Ryan’s pro-life credentials questioned by NRLC

Ryan’s pro-life credentials questioned by NLRC

EDITOR:

Rep. Tim Ryan’s Aug. 7 letter was seriously misleading. On July 7, 2009, Ryan — as a member of the Appropriations Committee — voted to lift a long-standing ban on government funding of abortions in the District of Columbia, a federal jurisdiction. Ryan voted to allow the District bureaucracy to pay for elective abortions with funds appropriated by Congress. In fact, on every single pro-life issue during 2007, 2008, and 2009, Ryan has voted against the pro-life position.

Worse: In recent weeks, Ryan has worked against the efforts of leading pro-life lawmakers, in both parties, who are trying to remove federal subsidies for abortion from the Obama-backed health care bills. Under a proposal now referred to as the Capps-Ryan amendment, a new nationwide federal health insurance program (the “public plan”) would be explicitly authorized to pay for any and all abortions. Abortionists would send their bills to the federal agency and receive payment checks from the federal agency.

Rep. Bart Stupak of Michigan, the leader of pro-life Democrats in the House, branded the Capps-Ryan amendment a “phony compromise.” Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey, the leader of the pro-life Republican caucus, said of Mr. Ryan, “He has no right whatsoever to advertise himself as right-to-life.” Richard Doerflinger of U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said that under the Capps-Ryan amendment, the public plan “must include abortions for any reason if the HHS Secretary (who supports publicly funded abortion) says so.”

Mr. Ryan surely pleases his new friends in the pro-abortion lobby when he torpedoes the efforts of the real pro-life lawmakers. If he won’t cut it out, at least he should stop flying false colors.

DOUGLAS JOHNSON

Legislative director

National Right to Life Committee

Washington, D.C