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News Release
For Immediate Release: July 28, 2009
Contact: Diane Gramley 1.814.271.9078 or 1.814.437.5355
Pro-family Group Blasts Congressmen Who Signed “the letter,” but Refused to Vote
(Harrisburg) – Today a statewide pro-family group faxed each of Pennsylvania’s four Congressmen who signed a June 25th letter to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi which asked that abortion not be mandated in the health care reform bill. The letter sent by the American Family Association of Pennsylvania (AFA of PA) thanked the Congressmen for their signatures on the June letter, but asked why they chose not to put action behind their words last Friday when they voted against Congressman Mike Pence’s amendment to defund Planned Parenthood.
“Congressmen Mike Doyle, Tim Holden, Paul Kanjorski, and John Murtha signed onto the Pelosi letter which specifically notes that funding restrictions limit the number of abortions. Is a simple signature as deep as their pro-life convictions go?” asked Diane Gramley, president of the AFA of PA. “Pennsylvanians expect more.”
As Americans become more pro-life – a May Gallup poll showed 51% of Americans are pro-life -- those lawmakers who do not boldly defend life are not with the mainstream of America. What Americans want are elected officials who have the courage to not only sign letters, but carry those convictions to the floor of their respective chambers.
The letter faxed today said in part:
“Unfortunately, one month later your signature did not translate into a vote in support of Congressman Mike Pence’s amendment stripping Title X funding for Planned Parenthood from the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations bill. The first sentence in paragraph four of the June 25th letter states, “Furthermore, funding restrictions save lives by reducing the number of abortions.” This sentence and your vote on July 24th are the exact opposites! One must now wonder whether you read the June 25th letter that bears your signature.
Support for Congressman Pence’s amendment would have been a perfect opportunity for you to show you were really serious about reducing the number of abortions. Defunding Planned Parenthood, the largest provider of abortions in the United States and the largest recipient of federal dollars under Title X, is a no-brainer if one is truly interested in saving lives.”
Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper was also a signer of the June 25th letter to Speaker Pelosi, but she did not vote on the Pence amendment last Friday.
“The issue of life is basic . . . without life there is nothing else. If we cannot trust those elected to represent us to vote to protect the most innocent of Americans – babies in the womb – how can we trust them to vote right on anything? This issue goes beyond party affiliation – don’t sign onto a letter saying one thing and then turn around and vote the exact opposite,” further noted Gramley.
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