Tour Takes 'Abortion is Not Health Care' Message to So-Called 'Pro-Life' Democrats Who Voted for Health Care Bill

Contact: Kerry Brown, Susan B. Anthony List, 703-470-1926, kbrown@sba-list.org

OHIO, INDIANA, PENNSYLVANIA, Aug. 6 /Christian Newswire/ -- Today the Susan B. Anthony List launched its 23-city "Votes Have Consequences" bus tour with the release of polling data in districts of "pro-life" Democrats who voted for the health care bill.  The voter poll, taken in districts of "pro-life" Democrats, gauges November election implications for incumbents who voted in favor of the health care bill including taxpayer-funding of abortion.  The bus tour will be stopping in 23 cities across Ohio, Indiana and Pennsylvania from Tuesday, August 10 to Monday, August 16.  There, SBA List staff and pro-life leaders at the local and state levels will join forces to send incumbents Steve Driehaus (OH-01), Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Brad Ellsworth (Statewide), Baron Hill (IN-09), Joe Donnelly (IN-02) and Kathy Dahlkemper (PA-03) the message that "Votes Have Consequences."

"For the Susan B. Anthony List, this election cycle has turned out to be dramatically different from the one in which we began.  Members of Congress we thought were our allies have now become our top targets for defeat," Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser said. "Before the health care vote, we conducted polling and launched a media tour in these Democrats' districts in an effort to support their pro-life convictions.  Then, they voted for the largest expansion of abortion since Roe v. Wade.  This latest polling shows that five months of a long, hot summer have not burned off any voter intensity on the issue.  Our Votes Have Consequences bus tour will ensure that voters understand exactly what their Members of Congress did to undermine their convictions and those of their pro-life constituents."

"Since health care passed in March, these numbers have not budged," said Kellyanne Conway, CEO and President of the polling company, inc.  "More than three-quarters of voters in these swing districts and across Indiana reject federal funding of abortions.  It is unlikely that this will change between now and election day.

"Independents and those with high levels of interest in the election are more opposed to than supportive of taxpayers funding abortion, and are strongly disapproving of Members of Congress who campaigned as pro-lifers and then voted for a federal health care bill that lacked protection against federal funding of abortions.

"If voters come to learn the specifics of the law, his/her vote it could be an electoral liability. More people saying they would be LESS likely to vote for the so-called pro-life Democrat because of these abortion funding votes.  Still, polling data are like trees falling in the woods unless and until someone acts on them. That is why the SBA List bus tour is so important."

Polling (Full results here)
Polling released on Friday, August 6th by the SBA List and conducted by the polling company, inc. in the districts of these "pro-life" Democrats confirms that, across all four areas surveyed:

• Two-thirds of voters are less supportive of the health care law knowing that it will lead to taxpayer funding of abortion.
   
• At least 74 percent of voters are still against taxpayer funding of abortion.
   
• More than 66 percent believe their representative was "wrong" to betray his/her pro-life principles and vote for the health care bill. 

This election cycle, representatives in all four areas surveyed face negative political consequences for supporting taxpayer-funding of abortion in the health care bill:

• 43 percent of voters are less likely to re-elect Rep. Donnelly
   
• 47 percent of voters are less likely to re-elect Rep. Driehaus and Rep. Dahlkamper
   
• 49 percent of voters are less likely to vote for Rep. Ellsworth for Indiana Senator for supporting the health care bill. 

(Full poll results can be viewed here.)

Bus Tour (Schedule overview below)
Each tour stop will focus on showing voters that their representative voted in favor of taxpayer-funded abortion and betrayed their pro-life constituents.  The tour will make stops in the following cities (detailed advisories to come):

WHO:  
Marilyn Musgrave, Program Director of the Susan B. Anthony List's "Votes Have Consequences" Project and former Member of Congress

Various local grassroots speakers

WHERE / WHEN:
Tuesday, August 10
8:45 AM Cincinnati, OH
12:15 PM Muncie, IN
2:45 PM Fort Wayne, IN
5:30 PM Elkhart, IN

Wednesday, August 11
8:45 AM South Bend, IN
10:45 AM Rochester, IN
12:30 PM Kokomo, IN
2:30 PM Lafayette, IN
4:30 PM Crawfordsville, IN

Thursday, August 12
8:45 AM  Terre Haute, IN
10:45 AM Vincennes, IN
11:45 AM CT Evansville, IN
2:45 PM ET Jasper, IN

Friday, August 13
8:45 AM New Albany, IN
10:45 AM Seymour, IN
12:15 PM Columbus, IN
1:45 PM Franklin, IN
3:15 PM Indianapolis, IN

Saturday, August 14
8:45 AM State Fair in Indianapolis, IN

Sunday, August 15
12:45 PM Toledo, OH

Monday, August 16, 2010
8:45 AM Erie, PA
10:30 AM Meadville, PA
12:15 PM Grove City, PA
1:45 PM Butler, PA

WHY:       
During the health care battle, the abortion issue was a pivot point for the passage or failure of the entire bill.  'Pro-life' Democrats chose a last-minute fig leaf over standing up for the pro-life American majority they claimed to represent.  "We promised then that their vote would have consequences and that we would work hard to inform voters of their betrayal," said former Rep. Marilyn Musgrave.  "For not one minute have we let up on that promise and next week we will take this message on the road directly to the voters in a 23-city bus tour.  Votes have consequences and, for these pro-life betrayers, it will be a quick downhill slide to defeat in November."

The Susan B. Anthony List is focusing its efforts in the districts of "pro-life" Democrats Steve Driehaus (OH-01), Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Brad Ellsworth (Statewide), Baron Hill (IN-09), Joe Donnelly (IN-02) and Kathy Dahlkemper (PA-03) as part of its $1.5 million voter education effort, which includes this 23-city "Votes Have Consequences" bus tour.  During the health care battle, the SBA List spent over $3 million in the fight to keep taxpayer-funded abortion out of the health care bill.  SBA List has committed another $1.5 million to defeat "pro-life" Democrats who voted for the bill.  The first two victories of this effort were Rep. Bart Stupak's (MI-01) resignation in April and Rep. Alan Mollohan's (WV-01) primary election defeat in May.

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.  

For further information, please contact Kerry Brown at 703-470-1926 or kbrown@sba-list.org.