Pro-Life Women’s Group Strips Bart Stupak of Pro-Life Award After Abortion Deal
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
March 20, 2010
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — In the first indication of just how upset Congressman Bart Stupak made pro-life groups by arranging a deal on abortion funding with President Barack Obama, a pro-life women’s group is stripping the formerly respected pro-life Democrat of an award it planned to give him this week.
Stupak announced earlier today that he arranged an executive order with Obama to nullify the abortion funding in the pro-abortion Senate health care bill.
But, pro-life groups say the deal is worthless because an executive order can’t be used to modify federal law, which will be changed under the Senate bill to allow abortion funding.
Saying it plans to "drive out" of Congress the pro-life betrayers who vote for the pro-abortion health care bill, the Susan B. Anthony List told LifeNews.com that Stupak will lose its "Defender of Life" award the group planned to give to Stupak at its annual dinner gala this coming week.
"This Wednesday night is our third annual Campaign for Life Gala, where we were planning to honor Congressman Stupak for his efforts to keep abortion-funding out of health care reform," SBA List president Marjorie Dannenfelser told LifeNews.com.
"We will no longer be doing so. By accepting this deal from the most pro-abortion President in American history, Stupak has not only failed to stand strong for unborn children, but also for his constituents and pro-life voters across the country," she said.
Stupak talked with CNN about the decision and said, "I didn’t see the award. I stood on my principle. I don’t need an award."
The move went beyond merely an award and SBA List said the vote on the pro-abortion health care legislation would have election consequences.
"Let me be clear: any representative, including Rep. Stupak, who votes for this healthcare bill can no longer call themselves ‘pro-life.’ The Susan B. Anthony List Candidate Fund will not endorse, or support in any capacity, any Member of Congress who votes for this bill in any future election," Dannenfelser warned.
"Now through Election Day 2010, these representatives will learn that votes have consequences. The SBA List Candidate Fund will work tirelessly to help defeat Members who support this legislation and make sure their constituents know exactly how they voted," she continued. "We will actively seek out true pro-life candidates to oppose Members who vote ‘yes’ on this bill, whether it be in general or primary elections. For these Members, it will be a quick downhill slide to defeat in November."
Dannenfelser said the executive order does not do what Stupak claims it would.
"The executive order on abortion funding does absolutely nothing to fix the problems presented by the health care reform bill that the House will vote on this evening. The very idea should offend all pro-life Members of Congress. An executive order can be rescinded at any time at the President’s whim, and the courts could and have a history of trumping executive orders. Most importantly, pro-abortion Representatives have admitted the executive order is meaningless," she told LifeNews.com.
She pointed to comments from Rep. Wasserman Schultz today, who admitted that "an executive order cannot change the law."
Related web sites:
Susan B. Anthony List – https://www.sba-list-org
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