Pro-Abortion Democrat: Elena Kagan Not Pro-Abortion Enough, FRC Disagrees
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
May 19, 2010
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — One of the leading pro-abortion Democrats in the House is complaining that Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan is not pro-abortion enough. But Family Research Council vice president Tom McClusky tells LifeNews.com that Kagan’s record is thoroughly pro-abortion and unworthy of support.
New York Rep. Louis Slaughter, the head of the pro-abortion caucus for House members, is concerned about a memo Kagan wrote in 1997.
The memo, which has her advising pro-abortion ex-President Bill Clinton to support legislation that would give him political cover for vetoing a partial-birth abortion ban, is the source of Slaughter’s concerns.
She calls it "troubling" and is asking the Senate Judiciary Committee to fully probe Kagan when it holds hearings on her nomination in late June.
Slaughter sent a letter to pro-abortion Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy and the top Republican on the panel, pro-life Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, yesterday.
McClusky has sent his own letter to Slaughter in response saying her interpretation of the memo as somehow compromising Kagan’s polemic pro-abortion views is inaccurate.
"In your correspondence, you express concern that the complete lack of a judicial record for President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee makes it essential that the committee scrutinize her views on abortion," he writes. "I agree with you that Ms. Kagan’s views on abortion deserve major attention."
"Having reviewed her record, I assure you she is as pro-abortion as you and other members of your caucus," he continued.
McClusky says that, throughout her career, "Kagan has supported the promotion of abortion, even if it includes funding with American tax dollars."
"She publicly disagreed with the decision in Rust v. Sullivan that gave the government the right to deny taxpayer funds to groups that perform or promote abortions. A large majority of Americans disagree with her on that position, as did the Supreme Court," the FRC vice-president said.
The pro-life advocate said of the contentious memo that Kagan was seeking to promote a "compromise" allowing for "health exceptions" to the ban on the gruesome and cruel procedure of partial birth abortion — something he pointed out had the opposition of pro-life groups.
"Rest assured, both pro-life and pro-abortion activists at the time recognized that ‘compromise’ for exactly what it was. It was a blatant attempt to create a giant loophole rendering the bill meaningless," he explained. "Fortunately, this ‘compromise’ was discarded and President Clinton ultimately vetoed the stronger bill, very likely on the recommendation of Ms. Kagan."
McClusky concluded the letter, saying, "I look forward to the confirmation proceedings and seeing your concerns regarding the abortion issue raised. Americans can then see how far out of the mainstream this nominee is on the legality of elective abortions."
Related web sites:
FRC letter – https://www.frcaction.org/letters/slaughter-scotus
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