As Final Vote Nears, Susan B. Anthony List Launches $250,000 Ad Blitz Capping Off Year-Long Campaign to Keep Abortion Funding out of Healthcare
Contact: Mallory Quigley, Susan B. Anthony List, 703-380-6674, mquigley@sba-list.org
WASHINGTON, March 19 /Christian Newswire/ -- Today the Susan B. Anthony List launched a $250,000 television advertisement campaign aimed at pricking the consciences of self-professed pro-life Democrats to live up to the title they have embraced. The ad exhorts these members to vote "No" on the healthcare bill which includes federal funding of abortion, fails to protect consciences, and creates numerous abortion mandates. This ad, launched in the final hour of the debate, continues a year-long, nearly $2 million grassroots campaign of targeted television and radio ads, 1.3 million automated calls, 60,000 patch-through constituent calls, 1.2 million letters and petitions to Congress and two media tours in pro-life Democratic districts.
"This has been a long and difficult battle since we began targeting members and drawing attention to constituent opposition to federal funding of abortion in a healthcare reform bill more than a year ago," said Marjorie Dannenfelser, President of Susan B. Anthony List. "Our latest ad targets those whose vote will make or break this bill: pro-life Democrats sitting on the fence."
The Susan B. Anthony list is initially targeting six pro-life Democrats who play a key role as the vote scheduled for Sunday approaches: Reps. Jason Altmire (PA-4), Chris Carney (PA-10), Brad Ellsworth (IN-8), Baron Hill (IN-9), Alan Mollohan (WV-1), and Paul Kanjorski (PA-11)
Polling conducted in the past two weeks in these and 13 other Democratic districts by the polling companyTM, inc./WomanTrend found that, in virtually every district, at least two-thirds of voters opposed "using tax dollars to pay for abortions" and would reject a candidate who "votes for healthcare legislation that includes federal government funding of abortion." The Susan B. Anthony List commissioned the survey, which found that voters are far less likely to re-elect their Member if they vote for this bill.
"Since the beginning of this healthcare reform debate, we have helped hundreds of thousands people from across the country make their voices heard to Congress through all means at our disposal: phone calls, emails, letters, petitions and district office visits with one message: Abortion is NOT healthcare."
On a March 4th appearance on Good Morning America, Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) explained exactly where the healthcare bill includes federal funding of abortion: "If you go to Page 2069 through Page 2078 [of the Senate bill], you will find in there the federal government would directly subsidize abortions, plus every enrollee in the Office of Personnel Management-enrolled plan, every enrollee has to pay a minimum of one dollar per month toward reproductive rights, which includes abortions."
The Susan B. Anthony List is a nationwide network of Americans, over 280,000 residing in all 50 states, dedicated to mobilizing, advancing, and representing pro-life women in politics. Its connected Candidate Fund increases the percentage of pro-life women in the political process.
