Pennsylvania Ads: Bob Casey Voted for Pro-Abortion Obamacare

State   |   Steven Ertelt, Andrew Bair   |   Nov 1, 2012   |   3:49PM   |   Harrisburg, PA

Senator Bob Casey in Pennsylvania is facing new ads from a pro-life women’s group that highlights how he claims to be pro-life but voted for the Obamacare health care bill that contains no limits on abortion funding.

The Susan B. Anthony List is spending $50,000 to run radio ads that highlight the vote and say it contradicts his stated pro-life position on abortion.

“Bob Casey Jr. says he’s pro-life but Casey Jr. voted for Obamacare, the largest expansion of abortion in U.S. history, even forcing churches to pay for abortion-inducing drugs, against their religions belief,” the ad says.

Republican challenger Tom Smith takes a pro-life position on abortion.

While Casey’s website does not even mention pro-life issues, Smith’s website features this statement: “Tom Smith is pro-life, period. He will work in the United States Senate to protect our most vulnerable citizens. He will not be afraid to hold officials in the Executive Branch and prospective judges accountable for their views and actions.” Smith has also publicly committed to repealing the pro-abortion Obama healthcare law. (Casey voted for the law.)

Despite campaigning on a pro-life platform during his campaign for Senate in 2006, Senator Bob Casey, Jr. has achieved a mere 44% pro-life voting record according to the National Right to Life Committee. Not factored into that rating are also the votes Casey cast to appoint pro-abortion Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan to the US Supreme Court. One of the most important duties for a pro-life senator is to confirm justices who will interpret the Constitution in a strict constructionist manner and not legislate from the bench as the Court did in Roe vs. Wade.

Senator Casey has also drawn the ire of pro-life advocates for voting to maintain federal funding for Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider. His father, Governor Bob Casey Sr., a legitimately pro-life Democrat, fought Planned Parenthood all the way to the US Supreme Court. Senator Casey stood with Planned Parenthood. Gov. Casey was denied a speaking slot at the 1992 Democratic National Convention for his pro-life views. Senator Casey has done nothing to combat the pro-abortion position of his party. In fact, he was one of the first vocal supporters of Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign, despite a well-documented pro-abortion record in the US Senate and the Illinois State Senate.

Senator Casey has a mixed record on abortion funding. He voted to cut funding to the United Nations Population Fund, which bolsters the efforts of the Chinese government to carry out the pro-forced abortion One Child Policy. However, Casey has voted to undermine the pro-life Mexico City Policy, which prohibits federal funding for organizations that promote or provide abortions overseas. In addition, Casey voted to expand abortion funding when he cast a deciding vote in favor of Obamacare.

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Casey defends each of his abortion funding votes by inaccurately depicting the scope of the pro-life Hyde Amendment. Casey invokes the Hyde Amendment at any point that his votes against the Mexico City Policy, for Obamacare or for Planned Parenthood funding are called into question. In Casey’s world of delusion, the Hyde Amendment does not apply only to funds allocated by the annual appropriations bill for the Department of Health and Human Services but rather constitutes an entire government-wide ban. For Casey, the adoption of the Hyde Amendment each year exempts him from any blame for casting pro-abortion votes.

Casey ignored the concerns raised by pro-life organizations like the National Right to Life Committee when it was revealed that the Obama healthcare bill contained abortion funding. He also conveniently ignored the fact that the Hyde Amendment does not apply to the new streams of funding created under the law.