Life Advocacy Briefing

Off a Week

THE EDITORIAL TEAM for Life Advocacy Briefing will be traveling next week at the time we would normally be preparing the weekly bulletin, so please excuse us and do not expect an edition for Oct. 24. We expect to return the following week with timely news you can use in the cause of Life.

 

Justice Coming After All?

THE FIRST PROSECUTION of one of Planned Parenthood’s partners in baby-body-parts trafficking was announced last Wednesday, according to a news release from the Center for Medical Progress. We reprint the news release here, rejoicing that action is being taken to pursue those who are believed to be involved in this unconscionable racket.

“The Orange County, California, District Attorney’s Office announced today they are prosecuting a criminal lawsuit against Planned Parenthood of Orange & SanBernardino Counties’ longtime baby-body-parts business partners, sister companies DaVinci Biosciences and DV Biologics.

“For eight years, Planned Parenthood supplied aborted baby hearts, lungs, brains and intestines to DV Biologics, which DV Biologics then resold for profit. In exchange for merely providing access to aborted baby body parts, Planned Parenthood received kickback contributions from DaVinci Biosciences over the course of their eight-year contract.

“The wheels of justice are beginning to turn against Planned Parenthood and their corrupt business partners in the illicit trade in aborted baby body parts. Planned Parenthood is not above the law, and law enforcement and elected representatives everywhere must now hold Planned Parenthood accountable for their barbaric profiteering off of pregnant women and the body parts of their aborted children.”

 

Voting Record Index

NOW THAT CONGRESS HAS RECESSED UNTIL AFTER THE NOV. 8 ELECTION, we have compiled the voting records for the Members of the United States Senate and House for the 114th Congress, 2015-2016. The index takes into account every recorded roll call which has been published in Life Advocacy Briefing as having an impact on the cause of Life.

We have attempted to achieve accuracy in our report and believe the index represents with fairness the Life-related voting record of every Member. We hope our readers find it useful.

 

              SENATE VOTING RECORD INDEX – 2015-16

                                               Key

A             Motion to Close Debate (first attempt) on the Rule for Consideration – S-178 – Justice for Victims of Human Trafficking, including Permanent Hyde Language Barring Use of Taxpayer Funds for Abortion – March 17, 2015 – Failed 55-43 (needed 60)

B             Motion to Close Debate (second attempt) on the Rule for Consideration – S-178 – Justice for Victims of Human Trafficking, including Permanent Hyde Language Barring Use of Taxpayer Funds for Abortion – March 17, 2015 – Failed 55-43 (needed 60)

C             Motion to Close Debate (third attempt) on the Rule for Consideration – S-178 – Justice for Victims of Human Trafficking, including Permanent Hyde Language Barring Use of Taxpayer Funds for Abortion – March 18, 2015 – Failed 57-41 (needed 60)

D             Motion to Close Debate (fourth attempt) on the Rule for Consideration – S-178 – Justice for Victims of Human Trafficking, including Permanent Hyde Language Barring Use of Taxpayer Funds for Abortion – March 19, 2015 – Failed 56-42 (needed 60)

E             Motion to Close Debate (fifth attempt) on the Rule for Consideration – S-178 – Justice for Victims of Human Trafficking, including Permanent Hyde Language Barring Use of Taxpayer Funds for Abortion – March 19, 2015 – Failed 56-42 (needed 60)

F             Murray Motion to Waive Budgetary Discipline in order to Expand Women’s Access to Health Care (read “abortion”) – April 14, 2015 – Failed 43-57

G             Leahy Amendment to S-178 – Trafficking Victims Justice Act to Grant Abortion Subsidies to Trafficking Victims – April 22, 2015 – Failed 43-55

H             Motion to Close Debate – Loretta Lynch Nomination as Attorney General – April 23, 2015 – Passed 66-34

I             Confirmation – Loretta Lynch as Attorney General – April 23, 2015 – Passed 57-43

J             Motion to Close Debate – Amendment to Repeal ObamaCare – July 26, 2015 – Failed 49-43 (needed 60)

K             Motion to Close Debate – S-2882 – Planned Parenthood Defunding – Aug. 3, 2015 – Failed 43-46

L             Motion to Close Debate – HR-36 – Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act – Sept. 22, 2015 – Failed 54-42 (needed 60)

M             Motion to Close Debate – Continuing Resolution, including Provision Disqualifying Planned Parenthood from 2016 Funding – Sept. 24, 2015 – Failed 47-52

N             Final Passage – Continuing Resolution Funding Government through Dec. 11, including Grants and Contracts for Planned Parenthood – Sept. 30, 2015 – Passed 78-20

O             Motion to Table Murray Amendment to Create a $1 Billion Security Fund for Abortuaries – Dec. 3, 2015 – Adopted 54-46

P             Collins Amendment to HR-3762 to Strip Provision Defunding Planned Parenthood – Dec. 3, 2015 – Failed 48-52

Q             HR-3762 – Restoring Americans’ Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act – Final Passage – Dec. 3, 2015 – Passed 52-47

R            Motion to Close Debate – Conference Report on Combating Zika Virus, disputed over Excluding Abortion “Providers” from Grants and Contracts – June 28, 2016 – Failed 52-48 (needed 60)

S            Motion to Close Debate – Conference Report on Combating Zika Virus, disputed over Excluding Abortion “Providers” from Grants and Contracts – Sept. 6, 2016 – Failed 52-46 (needed 60)

VOTING RECORD

100% Pro-Life: Republicans Shelby/AL, Boozman/AR, Crapo & Risch/ID, Coats/IN, Moran/KS, Vitter/LA, Blunt/MO, Inhofe/OK, Scott/SC; no Democrats.

100% Pro-Life when voting (absences indicated by capital letters in parentheses after Member’s name): Republicans Sessions(J)/AL, Rubio(G,N)/FL, Toomey(N,V,J)/PA, Cruz(A,B,G,I)/TX; no Democrats.

Mostly Pro-Life (absences indicated by capital letters & anti-Life votes by lower-case letters in parentheses after Member’s name): Republicans Murkowski(J,L)(m,n,p) & Sullivan(n)/AK, Flake(J)(h,i,n) & McCain(n)/AZ, Cotton(m)/AR, Gardner(h)/CO, Isakson(n) & Perdue(n)/GA, Ernst(n) & Grassley(n)/IA, Roberts(h,n)/KS, Paul(m)/KY, Cassidy(n)/LA, Collins(h,i,l,m,n,p,q)/ME, Cochran(h,i,n) & Wicker(n)/MS, Daines(n)/MT, Fischer(n) & Sasse(m)/NE, Heller(m)/NV, Ayotte(h,i,m,n)/NH, Burr(h) & Tillis(h,n)/NC, Hoeven(S),(n)/ND, Portman(h,i,n)/OH, Lankford(r,s)/OK; Graham(A,B,K,N)(h,i)/SC, Rounds(h,n) & Thune(h,n)/SD, Alexander(C,D,E)(h,n) & Corker(J)(h,n)/TN, Cornyn(h,n)/TX, Hatch(h,i,n) & Lee(r,s)/UT, Capito(h)/WV, Johnson(h,i,n)/WI, Barrasso(n) & Enzi(n)/WY; Democrat Manchin(h,i,j,n,q,r,s)/WV.

Mixed (anti-Life votes by lower-case letters in parentheses after Member’s name): Republicans Kirk(h,i,k,l,m,n,o,p,q)/IL, McConnell*(a,b,d,e,h,i,k,n,r)/KY; Democrat Donnelly(h,i,j,m,n,o,p,q)/IN.

Mostly Anti-Life (pro-Life votes by lower-case letters in parentheses after Member’s name): no Republicans; Democrats Heitkamp(a,b,c,d,e)/ND & Casey(a,b,c,d,e,f,g)/PA.

100% Anti-Life when voting (absences indicated by capital letters in parentheses after Member’s name): no Republicans; Democrats Boxer(D,E,L,M)/CA, Coons(N,V,J)/DE, Markey(J)/MA, Brown(C)/OH, Sanders(J,Q)/VT, Kaine(S) & Warner(L)/VA, Murray(L)/WA.

100% Anti-Life: no Republicans; Democrats Feinstein/CA, Bennet/CO, Blumenthal & Murphy/CT, Carper/DE, Nelson/FL, Hirono & Schatz/HI, Durbin/IL, King (officially an “Independent” but caucuses with Democrats)/ME, Cardin & Mikulski/MD, Warren/MA, Peters & Stabenow/MI, Franken & Klobuchar/MN, McCaskill/MO, Tester/MT, Reid/NV, Shaheen/NH, Booker & Menendez/NJ, Heinrich & Udall/NM, Gillibrand & Schumer/NY, Merkley & Wyden/OR, Reed & Whitehouse/RI, Leahy/VT, Cantwell/WA, Baldwin/WI.

*Note: Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), as Majority Leader, on occasion voted opposite to the Pro-Life position because of the possibility that a “motion to reconsider” would be needed in the event of the failure of the motion on the floor. His record therefore appears “Mixed,” but readers should evaluate him as “100% Pro-Life.”

 

                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
VOTING RECORD INDEX – 2015-16

                                               Key

A             Motion to close debate on HRes-42 – Rule for Consideration of HR-7 (Make Hyde Amendment Permanent) – Jan. 22, 2015 – Passed 239-183

B             Adoption of HRes-42 – Rule for Consideration of HR-7 (Make Hyde Amendment Permanent) – Jan. 22, 2015 – Passed 242-179

C             Motion to Recommit (Block) HR-7 – Jan. 22, 2015 – Failed 177-240

D             Passage – HR-7 – Make Hyde Amendment Permanent – Jan. 22, 2015 – Passed 242-179

E             Motion to Close Debate on HRes-70 – Rule for Consideration of HR-596 (ObamaCare Repeal) – Feb. 3, 2015 – Passed 242-176

F             Adoption of HRes-70 – Rule for Consideration of HR-596 (ObamaCare Repeal) – Feb. 3, 2015 – Passed 242-178

G             Motion to Recommit (Block) HR-596 – Feb. 3, 2015 – Failed 179-241

H             Passage – HR-596 – ObamaCare Repeal – Feb. 3, 2015 – Passed 239-186

I             HJRes-43 – Disapproving District of Columbia Forced Employment Ordinance – April 30, 2015 – Passed 228-192

J             Motion to Recommit (Block) HR-36 – Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act – May 13, 2015 – Failed 181-246

K             Passage – HR-36 – Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act – May 13, 2015 – Passed 242-184

L             Motion to Close Debate on HRes-421 – Rule for Consideration of both HR-3134 (Planned Parenthood Defunding) & HR-3504 (Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act) – Sept.  17, 2015 – Passed 243-183

M             Adoption of HRes-421 (Planned Parenthood Defunding & Born-Alive Survivors Protection) – Sept. 17, 2015 – Passed 246-179

N             Motion to Recommit (Block) HR-3134 (Planned Parenthood Defunding) – Sept. 18, 2015 – Failed 183-245

O             Passage – HR-3134 – Planned Parenthood Defunding – Sept. 18, 2015 – Passed 241-187

P             Passage – HR-3504 – Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act – Sept. 18, 2015 – Passed 248-177

Q             Motion to Close Debate on HRes-444 – Rule for Consideration of HR-3495 (Planned Parenthood Defunding) – Sept. 29, 2015 – Passed 243-182

R             Adoption of HRes-444 – Rule for Consideration of HR-3495 (Planned Parenthood Defunding) – Sept. 29, 2015 – Passed 242-183

S             Motion to Recommit (Block) HR-3495 – Planned Parenthood Defunding – Sept. 29, 2015 – Failed 184-242

T             Passage – HR-3495 – Women’s Public Health and Safety Act, Planned Parenthood Defunding permitting states to disqualify abortionists from Medicaid – Sept. 29, 2015 – Passed 236-193

U             Passage – HCR-79 –Add Defunding Planned Parenthood to Continuing Resolution – Sept. 30, 2015 – Passed 241-185

V             HRes-461 – Establish Select Panel to Investigate Planned Parenthood – Oct. 7, 2015 – Passed 242-184

W             HRes-483 – Rule for Consideration of HR-3762 – Reconciliation Budget Bill Defunding Planned Parenthood & Gutting ObamaCare – Oct. 22, 2015 – Passed 240-187

X             Final Passage – HR 3762 – Reconciliation Defunding Planned Parenthood & Gutting ObamaCare – Oct. 23, 2015 – Passed 240-189

Y            Concur with Sen. Amendment – HR-3762 – Reconciliation Defunding Planned Parenthood & Gutting ObamaCare – Jan. 6, 2016 – Passed 240-181

Z            HRes-579 – Rule for Concurrence on HR-3762 – Procedural Motion to Close Debate – Jan. 6, 2016 – Passed 239-175

AA            HRes-579 – Rule for Concurrence on HR-3762 – Passage – Jan. 6, 2016 – Passed 237-177

BB            HR-3762 – Motion to Override Presidential Veto – Feb. 2, 2016 – Failed 241-186 (290 needed for 3/5 margin)

CC            S-304 – Conscience Protection Act – Final Passage – July 13, 2016 – Passed 245-182

DD            S-304 –Motion to Recommit (Block) – July 13, 2016 – Failed 182-244

EE            HRes-822 – Rule for Consideration of S 304 – July 13, 2016 – Passed 242-185

FF            HRes-822 – Motion to Close Debate on S 304 – July 13, 2016 – Passed 245-183

VOTING RECORD

100% Pro-Life: Republicans Aderholt, Brooks, Palmer, Roby, Rogers/AL; Gosar, Salmon, Schweikert/AZ; Crawford, Hill, Westerman, Womack/AR; Calvert, Cook, Hunter, LaMalfa, McCarthy, McClintock, Nunes, Rohrabacher, Royce, Valadao, Walters/CA; Lamborn, Tipton/CO; Bilirakis, Buchanan, Clawson, Crenshaw, DeSantis, Miller, Posey, Ros-Lehtinen, Ross, Yoho/FL; Allen, Carter, Collins, Graves, Loudermilk, A.Scott, Woodall/GA; Labrador, Simpson/ID; Bost, Hultgren, Kinzinger, Roskam, Shimkus/IL; Brooks, Bucshon, Messer, Rokita/IN; Blum, Young/IA; Huelskamp, Jenkins, Pompeo, Yoder/KS; Barr, Guthrie, Massie, Rogers, Whitfield/KY; Abraham, Boustany, Fleming, Graves, Scalise/LA; Harris/MD; Benishek, Bishop, Huizenga, Moolenaar, Trott, Upton, Walberg/MI; Emmer, Kline, Paulsen/MN; Harper, Palazzo/MS; Graves, Hartzler, Long, Luetkemeyer, Smith/MO; Zinke/MT; Amodei, Hardy, Heck/NV; Guinta/NH; Garrett, Lance, LoBiondo, MacArthur, Smith/NJ; Collins, King, Zeldin/NY; Ellmers, Foxx, Holding, McHenry, Pittenger, Rouzer, Walker/NC; Cramer/ND; Chabot, Gibbs, Johnson, Jordan, Joyce, Latta, Renacci, Stivers, Tiberi, Turner, Wenstrup/OH; Bridenstine, Cole, Lucas, Mullin/OK; Walden/OR; Fitzpatrick, Kelly, Marino, Meehan, Murphy, Perry, Pitts, Rothfus, Shuster, Thompson/PA; Duncan, Gowdy, Mulvaney, Rice, Sanford, Wilson/SC; Noem/SD; Black, Blackburn, DesJarlais, Duncan, Fleischmann/TN; Babin, Barton, Burgess, Conaway, Farenthold, Flores, Gohmert, Hensarling, Hurd, McCall, Neugebauer, Olson, Ratcliffe, Sessions, Thornberry, Weber/TX; Bishop, Chaffetz, Love, Stewart/UT; Goodlatte, Griffith, Wittman/VA; McMorris-Rodgers, Newhouse/WA; Jenkins, McKinley, Mooney/WV; Duffy, Grothman, Ribble, Sensenbrenner/WI; Lummis/WY; no Democrats.

100% Pro-Life when voting (absences shown by capital letter/s following Member name): Republicans Byrne(Z)/AL; Young(A,E,F,G,H)/AK; Franks(DD); Denham(G), Issa(Y,Z,AA), Knight(W)/CA; Diaz-Balart(C), Mica(W), Nugent(Y,Z,AA), Rooney(W,AA), Webster(Z,AA)/FL; Price(G), Westmoreland(L,M,Q,BB)/GA; R. Davis(DD)/IL; Stutzman(G), Walorski(V), Young(I)/IN; Massie(BB)/KY; Poliquin(I)/ME; Miller(Y)/MI; Wagner(I,L,M,N,O,P,V)/MO; Fortenberry(N,O,P), Smith(EE)/NE; Pearce(CC,DD,EE,FF)/NM; Hudson(Q,R,S,T,U,V)/NC; Russell(CC)/OK; Barletta(J,K)/PA; Fincher(L,M,N,O,P), Roe(E,F,G,H)/TN; Brady(U), Carter(A,B,C,D), Culberson(U), Granger(V), S.Johnson(A,B,C,D), Marchant(A,B,C,D), Poe(CC,DD,EE,FF), L.Smith(R,V), Williams(V)/TX; Brat(AA), Comstock(S,T), Forbes(A,B,C,D), Hurt(S), Rigell(Z, AA)/VA; Herrera-Beutler(I), Reichert(Q,R,S,T,U)/WA. LaHood (elected mid-term – not voting until L)/IL; Kelly (elected mid-term – not voting until L)/MS; Davidson (elected to replace John Boehner mid-term, not voting until CC)/OH; Ryan (elected Speaker in late 2015, not voting beginning with Z)/WI; no Democrats.

Mostly Pro-Life (anti-Life votes shown by lower-case letter/s following Member name; absences shown by capital letter/s): Republicans McSally(i)/AZ; Buck(x)(I), Coffman(i)/CO; Curbelo(i,t), Jolly(i,t,v)/FL; Hice(“present” on k)/GA; King(“present” on o,u)(Y,Z,AA)/IA; Amash(r,w,ee)/MI; Frelinghuysen(k)(R)/NJ; Gibson(i,t), Katko(i,t,y,bb), Reed(i)(S), Stefanik(i,t)/NY; Jones(w,x), Meadows(x)/NC; Costello(I), Dent(I,k,o,t,u)/PA. Donovan(elected mid-term – not voting until J)(t)/NY; no Democrats.

Mixed (anti-Life votes shown by lower-case letter/s following Member name): Republicans Dold(i,k,o,t,u,x,y,bb)/IL; Hanna(d,i,k,o,t,u,x,y,bb,cc)/NY; Democrats Lipinski(a,c,e,f,h,l,q,w,x,y,z,cc,dd)/IL; Peterson(a,c,e,f,g,h,l,q,w,aa,ee)/MN.

Mostly Anti-Life (pro-Life votes shown by lower-case letter/s following Member name; absences shown by capital letter/s): no Republicans; Democrats Garamendi (“present” on p)/CA; Lynch(ee)/MA; Kaptur(c)/OH; Cartwright(p)/PA; Langevin(k,p)(E,F)/RI; Cuellar(d,i,j,k,p,t,u,cc)/TX; Welch(m)(G)/VT.

100% Anti-Life when voting (absences shown by capital letter/s following Member name): no Republicans; Democrats Sinema(V)/AZ; Capps(J,K), Cardenas(E,N), Chu(E,F,G,H), Eshoo(M), Huffman(G,Z), Lee(E,F,G,H), Lofgren(E,F,G,H), Lowenthal(B), McNerney(X), Loretta Sanchez(L,M,Q,R), Speier(B), Thompson(L,M,N,O,P), Waters(L)/CA; Perlmutter(A,B,C,D)/CO; DeLauro(Y,Z,AA), Larson(Q,R,S,T)/CT; Castor(W,X), Deutch(C,D,X), Hastings(A,B,C,D,CC,DD,EE,FF), Wasserman-Schultz(I), Wilson(E,F,M)/FL; Lewis(I)/GA; Takai(Z,AA,CC,DD,EE,FF)/HI; D.Davis(E,DD), Duckworth(A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H), Gutierrez(E,F,G,H), Kelly(Q,R,S,T,U,W,X,EE), Rush(C,E,F,Y,Z,AA)/IL; Yarmuth(I,CC)/KY; Pingree(U)/ME; Cummings(I), Delaney(P)/MD; Kennedy(Y,Z,AA), Tsongas(E,F)/MA; Dingell(L,M,V)/MI; Ellison(Q)/MN; Thompson(D)/MS; Cleaver(Y,Z,AA)/MO; Titus(Y,Z,AA)/NV; Payne(Q,R,W,X,Y,Z,AA)/NJ; Lowey(G), S.Maloney(C), Meeks(C,U), Rangel(P), Rice(W)/NY; Ryan(Z,AA)/OH; Boyle(J,K), Brady(J,K)/PA; Castro(BB), G.Green(C,D), Hinojosa(A,B,C,D,I,J,K,V,Y,Z,AA), E.B.Johnson(Y,Z,AA), Vela(FF)/TX; McDermott(Q,R,BB), Smith(A,B,C,E,F,I,L,M,N,O,P,BB)/WA; Kind(P,Y,Z,AA)/WI. Rep. Fattah (D-PA) resigned June 23, 2016; his seat is currently vacant.

100% Anti-Life: no Republicans; Democrats Sewell/AL; Gallego, Grijalva, Kirkpatrick/AZ; Aguilar, Bass, Becerra, Bera, Brownley, Costa, Davis, DeSaulnier, Farr, Hahn, Honda, Lieu, Matsui, Napolitano, Pelosi, Peters, Roybal-Allard, Ruiz, Linda Sanchez, Schiff, Sherman, Swalwell, Takano, Torres, Vargas/CA; DeGette, Polis/CO; Courtney, Esty, Himes/CT; Carney/DE; Brown, Frankel, Graham, Grayson, Murphy/FL; Bishop, Johnson, D.Scott/GA; Gabbard/HI; Bustos, Foster, Quigley, Schakowsky/IL; Carson, Visclosky/IN; Loebsack/IA; Richmond/LA; Edwards, Hoyer, Ruppersberger, Sarbanes, VanHollen/MD; Capuano, Clark, Keating, McGovern, Moulton, Neal/MA; Conyers, Kildee, Lawrence, Levin/MI; McCollum, Nolan, Walz/MN; Clay/MO; Ashford/NE; Kuster/NH; Norcross, Pallone, Pascrell, Sires, Watson-Coleman/NJ; Lujan, Lujan-Grisham/NM; Clarke, Crowley, Engel, Higgins, Israel, Jeffries, C.Maloney, Meng, Nadler, Serrano, Slaughter, Tonko, Velazquez/NY; Adams, Butterfield, Price/NC; Beatty, Fudge/OH; Blumenauer, Bonamici, DeFazio, Schrader/OR; Doyle/PA; Cicilline/RI; Clyburn/SC; Cohen, Cooper/TN; Doggett, A.Green, Jackson-Lee, O’Rourke, Veasey/TX; Beyer, Connolly, Scott/VA; DelBene, Heck, Kilmer, Larsen/WA; Moore, Pocan(WI).

Note: House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) did not vote, as is customary for the Speaker; he resigned as of the end of October, 2015, and was succeeded by now-Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI).