Life Advocacy Briefing

            House Democratic Leaders have announced they are planning to call up as early as this Saturday the Pelosi Plan to put all Americans onto a Medicaid-style bureaucratic government medical system and, in the name of “cost cutting,” rationing our health care.

The Pelosi scheme is numbered HR-3962, and it will come to the full House only after adoption of a Rule governing its consideration.  Though attempts have been made by House liberals this week to sucker pro-life citizens and lawmakers into thinking “the abortion issue” has been resolved – by an amendment put forth by Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D-IN) – the Ellsworth language is nothing but a cynical attempt at cover.

It is critical – and possible – that the Rule be defeated. Calls and electronic mail messages to House Members should stress: “Vote ‘No’ on the Rule for HR-3962. Support the Stupak/Pitts/Hyde Amendment to take abortion out of health care.” A vote for the Rule without Stupak/Pitts/Hyde being allowed – or a vote for HR-3962 without the Stupak/Pitts/Hyde language being included – is a vote for the largest expansion of the abortion industry – and at taxpayer expense – since Roe v. Wade.

E-mail to individual Members can be sent via the Internet site www.house.gov. Calls to House offices may be placed via the Capitol switchboard at 1-202/224-3121 and to the district offices of each Member. District office contact information is available through the House website or by contacting the reference desk of the local public library.

We have received through Eagle Forum a “target” list of House Members whose votes could be pivotal in defeating the Rule for HR-3962. The list was formulated from a Democratic vote count list on the Pelosi Plan itself, leaked last week. (Not all these lawmakers are motivated by concerns about abortion, but the more “no” calls they receive for whatever reason, the more controversial – and therefore unattractive – the measure will be.) All are Democratic Representatives.

Declared “undecided:” Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ); Suzanne Kosmas (FL); Brad Ellsworth (IN); Michael Arcuri (NY); Kurt Schrader (OR); Paul Kanjorski (PA); James Langevin (RI); Henry Cuellar, Chet Edwards & Ciro Rodriguez (TX); Adam Smith (WA); Alan  Mollohan (WV).

Declared “leaning ‘no’:” Gabrielle Giffords (AZ), Loretta Sanchez (CA), Allen Boyd & Ron Klein (FL), Deborah Halvorson (IL), Dan Maffei (NY), Glenn Nye & Bobby Scott (VA).

Declared “no” (but subject to pressure from Speaker Pelosi and others – needing reinforcement): Bobby Bright, Artur Davis & Parker Griffith (AL); Henry Mitchell (AZ); Marion Berry & Mike Ross (AR); Dennis Cardoza & Jim Costa (CA); Betsy Markey (CO); John Barrow & Jim Marshall (GA); Walt Minnick (ID); Melissa Bean & Dan Lipinski (IL); Joe Donnelly & Baron Hill (IN); Ben Chandler (KY); Charlie Melancon (LA); Michael Michaud (ME); Frank Kratovil (MD); Bart Stupak (MI); Collin Peterson (MN);, Travis Childers & Gene Taylor (MS);, Ike Skelton (MO);, John Adler (NJ); Harry Teague (NM); Eric Massa & Mike McMahon (NY); Mike McIntyre & Heath Shuler (NC); Earl Pomeroy (ND); Zack Space (OH); Dan Boren (OK); Jason Altmire, Kathy Dahlkemper & Tim Holden (PA); Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin (SD); Jim Cooper, Lincoln Davis, Bart Gordon & John Tanner (TN); Jim Matheson (UT); Rick Boucher (VA); Brian Baird (WA); Steve Kagen (WI).

Declared “no” though previously “leaning ‘yes’:” Gerry Connolly & Tom Perriello (both VA).

Leaning “yes:” Laura Richardson (CA), Neil Abercrombie (HI), Peter Visclosky (IN), Paul Hodes (NH), C.A. Ruppersberger (MD), Stephen Lynch & Edward Markey (MA), Gary Peters (MI), Bob Etheridge (NC), John Boccieri, Steve Driehaus, Marcy Kaptur & Dennis Kucinich (OH), David Wu (OR), Christopher Carney & John Murtha (PA), Jay Inslee (WA), Nick Rahall (WV).

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