Top Stories of 2003: New Congresswomen Boost Pro-Life Vote
by Jason Collum
December 22, 2003
(AgapePress) - The 108th Congress has added a few faces pro-life advocates will likely find to be very friendly.Four women elected to the House of Representatives in November have been lauded for their pro-life beliefs. Marilyn Musgrave of Colorado, Candice Miller of Michigan, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, and Katherine Harris of Florida, all Republicans, give a boost to a rather weak voice in Congress. Prior to this election, of the 74 women serving in Congress, only seven were pro-life.
According to Carol Tobias, National Right to Life Committee PAC Director, of 52 new members in the House of Representatives, 34 (65%) are solidly pro-life. Of the 34 new pro-life members, 31 are Republicans and three are Democrats.
Being Republican does not make one automatically pro-life, and Sandy Rios, president of Concerned Women for America, points out that voters are paying attention to the ideas of candidates on abortion rather than their party lines. In Maryland, Republican Connie Morella was voted out of office in November. Morella was pro-abortion.
"That should speak volumes to the Republican Party, and it should speak volumes to what people actually think about people who think life is sacred," Rios told Family News In Focus. "It means something."
It does means something to Blackburn. On her website and in person, Blackburn states emphatically that she is pro-life. She told AFA Journal that for her, supporting abortion has never been an option.
"For me, it was not an issue," she said. "I have always been pro-life, and have always believed in the sanctity of life."
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(left to right) Marsha Blackburn, Katherine Harris, Marilyn Musgrave |
Blackburn, whose political career dates to 1977, most recently served as a state senator for Tennessee's 23rd district. She has said she will vote to ban partial-birth abortion, and will oppose the provision of federal funds to groups that provide abortion services, even if they don't use federal funds directly for abortions. She is also opposed to human cloning. She plans to support the passage of a human life constitutional amendment, and to work to make adoption easier.
With national security being a top priority, Blackburn isn't sure when votes on pro-life matters will take place, but believes they eventually will be considered.
"The potential is there because we're looking at a Republican House and Senate, and a Republican president who is committed to a pro-life stance, and to conservative values," Blackburn said.
Harris calls herself "socially moderate," but told the Bradenton [Florida] Herald that she has "always said I'm personally pro-life." She said she would vote to ban partial-birth abortion. "I think it is a heinous, heinous act." And she favors parental consent, with exceptions in some cases.
Potentially troubling is Harris' refusal to say she would not completely draw the line on abortion. In the Herald article Harris said she would not necessarily vote against abortion each time a bill addressed it. "It just depends on what the bill says," she said. "It's not a litmus test issue for me. I would have to look at the context."
Harris previously served as Florida Secretary of State. She came to national prominence during the 2000 presidential election and recount.
No Doubts About Musgrave
While Harris' record and position on abortion might be slightly iffy, Musgrave's is not.
Musgrave garnered the support of Gary Bauer and the Campaign for Working Families. In his statement of endorsement, Bauer cited Musgrave's strong pro-life and pro-family background in giving reasons to support her.
"[Then] Senator Musgrave led the fight in Colorado to ban same-sex marriages," Bauer said in the statement. "She sponsored Colorado's Defense of Marriage Act and testified before Congress on the federal DOMA bill. [She] is ... strongly pro-life, sponsoring bills on informed consent, parental notification, a ban on partial-birth abortion, and abstinence education. She also led efforts to defund Planned Parenthood in Colorado. Marilyn Musgrave is not afraid to tackle the tough issues most politicians would prefer to ignore."
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Candace Miller |
Musgrave goes to Washington after having served many years in the Colorado State House and Senate. Most recently, she served as state senator in the 4th District.Miller was among the group Tobias and other pro-lifers welcomed to Congress. While several websites AFA Journal found mentioned Miller as being pro-life, AFA Journal was unable to find anything on record supporting that stance. Also, efforts to reach Miller for comment were not successful.
Miller gained the endorsement of We Vote Pro-Life PAC, and was not endorsed by Planned Parenthood, both actions speaking volumes about her leanings. Miller was described by a commentary in National Review as leaning "right of center."
Prior to entering Congress, Miller served two terms as Michigan Secretary of State.
These women have passed the first test -- getting elected to Congress. Whether they will stick to their guns and vote against abortion remains to be seen. Although no timetable has been set, one of the first tests for each could come in the form of a vote on partial-birth abortion. The people these four represent should waste no time letting the new leaders know how they feel.
Jason Collum is a staff writer for AFA Journal, a monthly publication of the American Family Association. This article appeared in the February 2003 issue.
