Pro-Life Democrats Pay the Price for Backing Abortion-Funding ObamaCare

National   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Nov 2, 2010   |   11:52PM   |   Washington, DC

They said the legislation that would allow a government-run health care program did not fund abortions and they said an executive order President Barack Obama signed would ensure that was the case.

When legal analysis from every respected pro-life groups showed otherwise, a handful of self-declared pro-life Democrats insisted pro-life groups were lying.

In one case, with Steve Driehaus of Ohio, the pro-life women’s group Susan B. Anthony List faces accusations that its billboards were false and could potentially be forced to pay fines or serve jail time if a state elections commission agrees. Driehaus is currently losing his re-election bid to pro-life former Rep. Steve Chabot, a Republican who won praise from pro-life advocates for his hard work promoting a national ban on partial-birth abortions in the House.

But voters reminded those Democrats on Tuesday that pro-life organizations were right and replaced them with pro-life Republicans who campaigned against ObamaCare and on a more consistent pro-life platform.

Thus far, eight of the so-called pro-life Democrats have lost their bids for re-election. That includes Rep. Kathy Dahlkemper, Chris Carney and Paul Kanjorski of Pennsylvania; Alan Mollohan of West Virginia; Baron Hill of Indiana; and Charlie Wilson of Ohio. 

On the other side, one of the few pro-life Democrats to oppose the pro-abortion health care bill, Rep. Dan Lipinski from Illinois, won his re-election bid.

Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council said, “Last April, FRC Action PAC announced that it would work to replace twenty so-called ‘pro-life’ Democrats who voted for a health care bill that for the first time in three decades uses taxpayer funds for abortion on demand.”

Charmaine Yoest of Americans United for Life added:  “During the debate over the health care bill, we urged Members of Congress to reject taxpayer-funded abortion.”

The SBA List ran a “Votes Have Consequences” campaign involving $3.4 million and a massive us tour and voting information effort that targeted the “pro-life Democrats” who supported pro-abortion ObamaCare.

One of its targets, Democratic Rep.Brad Ellsworth of Indiana, who ran against pro-life Senate candidate Dan Coats, lost his bid for U.S. Senate.

SBA List President Marjorie Dannenfelser said: “Congressman Ellsworth tried to explain away his vote for a health care plan that included such funding and paid the price with pro-life voters.  Dan Coats’ victory brings authentic pro-life leadership to the U.S. Senate from Indiana,” she added.

Ellsworth and other so-called “pro-life” Democrats voted in favor of the pro-life Stupak Amendment to the health care bill, but eventually betrayed their constituents by voting in favor of the final bill that did not contain the Stupak Amendment and includes taxpayer funding of abortion.