detailed in NRO’s piece, “The quarrel that blew up the GOP abortion bill,” leaders did try to address those concerns – several times.
Ellmers’ legislative assistant Kristi Gribble Thompson (pictured right) promised to call me “within in a couple days” when we protested Ellmers’ office 13 days ago, implying there was more to the story. I’m still waiting to hear it.
But Ellmers has since reaffirmed the inexplicable story is the story: She pulled support from the identically worded bill she voted for in 2013 due to a requirement that a mother seeking an abortion past 20 weeks file a police report, as part of the (unnecessary and repugnant) rape/incest exception.
This was to protect that mother and other girls and women from sexual perpetrators by locking them up, and it was to preclude an obvious loophole which would otherwise enable abortionists to check the box every time that their patients were rape victims without having to provide any evidence.
Furthermore, there is something off in a scenario where a rape victim would seek an abortion only after 20 weeks. Rep. Ellmers should want to know what is wrong with that picture. Is this a child who didn’t realize she was pregnant? Is this the victim of sex trafficking?
In her January 30 statement, Ellmers waxed on about “empower[ing] women with courage to face this crisis.” How does not reporting the crime do that?
Speaking of courage, Ellmers had been hiding from everyone until yesterday, when she attempted to defend herself to a group of pro-life students who dropped by her office.
But even that was accidental. I’m told by a rep from Students for Life of America that Ellmers actually thought she was walking up on a photo op and then got stuck.
In her nonapology letter, Ellmers concluded, “It’s unimaginable to me why some outside parties would seek to target strong, pro-life conservative women and men who are serving in Congress.”
Who are they, Congresswoman Ellmers? It is unimaginable to me that you might consider yourself part of that crowd.
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.