Notre Dame: Obama's Remarks Don't Match His Policies
by Staff
May 19, 2009
WASHINGTON, (christiansunite.com) -- In response to yesterday's Commencement address by President Obama at the University of Notre Dame, Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser offered the following statement:"At Notre Dame, President Obama spoke of respecting the consciences of those Americans who are morally opposed to the tragedy of abortion. Yet his most recent budget proposal to Congress fails to respect the consciences of taxpayers who are morally opposed to funding the destruction of human life," said Dannenfelser. "Further, in working and advocating to fully fund abortions, the President undermines his own purported goal of reducing the 'need' for abortion."
"America deserves authentic leadership on the abortion issue - someone who will help find common ground through civil discourse. Yet there is no evidence of an open mind in President Obama's recommendation that Congress fund abortion on- demand with taxpayer dollars. No true leader on a 'heart-wrenching,' 'complex issue' would seek to set it aside publicly while advancing quietly to achieve his own goals, all the while positing that the two sides are irreconcilable. True common ground exists. He is just not standing on it."
During his commencement address at Notre Dame, the President called for policies that "honor the conscience of those who disagree with abortion." In contrast, President Obama's budget recommendations to Congress call for the repeal of the Dornan Amendment, a longstanding law that has respected the will of Americans by preventing taxpayer- funded abortion in the District of Columbia.
"President Obama and the pro-abortion majority in Congress are on a collision course with public opinion on abortion policy," said Dannenfelser. "As Congress drafts the next budget, it would do well to respect the consciences of taxpayers and stop the agenda that amounts to an abortion industry bailout."
The President's speech came on the heels of recent polling from Gallup that showed that for the first time since 1995 the majority of Americans (51%) identify themselves as pro-life. Gallup proposed that the shift could be due to President Obama's overreach on the issue. They posit: "It is possible that, through his abortion policies, Obama has pushed the public's understanding of what it means to be 'pro-choice' slightly to the left, politically. While Democrats may support that, as they generally support everything Obama is doing as president, it may be driving others in the opposite direction."
President Obama's budget recommendations to Congress call for the repeal of the Dornan Amendment, a longstanding law that has prevented taxpayer-funded abortion in the District of Columbia. Under the U.S. Constitution, Congress is mandated with annually appropriating the entire budget for the District of Columbia.
The Susan B. Anthony List is a nationwide network of Americans, over 157,000 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.
