Life Advocacy Briefing

July 8, 2019

Senate Cranks Out Judges / Keeper? / Conversion or Betrayal?
Reminder / Candidate Watch / Senate Voting Records

Senate Cranks Out Judges

THOUGH WE HAVE TAKEN A HIATUS, over the past couple of months, from reporting on Senate confirmations of Pres. Trump’s judicial nominees, the Senate has continued to fill the bench around the US with judges believed to be committed to the rule of law through strict construction of the Constitution and application of common sense.

Today we are publishing the voting records on cloture (debate-ending) motions and confirmations of the nominations of two judges whose appointments were vigorously opposed by the abortion lobby. They are Judge Stephen R. Clark Sr., confirmed in May as US District Judge for the Eastern District of Missouri, and Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk, confirmed last month as US District Judge for the Northern District of Texas.

Judge Clark was nominated previously by Pres. Trump, but the Senate was unable to confirm him in 2018; he was renominated in January of this year, as was Judge Kacsmaryk, whose confirmation concluded three attempts since Pres. Trump took office. We publish the voting records at the close of this Life Advocacy Briefing and congratulate both these judges and the Senators who voted to confirm them.

 

Keeper?

LATE IN JUNE, PLANNED PARENTHOOD HOSTED a fundraising event in South Carolina featuring just about every Democratic Presidential candidate. We are grateful to Live Action for having watched this torturous event and having reported on it with transcribed statements from nearly all of them. Their reporting permits us to share this critical information with our readers without our having had to endure the process of watching, listening and transcribing.

We present candidates’ quotes in our Candidate Watch segment just before the Senate Voting Records near the close of this Life Advocacy Briefing. And we publish below an excerpt from a column in National Right to Life News, focusing on Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH), who many years ago was a leader in Democrats for Life, an organization which used to mean something in Congress but now appears limited in influence. Readers might wish to keep this edition on file.

 

Conversion or Betrayal?

Excerpt from June 24, 2019, commentary by Dave Andrusko, National Right to Life News

            I’d like to take a few minutes to talk about the “highlights” (as the local newspaper put it) of the pro-abortion Democrats who came to Columbia, SC, as they attempted to outdo one another in pledging their fealty to Planned Parenthood. Among the quotes Planned Parenthood put up on its Twitter page was this from Rep. Tim Ryan [D-OH]: “Over time I started switching my votes and switching my position to being a pro-choice Democrat and really understanding the importance of keeping the government the hell out of the doctor’s office.” (June 23, 2019)

            Nothing the Planned Parenthood Action Fund Forum would rather hear than a Road to Damascus experience in reverse. Just think. The scales fell from Rep. Ryan’s eyes, and he could see clearly that supporting the obliteration of tens of millions of helpless unborn children was really more properly understood as “keeping the government the hell out of the doctor’s office.” What a guy!

 

Reminder

Excerpt from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America, adopted July 4, 1776

            We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. – That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, …

 

Candidate Watch

Quotes from Live Action’s June 26 report on Planned Parenthood’s “We Decide” membership forum in South Carolina, where, notes Live Action’s Carole Novielli, “every 2020 Democrat political Presidential hopeful vowed to protect abortion, and most promised to reverse the pro-life Hyde Amendment, which would force federal taxpayers to fund abortions.”

  • Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (NY): “As President … I will codify Roe. I will repeal the Hyde Amendment.”

  • Sen. Kamala Harris (CA): “If elected, I am going to require that for any state that passes legislation … if they have a history of passing legislation that has interfered with or suppressed a woman’s access to reproductive health, that anything that they propose and pass has to be reviewed by my Dept. of Justice to determine whether it complies with the Constitution of the United States and Roe v. Wade.”

  • Ex-Gov. John Hickenlooper (CO): Asked how he would “expand abortion,” notes Live Action, “his response was to essentially call abortion an ‘inalienable right’ and vowed to use government to stop ‘false information’ from pro-life pregnancy centers so the information is ‘clear and based on science. How about we try science for a little bit?’ he asked, clearly ignoring the science of human fetal development. ‘If I’m President, you’re going to see a magnificent expansion of Title X funds to make sure that all women get access to their reproductive rights.’”

  • Sen. Elizabeth Warren (MA): “We need to pass a federal law to make Roe v. Wade the rule of the law all across the country, … making sure that Planned Parenthood … are everywhere and available to everyone.”

  • Mayor Pete Buttigieg (S. Bend): “Planned Parenthood is a real beacon to a lot of people in my state. … I will appoint justice and judges who understand that freedom includes access to reproductive health and reproductive rights for women in this country… .” The candidate, reports Live Action, “then defended the sub-par Whole Woman’s Health abortion facility initially denied a license to operate in South Bend, Indiana. ‘That’s why we need federal action to establish that states cannot pass these backdoor restrictions … .’”

  • Mayor Bill DeBlasio (NYC): “Can we just be clear that if you’re a Democrat, you’re against the Hyde Amendment, period? … No more Hyde Amendment – it’s over, that’s a part of our history. … We need to codify Roe v. Wade into federal law once and for all … .”

  • Ex-Vice Pres. Joe Biden: “First thing I would do as your President … I would codify Roe v. Wade as defined by Casey. It should be the law. … Planned Parenthood, you are the ones who are providing for all of the health care for poor women in more ways that no one else has been able to do.”

  • Gov. Jay Inslee (WA): “We will get rid of the Hyde Amendment. … Everybody in the business of health care ought to provide reproductive services.” Live Action further notes: “Referring to [himself] and his wife, he called ‘choice’ a/k/a abortion ‘core to who we are. … We have to be warriors for this freedom; there is no middle ground on this.’”

  • Author Marianne Williamson: “This is a justice issue.” Live Action notes she quoted the Declaration of Independence, saying, “‘All men … All humans have unalienable rights. … Having reproductive choice is necessary for us to pursue happiness.’”

  • Ex-Cong. John Delaney (MD): “The first thing I’ll do [as President] is make sure that Planned Parenthood and other organizations … that people will be able to access that care [abortion]. The best way for us to do that is to create a universal healthcare system … including access to women’s health and abortion services.”

  • Ex-Sec’y Julian Castro (HUD): “I’d be a President that champions reproductive health care … embracing a woman’s right to have an abortion. … I choose reproductive health care … for the people of America. … We’re going to appoint … judges who … understand the importance of upholding Roe v. Wade.”

  • Ex-Cong. Beto O’Rourke (TX): “In 2021, in our Administration, we’re going to live according to our values and our interests, to our foundational principle that we are all created equal and to the 1973 decision Roe v. Wade, which is the settled law of the land as far as I’m concerned for everyone.”

  • Sen. Bernie Sanders (VT): “If we’re going to talk about health care for all … yes, abortion rights are part of what Medicare for All is. … So, under our legislation, it repeals in a sense the Hyde Amendment, and it guarantees everybody in the country comprehensive health care including reproductive rights and abortion rights. … And I know about these so-called pregnancy crisis centers, um, the antidote to that is to make sure that real healthcare centers are adequately funded. And Planned Parenthood … they do a very good job on sex education, … and Planned Parenthood is giving honest advice to young people. … And I congratulate Planned Parenthood for doing that as well.”

  • Entrepreneur Andrew Yang: “First, I just want to thank everyone here for your activism … in protecting women’s reproductive rights.” Live Action notes Mr. Yang “then vowed to repeal the Hyde Amendment. ‘No one should feel like they’re forced to have a child because of restrictions on abortion or reproductive care … .’ To Planned Parenthood workers in the audience,” Live Action continues, “[Mr.] Yang stated, ‘There’s so many people around the country who benefit from your work. …I want to say how grateful I am for what you do. … I don’t think male legislatures should have anything to do with making decisions about women’s reproductive rights. I actually feel self-conscious answering questions about it.’”

  • Cong. Eric Swalwell (CA): “As President, I would only appoint justices that upheld the Roe decision. … I will be a President who negotiates up on this issue rather than down. … What we must do is repeal the discriminatory Hyde Amendment. … We should have free contraception in the United States across the board, … and we also should expand sex education in America. … You’ll have a President who believes it’s a woman’s body, a woman’s choice.”

  • Sen. Cory Booker (NJ): “If I’m President of the United States, one of the things I am going to do to lower costs is to make sure we fully fund organizations like Planned Parenthood … .”  Sen. Booker, reports Live Action, “called pro-life laws in Alabama ‘an assault on human rights. … I promise you as President of the United States, I am going to fight to tear down the Hyde Amendment.’”

  • Sen. Amy Klobuchar (MN): “The first thing we need to do is to reverse the Hyde Amendment. … The second thing we need to do … is to repeal the gag rule and make sure we fund Planned Parenthood. … The third thing would be to codify Roe v. Wade.”

Adds Live Action:Congressmen Tim Ryan [OH] and Seth Moulton [MA], with Sen. Michael Bennet [CO] all focused on repealing the Hyde Amendment and making taxpayers foot the bill for the abortions of low-income people.”

 

Senate Voting Records

Cloture on Nomination of Judge Stephen R. Clark Sr. – May 21, 2019 – Adopted – 53 to 45 (Democrats in italics; “Independent” marked “I”)

Voting “yes” / pro-Life: Shelby/AL, Murkowski & Sullivan/AK, McSally/AZ, Boozman & Cotton/AR, Gardner/CO, Rubio & Scott/FL, Isakson & Perdue/GA, Crapo & Risch/ID, Braun & Young/IN, Ernst & Grassley/IA, Moran & Roberts/KS, McConnell & Paul/KY, Cassidy & Kennedy/LA, Collins/ME, Hyde-Smith & Wicker/MS, Blunt & Hawley/MO, Daines/MT, Fischer & Sasse/NE, Tillis/NC, Cramer & Hoeven/ND, Portman/OH, Inhofe & Lankford/OK, Toomey/PA, Graham & Scott/SC, Rounds & Thune/SD, Alexander & Blackburn/TN, Cornyn & Cruz/TX, Lee & Romney/UT, Capito & Manchin/WV, Johnson/WI, Barrasso & Enzi/WY.

Voting “no” / anti-Life: Jones/AL, Sinema/AZ, Feinstein & Harris/CA, Blumenthal & Murphy/CT, Carper & Coons/DE, Hirono & Schatz/HI, Duckworth & Durbin/IL, King(I)/ME, Cardin & VanHollen/MD, Markey & Warren/MA, Peters & Stabenow/MI, Klobuchar & Smith/MN, Tester/MT, Cortez-Masto & Rosen/NV, Hassan & Shaheen/NH, Booker & Menendez/NJ, Heinrich & Udall/NM, Gillibrand & Schumer/NY, Brown/OH, Merkley & Wyden/OR, Casey/PA, Reed & Whitehouse/RI, Leahy & Sanders/VT, Kaine & Warner/VA, Cantwell & Murray/WA, Baldwin/WI.

Not voting: Bennet/CO, Burr/NC.

Confirmation of Judge Stephen R. Clark Sr. – May 22, 2019 – Confirmed – 53 to 45 (Democrats in italics; “Independent” marked “I”)

Voting “yes” / pro-Life: Shelby/AL, Murkowski & Sullivan/AK, McSally/AZ, Boozman & Cotton/AR, Gardner/CO, Rubio & Scott/FL, Isakson & Perdue/GA, Crapo & Risch/ID, Braun & Young/IN, Ernst & Grassley/IA, Moran & Roberts/KS, McConnell & Paul/KY, Cassidy & Kennedy/LA, Collins/ME, Hyde-Smith & Wicker/MS, Blunt & Hawley/MO, Daines/MT, Fischer & Sasse/NE, Burr/NC, Cramer & Hoeven/ND, Portman/OH, Inhofe & Lankford/OK, Toomey/PA, Graham & Scott/SC, Rounds & Thune/SD, Alexander & Blackburn/TN, Cornyn & Cruz/TX, Lee & Romney/UT, Capito & Manchin/WV, Johnson/WI, Barrasso & Enzi/WY.

Voting “no” / anti-Life: Jones/AL, Sinema/AZ, Feinstein/CA, Bennet/CO, Blumenthal & Murphy/CT, Carper & Coons/DE, Hirono & Schatz/HI, Duckworth & Durbin/IL, King(I)/ME, Cardin & VanHollen/MD, Markey & Warren/MA, Peters & Stabenow/MI, Klobuchar & Smith/MN, Tester/MT, Cortez-Masto & Rosen/NV, Hassan & Shaheen/NH, Booker & Menendez/NJ, Heinrich & Udall/NM, Gillibrand & Schumer/NY, Brown/OH, Merkley & Wyden/OR, Casey/PA, Reed & Whitehouse/RI, Leahy & Sanders/VT, Kaine & Warner/VA, Cantwell & Murray/WA, Baldwin/WI.

Not voting: Harris/CA, Tillis/NC.

Cloture on Nomination of Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk – June 18, 2019 – Adopted – 52 to 44 (Democrats in italics; “Independent” marked “I”)

Voting “yes” / pro-Life: Shelby/AL, Murkowski & Sullivan/AK, McSally/AZ, Boozman & Cotton/AR, Gardner/CO, Rubio & Scott/FL, Isakson & Perdue/GA, Crapo & Risch/ID, Braun & Young/IN, Ernst & Grassley/IA, Moran & Roberts/KS, McConnell & Paul/KY, Cassidy & Kennedy/LA, Hyde-Smith & Wicker/MS, Blunt & Hawley/MO, Daines/MT, Fischer & Sasse/NE, Burr & Tillis/NC, Cramer & Hoeven/ND, Portman/OH, Inhofe & Lankford/OK, Toomey/PA, Graham & Scott/SC, Rounds & Thune/SD, Alexander & Blackburn/TN, Cornyn & Cruz/TX, Lee & Romney/UT, Capito/WV, Johnson/WI, Barrasso & Enzi/WY.

Voting “no” / anti-Life: Jones/AL, Sinema/AZ, Feinstein/CA, Bennet/CO, Blumenthal & Murphy/CT, Carper & Coons/DE, Schatz/HI, Duckworth & Durbin/IL, Collins & King(I)/ME, Cardin & VanHollen/MD, Markey & Warren/MA, Peters & Stabenow/MI, Klobuchar & Smith/MN, Tester/MT, Cortez-Masto & Rosen/NV, Hassan & Shaheen/NH, Booker & Menendez/NJ, Heinrich & Udall/NM, Schumer/NY, Brown/OH, Merkley/OR, Casey/PA, Reed & Whitehouse/RI, Leahy & Sanders/VT, Kaine & Warner/VA, Cantwell & Murray/WA, Manchin/WV, Baldwin/WI.

Not voting: Harris/CA, Hirono/HI, Gillibrand/NY, Wyden/OR.

Confirmation of Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk – June 19, 2019 – Confirmed – 52 to 46 (Democrats in italics; “Independent” marked “I”)

Voting “yes” / pro-Life: Shelby/AL, Murkowski & Sullivan/AK, McSally/AZ, Boozman & Cotton/AR, Gardner/CO, Rubio & Scott/FL, Isakson & Perdue/GA, Crapo & Risch/ID, Braun & Young/IN, Ernst & Grassley/IA, Moran & Roberts/KS, McConnell & Paul/KY, Cassidy & Kennedy/LA, Hyde-Smith & Wicker/MS, Blunt & Hawley/MO, Daines/MT, Fischer & Sasse/NE, Burr & Tillis/NC, Cramer & Hoeven/ND, Portman/OH, Inhofe & Lankford/OK, Toomey/PA, Graham & Scott/SC, Rounds & Thune/SD, Alexander & Blackburn/TN, Cornyn & Cruz/TX, Lee & Romney/UT, Capito/WV, Johnson/WI, Barrasso & Enzi/WY.

Voting “no” / anti-Life: Jones/AL, Sinema/AZ, Feinstein & Harris/CA, Bennet/CO, Blumenthal & Murphy/CT, Carper & Coons/DE, Hirono & Schatz/HI, Duckworth & Durbin/IL, Collins & King(I)/ME, Cardin & VanHollen/MD, Markey & Warren/MA, Peters & Stabenow/MI, Klobuchar & Smith/MN, Tester/MT, Cortez-Masto & Rosen/NV, Hassan & Shaheen/NH, Menendez/NJ, Heinrich & Udall/NM, Schumer/NY, Brown/OH, Merkley & Wyden/OR, Casey/PA, Reed & Whitehouse/RI, Leahy & Sanders/VT, Kaine & Warner/VA, Cantwell & Murray/WA, Manchin/WV, Baldwin/WI.

Not voting: Booker/NJ, Gillibrand/NY.