How Did Catholic Lawmakers Vote?
Catholic Senators Provide Necessary Votes for Abortion Funding Heathcare Bill
Eighteen Catholic Senators Vote to Advance Abortion Funding Senate Bill - Eight Oppose
76 Catholic Reps. Support Stupak Amendment Restricitng Abortion Funding - 61 Catholics Opposed Restrictions.
Catholic Senators Vote to Advance Reid Healthcare Bill Allowing Federal Funding for Abortions
On Saturday night the Senate voted for cloture 60-39, allowing Senator Reid's healthcare bill to begin debate with the full Senate when senators return to Washington following the Thanksgiving break. Prior to the vote three pro-life Republican Senators; Johanns, Brownback and Hatch urged pro-life Democrats to "stand for life" and vote "no" on cloture.
Senator Mike Johanns, a Catholic, hoped to persuade just one pro-life Democrat to vote against the procedural measure. "We just need one. Not many, just one Democrat who will come here and say, I’m pro-life and if we don’t stand together tonight, this bill will radically expand abortion and I can’t live with that,” said Johanns.
In his address on Saturday to Senate colleagues, Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS) said the Reid bill will lead to thousands more elective abortions unless amended with the Stupak language. "Consider the fact that when federal funding is not available for abortion, fewer abortions occur. When federal funding is available, as we’ve seen in the past, thousands more will occur," said Brownback.
The United States Conference of Bishops (USCCB) urged the senate in a November 20 letter to amend Senator Reid's bill "to keep in place current federal law on abortion funding and conscience protections on abortion." The Associated Press reported that Richard Doerflinger, associate director of the USCCB's Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities, said Reid's version of healthcare reform "is actually the worst bill we've seen so far on the life issues."
Pro-life advocates were hopeful one of the two Democratic senators that identify as pro-life would be the one vote they needed to stall the bill. But, Sens. Ben Nelson (D-NE) and Bob Casey (D-PA) and all eighteen Catholic Democrat senators rejected all pro-life appeals moving the abortion funding healthcare bill one step closer to passage.
Senators will begin debate on the bill next week. At this time amendments will be offered to change or remove provisions; however Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid could use parliamentary devises to limit or block Republican amendments. Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) is expected to offer an amendment similar to the Stupak-Pitts amendment, to remove the abortion funding from the legislation. If a pro-life amendment is offered, Senator Hatch would need to convince twenty moderate Democrats to support it.
Hatch made two previous unsuccessful attempts to amend healthcare reform with pro-life language while debate was in committee. His amendment to the Baucus bill in September was rejected 13-10, with three Catholic senators, Kerry (D-MA), Cantwell (D-WA), and Menendez (D-NJ) helping defeat it.
The eight Catholic Republican senators who voted against cloture on Saturday were Senators; Murkowski (R-AK), Mieux (R-FL), Risch (R-ID), Brownback (R-KS), Bunning (R-KY), Vitter (R-LA), Collins (R-ME), and Johanns (R-NE). Although Senator Collins voted against cloture, she has a pro-choice voting record.
Catholic lawmakers voting to support the Motion to Proceed on Reid's bill, H.R.3590, were Senators; Begich (D-AK), Dodd (D-CT), Kaufman (D-DE), Durbin (D-IL), Harkin (D-IA), Landrieu (D-LA), Gillibrand (D-NY), Mikulski (D-MD), Kerry (D-MA), Kirk (D-MA), McCaskill (D-MO), Menendez (D-NJ), Casey (D-PA), Reed (D-RI), Leahy (D-VT), Cantwell (D-WA), and Murray (D-WA).
Senate Roll Call Votes on the Cloture Motion to Proceed to H.R. 3590.
| State | ||
|---|---|---|
| Alabama: | Sessions (R-AL), Nay | Shelby (R-AL), Nay |
| Alaska: | Begich (D-AK), Yea | Murkowski (R-AK), Nay |
| Arizona: | Kyl (R-AZ), Nay | McCain (R-AZ), Nay |
| Arkansas: | Lincoln (D-AR), Yea | Pryor (D-AR), Yea |
| California: | Boxer (D-CA), Yea | Feinstein (D-CA), Yea |
| Colorado: | Bennet (D-CO), Yea | Udall (D-CO), Yea |
| Connecticut: | Dodd (D-CT), Yea | Lieberman (ID-CT), Yea |
| Delaware: | Carper (D-DE), Yea | Kaufman (D-DE), Yea |
| Florida: | LeMieux (R-FL), Nay | Nelson (D-FL), Yea |
| Georgia: | Chambliss (R-GA), Nay | Isakson (R-GA), Nay |
| Hawaii: | Akaka (D-HI), Yea | Inouye (D-HI), Yea |
| Idaho: | Crapo (R-ID), Nay | Risch (R-ID), Nay |
| Illinois: | Burris (D-IL), Yea | Durbin (D-IL), Yea |
| Indiana: | Bayh (D-IN), Yea | Lugar (R-IN), Nay |
| Iowa: | Grassley (R-IA), Nay | Harkin (D-IA), Yea |
| Kansas: | Brownback (R-KS), Nay | Roberts (R-KS), Nay |
| Kentucky: | Bunning (R-KY), Nay | McConnell (R-KY), Nay |
| Louisiana: | Landrieu (D-LA), Yea | Vitter (R-LA), Nay |
| Maine: | Collins (R-ME), Nay | Snowe (R-ME), Nay |
| Maryland: | Cardin (D-MD), Yea | Mikulski (D-MD), Yea |
| Massachusetts: | Kerry (D-MA), Yea | Kirk (D-MA), Yea |
| Michigan: | Levin (D-MI), Yea | Stabenow (D-MI), Yea |
| Minnesota: | Franken (D-MN), Yea | Klobuchar (D-MN), Yea |
| Mississippi: | Cochran (R-MS), Nay | Wicker (R-MS), Nay |
| Missouri: | Bond (R-MO), Nay | McCaskill (D-MO), Yea |
| Montana: | Baucus (D-MT), Yea | Tester (D-MT), Yea |
| Nebraska: | Johanns (R-NE), Nay | Nelson (D-NE), Yea |
| Nevada: | Ensign (R-NV), Nay | Reid (D-NV), Yea |
| New Hampshire: | Gregg (R-NH), Nay | Shaheen (D-NH), Yea |
| New Jersey: | Lautenberg (D-NJ), Yea | Menendez (D-NJ), Yea |
| New Mexico: | Bingaman (D-NM), Yea | Udall (D-NM), Yea |
| New York: | Gillibrand (D-NY), Yea | Schumer (D-NY), Yea |
| North Carolina: | Burr (R-NC), Nay | Hagan (D-NC), Yea |
| North Dakota: | Conrad (D-ND), Yea | Dorgan (D-ND), Yea |
| Ohio: | Brown (D-OH), Yea | Voinovich (R-OH), Not Voting |
| Oklahoma: | Coburn (R-OK), Nay | Inhofe (R-OK), Nay |
| Oregon: | Merkley (D-OR), Yea | Wyden (D-OR), Yea |
| Pennsylvania: | Casey (D-PA), Yea | Specter (D-PA), Yea |
| Rhode Island: | Reed (D-RI), Yea | Whitehouse (D-RI), Yea |
| South Carolina: | DeMint (R-SC), Nay | Graham (R-SC), Nay |
| South Dakota: | Johnson (D-SD), Yea | Thune (R-SD), Nay |
| Tennessee: | Alexander (R-TN), Nay | Corker (R-TN), Nay |
| Texas: | Cornyn (R-TX), Nay | Hutchison (R-TX), Nay |
| Utah: | Bennett (R-UT), Nay | Hatch (R-UT), Nay |
| Vermont: | Leahy (D-VT), Yea | Sanders (I-VT), Yea |
| Virginia: | Warner (D-VA), Yea | Webb (D-VA), Yea |
| Washington: | Cantwell (D-WA), Yea | Murray (D-WA), Yea |
| West Virginia: | Byrd (D-WV), Yea | Rockefeller (D-WV), Yea |
| Wisconsin: | Feingold (D-WI), Yea | Kohl (D-WI), Yea |
| Wyoming: | Barrasso (R-WY), Nay | Enzi (R-WY), Nay |
House Passes Stupak Amendment Prohibiting Abortion Funding
After months of lobbying by pro-life groups and the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB), Speaker Pelosi conceded and granted a vote on the Stupak-Pitts amendment to get beyond an impasse with 40 pro-life Democrat representatives. Pelosi lacked the votes to pass the procedural Rule vote which was needed to move the healthcare bill towards a final vote.
On Saturday evening, November 7, the Stupak-Pitts amendment passed 240-194 with bipartisan support thereby prohibiting the federal funding of abortion in the government-run healthcare bill.
Upon learning the Stupak amendment would be allowed a vote, Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director for Priests for Life, warned members of Congress the voting results for the Stupak-Pitts amendment would be distributed to Catholic parishes throughout the country for the 2010 election.
“Whatever one’s position on abortion itself,” Fr. Pavone commented, “the vast majority of Americans have always opposed the idea that taxpayers should fund it. Our plan to inform pastors of these voting records is phase one of a year-long effort to activate Churches as never before regarding what they can legally do in preparation for next year’s midterm elections. Publishing voting records in a non-partisan fashion is certainly one of those activities.”
On the eve of the vote, we released a joint statement with the Catholic Advocate. We made clear to Catholic lawmakers that the healthcare bill without the Stupak amendment was for our nation "a final step toward the culture of death that began with Roe v Wade in 1973."
We commend the Catholic politicians who rose above partisan politics to safeguard the dignity of all human life.
During the 2010 election cylce we will hold the sixty-one dissenting Catholic lawmakers accountable by assuring all Catholic constituents are aware of this blatant rejection. Church teaching is clear; Catholic lawmakers have a grave and clear obligation to oppose any law that contradicts humanity’s fundamental right to life. Catholic politicians who profess to be Catholic cannot deny this basic human right.
Voting positions for the 137 Catholic Representatives are listed below.
| State | District | Representative | Stupak Amndmnt Roll Call 884 | Money from Abortion Lobby Groups |
| California | Rep District 18 | Dennis Cardoza | supported | |
| California | Rep District 18 | George Radanovich | supported | |
| California | Rep District 20 | Jim Costa | supported | |
| California | Rep District 21 | Devin Nunes | supported | |
| California | Rep District 3 | Dan Lungren | supported | |
| California | Rep District 40 | Edward R. Royce | supported | |
| California | Rep District 43 | Joe Baca | supported | |
| California | Rep District 50 | Brian Bilbray | supported | |
| Colorado | Rep District 3 | John Salazar | supported | |
| Delaware | Rep: At Large | Michael N. Castle | supported | |
| Florida | Rep District 14 | Connie Mack | supported | |
| Florida | Rep District 16 | Tom Rooney | supported | |
| Florida | Rep District 21 | Lincoln Diaz-Balart | supported | |
| Florida | Rep District 25 | Mario Diaz-Balart | supported | |
| Florida | Rep District 5 | Ginny Brown-Waite | supported | |
| Georgia | Rep District 11 | Phil Gingrey | supported | |
| Georgia | Rep District 8 | Jim Marshall | supported | |
| Illinois | Rep District 12 | Jerry Costello | supported | |
| Illinois | Rep District 3 | Dan Lipinski | supported | |
| Indiana | Rep District 2 | Joe Donnelly | supported | |
| Indiana | Rep District 8 | Brad Ellsworth | supported | |
| Iowa | Rep District 5 | Steve King | supported | |
| Louisiana | Rep District 1 | Steve Scalise | supported | |
| Louisiana | Rep District 2 | Joseph Cao | supported | |
| Louisiana | Rep District 3 | Charlie Melancon | supported | |
| Louisiana | Rep District 4 | John Fleming | supported | |
| Maine | Rep District 2 | Mike Michaud | supported | |
| Massachusetts | Rep District 2 | Richard Neal | supported | |
| Massachusetts | Rep District 9 | Stephen Lynch | supported | |
| Michigan | Rep District 1 | Bart Stupak | supported | |
| Michigan | Rep District 11 | Thaddeus McCotter | supported | |
| Michigan | Rep District 2 | David Lee Camp | supported | |
| Michigan | Rep District 5 | Dale E. Kildee | supported | |
| Minnesota | Rep District 8 | Jim Oberstar | supported | |
| Mississippi | Rep District 4 | Gene Taylor | supported | |
| Missouri | Rep District 9 | Blaine Lutkemeyer | supported | |
| Nebraska | Rep District 1 | Jeff Fortenberry | supported | |
| New Jersey | Rep District 13 | Albio Sires | supported | |
| New Jersey | Rep District 2 | Frank LoBiondo | supported | |
| New Jersey | Rep District 4 | Chris Smith | supported | |
| New Jersey | Rep District 7 | Leonard Lance | supported | |
| New Mexico | Rep District 3 | Ben R. Lujan | supported | |
| New York | Rep District 23 | John M. McHugh | supported | |
| New York | Rep District 3 | Peter T. King | supported | |
| North Carolina | Rep District 10 | Patrick McHenry | supported | |
| North Carolina | Rep District 3 | Walter B. Jones | supported | |
| North Carolina | Rep District 5 | Virginia Foxx | supported | |
| Ohio | Rep District 1 | Steve Driehaus | supported | |
| Ohio | Rep District 12 | Pat Tiberi | supported | |
| Ohio | Rep District 16 | John Boccieri | supported | |
| Ohio | Rep District 17 | Tim Ryan | supported | |
| Ohio | Rep District 2 | Jean Schmidt | supported | |
| Ohio | Rep District 5 | Bob Latta | supported | |
| Ohio | Rep District 6 | Charlie Wilson | supported | |
| Ohio | Rep District 7 | Steve Austria | supported | |
| Ohio | Rep District 8 | John A. Boehner | supported | |
| Ohio | Rep District 9 | Marcy Kaptur | supported | |
| Oklahoma | Rep District 1 | John Sullivan | supported | |
| Pennsylvania | Rep District 10 | Chris Carney | supported | |
| Pennsylvania | Rep District 11 | Paul E. Kanjorski | supported | |
| Pennsylvania | Rep District 12 | John Murtha | supported | |
| Pennsylvania | Rep District 14 | Michael F. Doyle | supported | |
| Pennsylvania | Rep District 17 | Tim Holden | supported | |
| Pennsylvania | Rep District 18 | Tim Murphy | supported | |
| Pennsylvania | Rep District 3 | Kathy Dahlkemper | supported | |
| Pennsylvania | Rep District 4 | Jason Altmire | supported | |
| Rhode Island | Rep District 2 | James Langevin | supported | |
| Texas | Rep District 10 | Michael McCaul | supported | |
| Texas | Rep District 16 | Silvestre Reyes | supported | |
| Texas | Rep District 23 | Ciro Rodriquez | supported | |
| Texas | Rep District 25 | Henry Cuellar | supported | |
| Texas | Rep District 8 | Kevin Brady | supported | |
| Virginia | Rep District 5 | Tom Periello | supported | |
| Washington | Rep District 4 | Doc Hastings | supported | |
| Wisconsin | Rep District 1 | Paul Ryan | supported | |
| Wisconsin | Rep District 7 | Dave Obey | supported | |
| Arizona | Rep District 1 | Ann Kirkpatrick | opposed | $ 186,050.00 |
| Arizona | Rep District 4 | Ed Pastor | opposed | $ 13,760.00 |
| Arizona | Rep District 5 | Harry Mitchell | opposed | $ 23,300.00 |
| Arizona | Rep District 7 | Raúl M. Grijalva | opposed | $ 12,250.00 |
| California | Rep District 1 | Mike Thompson | opposed | $ 7,935.00 |
| California | Rep District 10 | John Garamendi | opposed | |
| California | Rep District 11 | Jerry McNerney | opposed | $ 9,250.00 |
| California | Rep District 12 | Jackie Speier | opposed | $ 57,955.00 |
| California | Rep District 14 | Anna Eshoo | opposed | $ 226,821.00 |
| California | Rep District 31 | Xavier Becerra | opposed | $ 8,453.00 |
| California | Rep District 33 | Diane Watson | opposed | $ 95,671.00 |
| California | Rep District 34 | Lucille Roybal-Allard | opposed | $ 45,068.00 |
| California | Rep District 38 | Grace Napolitano | opposed | $ 58,766.00 |
| California | Rep District 39 | Linda Sanchez | opposed | $ 129,592.00 |
| California | Rep District 47 | Loretta Sanchez | opposed | $ 357,686.00 |
| California | Rep District 7 | George Miller | opposed | $ 11,175.00 |
| California | Rep District 8 | Nancy Pelosi | opposed | $ 244,113.00 |
| Colorado | Rep District 4 | Betsy Markey | opposed | $ 254,567.00 |
| Connecticut | Rep District 1 | John Larson | opposed | $ 1,585.00 |
| Connecticut | Rep District 2 | Joe Courtney | opposed | $ 8,600.00 |
| Connecticut | Rep District 3 | Rosa DeLauro | opposed | $ 231,535.00 |
| Illinois | Rep District 17 | Philip Hare | opposed | $ 3,250.00 |
| Illinois | Rep District 4 | Luis Gutierrez | opposed | $ 5,650.00 |
| Indiana | Rep District 1 | Pete Visclosky | opposed | |
| Massachusetts | Rep District 10 | Bill Delahunt | opposed | $ 10,312.00 |
| Massachusetts | Rep District 3 | Jim McGovern | opposed | $ 48,738.00 |
| Massachusetts | Rep District 6 | John Tierney | opposed | $ 29,868.00 |
| Massachusetts | Rep District 7 | Ed Markey | opposed | $ 2,812.00 |
| Massachusetts | Rep District 8 | Mike Capuano | opposed | $ 1,027.00 |
| Michigan | Rep District 15 | John Dingell | opposed | |
| Minnesota | Rep District 4 | Betty McCollum | opposed | $ 266,695.00 |
| New Hampshire | Rep District 1 | Carol Shea-Porter | opposed | $ 79,350.00 |
| New Jersey | Rep District 6 | Frank Pallone | opposed | $ 34,991.00 |
| New Jersey | Rep District 8 | Bill Pascrell Jr. | opposed | $ 2,750.00 |
| New York | Rep District 1 | Tim Bishop | opposed | $ 71,450.00 |
| New York | Rep District 12 | Nydia Velazquez | opposed | $ 41,875.00 |
| New York | Rep District 13 | Michael McMahon | opposed | $ 2,500.00 |
| New York | Rep District 15 | Charles B. Rangel | opposed | $ 15,685.00 |
| New York | Rep District 16 | José Serrano | opposed | $ 6,585.00 |
| New York | Rep District 19 | John Hall | opposed | $ 15,750.00 |
| New York | Rep District 20 | Scott Murphy | opposed | $16,000.00 |
| New York | Rep District 21 | Paul Tonko | opposed | |
| New York | Rep District 22 | Maurice Hinchey | opposed | $ 99,559.00 |
| New York | Rep District 24 | Michael Arcuri | opposed | $ 39,450.00 |
| New York | Rep District 25 | Dan Maffei | opposed | $ 33,250.00 |
| New York | Rep District 27 | Brian Higgins | opposed | $ 14,500.00 |
| New York | Rep District 29 | Eric Massa | opposed | $ 33,750.00 |
| New York | Rep District 4 | Carolyn McCarthy | opposed | $ 417,929.00 |
| New York | Rep District 7 | Joseph Crowley | opposed | $ 4,000.00 |
| Ohio | Rep District 10 | Dennis J. Kucinich | opposed | $ 33,600.00 |
| Ohio | Rep District 15 | Mary Jo Kilroy | opposed | $ 641,829.00 |
| Oregon | Rep District 4 | Peter DeFazio | opposed | $ 10,850.00 |
| Pennsylvania | Rep District 1 | Bob Brady | opposed | $ 5,137.00 |
| Pennsylvania | Rep District 7 | Joe Sestak | opposed | $ 27,000.00 |
| Pennsylvania | Rep District 8 | Patrick Murphy | opposed | $ 31,602.00 |
| Rhode Island | Rep District 1 | Patrick J. Kennedy | opposed | $ 9,850.00 |
| Texas | Rep District 15 | Rubén Hinojosa | opposed | |
| Texas | Rep District 20 | Charlie Gonzalez | opposed | $ 8,610.00 |
| Vermont | Rep - At Large | Peter Welch | opposed | $ 14,750.00 |
| Virginia | Rep District 11 | Gerry Connolly | opposed | $ 6,000.00 |
| Virginia | Rep District 8 | Jim Moran | opposed | $ 44,721.00 |
Methodology: Figures posted at opensecrets.org reported to the FEC grouped under Abortion Policy, Pro-Choice and Women's Issues. Opensecrets reports that abortion rights is a key issue championed by donors in this category. Emily's List is the top contributor.
Votes posted at clerk.house.gov