House Democrats Pick Abortion Advocates Pelosi, Hoyer as Leaders

National   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Nov 16, 2006   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

House Democrats Pick Abortion Advocates Pelosi, Hoyer as Leaders Email this article
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
November 16
, 2006

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — Members of the Democratic caucus in the House sealed their plan to promote abortion and embryonic stem cell research in the next session of Congress as they picked staunch abortion advocates to lead their party. That means pro-abortion lawmakers will set the agenda of the House for the next two years.

Democrats unanimously named pro-abortion California Rep. Nancy Pelosi as the first female Speaker of the House.

Pelosi is a staunch abortion advocate. In the last Congressional session alone, Pelosi compiled a 0 percent pro-life voting record on 10 votes NRLC recorded.

She voted four times against a bill that would help support parental notification laws in over two dozen states, she voted twice to force taxpayers to fund embryonic stem cell research and voted three times to spend tax money on abortions in the United States and overseas.

Pelosi also refused to support a bipartisan effort to allow Terri Schiavo’s parents to take their case to prevent her former husband from killing her to federal courts for a review.

Her career-long effort to keep abortion legal throughout pregnancy and paid for with tax money led to Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion business, finding its newest president.

Cecile Richards became the abortion advocacy group’s president in January. Before that, she worked as Pelosi’s deputy chief of staff. That will certainly give the abortion business an edge in promoting its agenda in the House.

Meanwhile, House Democrats selected pro-abortion Maryland congressman Steny Hoyer for the number two post. Hoyer, who has a 0 percent pro-life voting record going back to the 1980s, according to the National Right to Life Committee, will become the Majority Leader.

Hoyer defeated Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania, who had Pelosi’s backing, on a lopsided 149-86 vote. Murtha opposed abortion but disappointed pro-life advocates with votes on euthanasia and embryonic stem cell research.

Like Pelosi, Hoyer also backed the bill forcing taxpayers to pay for embryonic stem cell research and voted to override President Bush’s veto of the measure.

House Republicans select their leadership team tomorrow.

On the Senate side, Republicans turned to two pro-life lawmakers to lead them in the wake of the mid-term elections, which saw voters give pro-abortion Democrats control of the chamber.

Democrats, in the Senate held their leadership elections Tuesday and chose abortion advocates to head their party. Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada was elected as the Majority Leader while abortion advocate Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin will serve in the number two post.