Congressional Record on Choice 2 0 1 1 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD ON CHOICE MISSION STATEMENT 112TH CONGRESS, 1ST SESSION INTRODUCTION NARAL Pro-Choice America The 2010 elections had a profound impact believes every woman has the right on America’s political landscape. The U.S. House of Representatives changed hands to make personal decisions and anti-choice leadership took control of the chamber. Politicians who campaigned on regarding the full range of an agenda of addressing the nation’s press- ing challenges—jobs and the economy—took reproductive choices, including office and promptly ignored their promises. They turned instead to social-policy attacks preventing unintended pregnancy, and launched a War on Women. bearing healthy children, and NARAL Pro-Choice America’s 2011 Con- gressional Record on Choice documents the choosing legal abortion. key House and Senate votes taken during the first session of the 112th Congress. The highly polarized 112th Congress has only 154 fully pro- choice House members out of 435, and 40 of 100 senators. In 2011, anti-choice lawmakers attacked reproductive rights on the following fronts: Family Planning: Anti-choice lawmakers tried several times to eliminate the Title X family-planning program and to defund Planned Parenthood. For many women, Title X clinics provide the only basic health care that they receive; in some communities, 2011 Congressional Record on Choice 1 Planned Parenthood is their only available Unfortunately, the House passed the pro- health-care provider. While all three mea- posal. A few months later, Sen. Jim DeMint sures that the House considered passed, (R-SC) filed a similar amendment in the thankfully the Senate defeated them. Senate, but it never came up for a vote. D.C. Abortion Ban: While family-plan- “Stupak on Steroids” Agenda: The ning funding ultimately was spared House of Representatives passed two during FY’11 budget negotiations, it came bills that continue recent years’ attacks at a terrible price. Anti-choice politicians on insurance coverage of abortion. H.R.3, forced the inclusion of the D.C. abortion authored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), ban in the final budget deal. This unfair effectively bans abortion coverage in state ban usurps the District’s right to self-gov- health-insurance exchanges, penalizes ernance, undermines the city’s home rule, small businesses and many individuals and makes a mockery of the democratic who purchase health plans that include process in the nation’s capital. abortion coverage, and permanently codi- fies all current-law abortion bans. H.R.358, Abortion-Training Restrictions: Anti- sponsored by Rep. Joe Pitts (R-PA), also choice Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) led the effectively bans abortion coverage in state House to vote for an unprecedented health-insurance exchanges, and goes restriction on the use of federal funds for even further: it would allow hospitals to abortion training at teaching health cen- refuse to provide emergency abortion ters. The measure would curtail doctors’ care even to women who will die without ability to receive comprehensive and nec- it. Thankfully, President Obama issued essary instruction in reproductive-health statements threatening to veto both bills care, allowing federally funded abortion and the Senate wisely decided to take up training only in circumstances of life neither piece of legislation. endangerment, rape, or incest. Prudently, the Senate never took up the proposal. Despite their numerical minority in Congress, pro-choice allies countered the Attacks on Medical Abortion: Anti-choice anti-choice attacks. In 2011, two victories lawmakers continued their campaign stood out among the year’s barrage of anti- against the safe and effective early-abor- choice activity: tion pill—known as mifepristone, or RU 486. Rep. Steve King (R-IA) offered a Birth-Control Coverage: As the Obama surprise-attack amendment to the FY’12 administration worked to implement Agriculture appropriations bill that would the Affordable Care Act, it adopted a rec- have forbidden use of the nation’s small ommendation by an expert Institute of but growing telemedicine system for Medicine panel to require all newly issued delivery or discussion of the medication. health plans to include family-planning care 2 NARAL Pro-Choice America 2011 Congressional Record on Choice 3 as a required benefit at no additional cost. This historic decision marks the greatest improvement to women’s access to repro- ductive-health services in a generation and makes the health-care law’s promise of near- universal contraceptive coverage a reality. Family-Planning Services Overseas: For VOTE DESCRIPTIONS the second year in a row, the Senate Appro- priations Committee adopted a significant SENATE pro-choice amendment, authored by Sen. 1. Appropriations. FY’11 Continuing Res- Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), that would block olution, H.R.1. Final Passage. The bill permanently a future global gag rule. The reinstated the D.C. abortion ban, elimi- committee’s action demonstrates its ongo- nated the Title X family-planning program, ing commitment to smart international defunded Planned Parenthood, reinstated family-planning policy, and distinguishes the global gag rule, and eliminated fund- the panel from anti-choice House appro- ing for the United Nations Population priators who twice proposed reinstating Fund. Rejected 44-56. A pro-choice vote the global gag rule. Unfortunately, the (+) was against final passage (3/9/11). amendment was not included in the final appropriations bill. 2. Family-Planning Services. Enrollment Resolution to FY’11 Continuing Resolution, In 2012, as we gear up for a critical presi- H.Con.Res.36. Proposal to disqualify Planned dential contest, the 112th Congress serves as a Parenthood and its affiliates from receiving cautionary tale that illustrates the vital impor- funds appropriated by the bill. The pro- tance of elections in protecting our cherished posal would deny family-planning and basic rights. As we continue to fight back against health-care services to millions of Americans. the War on Women, we will persevere with Rejected 42-58. A pro-choice vote (+) was fortitude and hope. We are guided always by against the enrollment resolution (4/14/11). our longtime commitment to women’s safety and health, autonomy, and dignity, and to our 3. Liu Nomination – Cloture. Motion to invoke belief in a world in which every child is wel- cloture (end debate) on the nomination of come, wanted, and loved. Goodwin Liu to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Three-fifths of the total Senate (60 votes) is required to invoke cloture. Cloture motion failed 52-43. A pro-choice vote (+) was in support of cloture (5/19/11). 4 NARAL Pro-Choice America 2011 Congressional Record on Choice 5 2011 SENATE VOTES 2011 SENATE VOTES (continued) Appropriations Family-PlanningGoodwin Services Liu–Cloture Appropriations Family-PlanningGoodwin Services Liu–Cloture 1 2 3 % 1 2 3 % ALABAMA HAWAII Richard Shelby - - - 0 DANIEL INOUYE + + + 100 Jeff Sessions - - - 0 DANIEL AKAKA + + + 100 ALASKA IDAHO Lisa Murkowski - + + 55 Michael Crapo - - - 0 MARK BEGICH + + + 100 James Risch - - - 0 ARIZONA ILLINOIS John McCain - - - 0 RICHARD DURBIN + + + 100 Jon Kyl - - - 0 Mark Kirk - + - 45 ARKANSAS INDIANA MARK PRYOR + + + 100 Richard Lugar - - - 0 John Boozman - - - 0 Dan Coats - - - 0 CALIFORNIA IOWA DIANNE FEINSTEIN + + + 100 Charles Grassley - - - 0 BARBARA BOXER + + + 100 TOM HARKIN + + + 100 COLORADO KANSAS MARK UDALL + + + 100 Pat Roberts - - - 0 MICHAEL BENNET + + + 100 Jerry Moran - - A 0 CONNECTICUT KENTUCKY Joseph Lieberman + + + 100 Mitch McConnell - - - 0 RICHARD BLUMENTHAL + + + 100 Rand Paul + - - 0 DELAWARE LOUISIANA THOMAS CARPER + + + 100 MARY LANDRIEU + + + 100 CHRIS COONS + + + 100 David Vitter - - A 0 FLORIDA MAINE BILL NELSON + + + 100 Olympia Snowe - + - 45 Marco Rubio - - - 0 Susan Collins - + - 45 GEORGIA MARYLAND Saxby Chambliss - - - 0 BARBARA MIKULSKI + + + 100 Johnny Isakson - - - 0 BENJAMIN CARDIN + + + 100 1 2 3 % 1 2 3 % 6 NARAL Pro-Choice America 2011 Congressional Record on Choice 7 2011 SENATE VOTES 2011 SENATE VOTES (continued) (continued) Appropriations Family-PlanningGoodwin Services Liu–Cloture Appropriations Family-PlanningGoodwin Services Liu–Cloture 1 2 3 % 1 2 3 % MASSACHUSETTS NEW MEXICO JOHN KERRY + + + 100 JEFF BINGAMAN + + + 100 Scott Brown - + - 45 TOM UDALL + + + 100 MICHIGAN NEW YORK CARL LEVIN + + + 100 CHARLES SCHUMER + + + 100 DEBBIE STABENOW + + + 100 KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND + + + 100 MINNESOTA NORTH CAROLINA AMY KLOBUCHAR + + + 100 Richard Burr - - - 0 AL FRANKEN + + + 100 KAY HAGAN + + + 100 MISSISSIPPI NORTH DAKOTA Thad Cochran - - - 0 KENT CONRAD + + + 100 Roger Wicker - - - 0 John Hoeven - - - 0 MISSOURI OHIO CLAIRE McCASKILL + + + 100 SHERROD BROWN + + + 100 Roy Blunt - - - 0 Rob Portman - - - 0 MONTANA OKLAHOMA MAX BAUCUS + + A 100 James Inhofe - - - 0 JON TESTER + + + 100 Tom Coburn - - - 0 NEBRASKA OREGON E. BENJAMIN NELSON + + - 90 RON WYDEN + + + 100 Mike Johanns - - - 0 JEFF MERKLEY + + + 100 NEVADA PENNSYLVANIA HARRY REID + + + 100 ROBERT CASEY + + + 100 John Ensign - - I n/a Patrick Toomey - - - 0 Dean Heller I I - n/a RHODE ISLAND NEW HAMPSHIRE JACK REED + + + 100 JEANNE SHAHEEN + + + 100 SHELDON WHITEHOUSE + + + 100 Kelly Ayotte - - - 0 SOUTH CAROLINA NEW JERSEY Lindsey Graham - - - 0 FRANK LAUTENBERG + + + 100 Jim DeMint + - - 45 ROBERT MENENDEZ + + + 100 1 2 3 % 1 2 3 % 8 NARAL Pro-Choice America 2011 Congressional Record on Choice 9 2011 SENATE VOTES (continued) Appropriations Family-PlanningGoodwin