Pro-life Lobby Focuses 2012 Efforts on Defeating Obama
The pro-life lobby is rallying supporters as the presidency heats up to vote their convictions in the November election and unseat Barack Obama.
National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) made no pretense of its 2012 priorities. The list released Monday stated its focus is on protecting the unborn from the moment they can feel pain and defeating President Obama.
NRLC President Carol Tobias said in a Monday statement, "It should not be a surprise to anyone that the top priority for National Right to Life's Political Action Committee this year is defeating Barack Obama and electing a pro-life president."
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No surprise because many pro-life activists believe the Obama administration is the most pro-abortion administration in American history. Decisions such as Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius' Thursday pronouncement that the department will not extend religious exemptions for mandatory insurance coverage for contraceptives and sterilization to faith-based organizations have furthered that perception.
As a result, many pro-life groups are working to mobilize their members and supporters in the upcoming months to remove Obama from office.
Last year, Priests for Life's Political Responsibility Center created the "Vote Pro-life" campaign to educate pro-lifers about the electoral process, conduct political action trainings and register members to Vote. The campaign also formed a coalition of at least 39 member organizations including Susan B. Anthony List, Catholic Advocate, American Values and Democrats for Life.
Vote Pro-life has already leapt into action this year. During Monday's March for Life in Washington, D.C., Vote Pro-Life stickers were everywhere, along with stickers and signs supporting Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum. Additionally, volunteers were out and about registering marchers to vote.
"We must work to change the Senate and reclaim the White House which not only obstructs pro-life legislation but has for the past three years advanced abortion in so many ways, while not even attempting to appear to be working to make abortion 'rare' and offering support to women to choose life," Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), co-chair of the Congressional pro-life caucus, told marchers yesterday.
However, Democrats for Life Executive Director Kristen Day said Obama is being unfairly targeted.
"The Administration has no intention of forcing Catholic institutions to provide insurance coverage for services that are directly in opposition to their moral beliefs," Day asserted in a statement.
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, commonly referred to as Obamacare, includes a provision mandating all insurance plans include free contraception coverage.
Day charged that the law does allow those employers who oppose birth control or drugs that cause abortions to be exempt from providing contraception coverage.
However, that exception applies to churches. HHS Secretary Sebelius did not extend the exception to religious colleges, private schools and hospitals. Instead, she gave religious institutions a year to comply with the contraception insurance mandate.
"I believe this proposal strikes the appropriate balance between respecting religious freedom and increasing access to important preventive services," she announced.
Tom McClusky of the Family Research Council told The Christian Post last week the delay "does nothing to change the anti-religious, anti-conscience, and anti-life contraceptive mandate, rather it only postpones its implementation until after the presidential election."
Additionally, Rep. Smith charged the Obama administration with discontinuing a federal grant with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to assist human trafficking victims over not offering abortion referrals. The administration has also given $100 million to fund abortions and sterilizations in other countries, he said.
Smith and others pro-lifers believe the administration's pro-choice leanings will only grow if Obama is re-elected.
"We don't have the luxury of disunity or nominee disappointment or apathy. No one who values life can sit this one out," Smith said.
"Failure to unite and mobilize sends the abortion industry's enabler-in-chief-Barack Obama-back to the White House. For the sake of the innocent, failure is not an option," he concluded.
