Emails: Democrats for Life Admits ObamaCare Bill Funds Abortions

National   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Oct 23, 2010   |   4:28PM   |   Washington, DC

Democrats for Life of America is supporting Ohio congressman Steve Driehaus in his bid to put the head of a pro-life group in jail for informing his constituents about his vote for taxpayer-funded abortions.

However, internal emails LifeNews.com has obtained from DFLA to the Susan B. Anthony List reveal DFLA director Kristen Day admitting the bill funds abortions.

At issue is the criminal complaint Driehaus filed with the Ohio Election Commission alleging the SBA List intended to deceive voters in his Cincinnati district by purchasing billboard space saying Driehaus voted for taxpayer funding of abortions.

The complaint would have SBA List president Marjorie Dannenfelser serve jail time and pay a fine for supposedly lying about Driehaus — and Democrats for Life of America issued a scathing press release attacking SBA claiming it was “lying” about the status of the ObamaCare bill.

But an email LifeNews.com obtained from a pro-life source from Day to SBA List executive director Emily Buchanan on March 5 shows Day saying the bill funds abortions and asking SBA List to “help put pressure on the people who need it most” who were considering supporting the ObamaCare bill.

The bill lists several members of Congress and advises the SBA List on whether it should take out ads urging the public to call them and ask them to vote against the ObamaCare bill because of the abortion funding.

“I appreciate all the work the SBA List has done on health care,” Day says in the email. “With respect to the polling, [the ads] will be very helpful in some districts for pro-life democrats who may change their vote.”

“There are some on your current list who I am 100 percent positive will not change their vote and there were others that I am concerned about that were not on your list,” she says of the potential SBA List targets. “Certain Members could use a more pressure and if you are doing another round, I would like to make some suggestions.”

About the lawmakers who Day suggested SBA List give special attention to included those who Day admitted “claim to be pro-life Democrats but have not been voting like a pro-life Democrat.”

Day also said about Driehaus that there was “no need for” an ad because he would “stick with Stupak” in opposing abortion funding in the health care reform bill.

Another email from Day to a group of pro-life leaders and activists dated March 4, 2010, cited Rep. Bart Stupak of Michigan saying:

“[T]he bill that they are using as a vehicle is the Senate bill. If you go to page 2069 through page 2078, you would find in there the federal government would directly subsidize abortions, plus every enrollee in the Office of Personnel management plan, every enrollee has to pay a minimum of $1 per month toward reproductive rights which includes abortion.”

Douglas Johnson, the legislative director of the National Right to Life Committee, responded to a request for comment from LifeNews.com about the emails.

“In January, February, and early March, Day herself told others that she was working to persuade as many Democratic House members as possible to continue to oppose the bill, precisely because of the multiple abortion problems,” he said. [related]

“Nothing changed in the bill after that –yet now, Day wants to rewrite history and pretend that there was never an abortion problem with the bill at all,” Johnson added.

“Worse, Day now insists that anybody who didn’t flip flop like she did is “lying.” So Day’s credibility on these matters at this point is somewhere near absolute zero,” he concluded.