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| For immediate release: For more information: Friday, May 28, 2004 Laura Echevarria (202)626-8825
National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) President Reveals Survey at Catholic Press Association National Convention: Catholic Republicans Overwhelmingly Support Pro-Life Legislation
In a statement to the Catholic Press Association National Convention in Washington, D.C., NRLC President Wanda Franz, Ph.D. presented an overview of the voting patterns of Catholic members of Congress, revealing the widely divergent voting of Catholic Democrats and Republicans. The following is taken from her address:
Lately, the voting patterns of Catholic legislators with regard to the right to life have become a topic of lively discussion. Thus, I thought that data about the voting behavior of Catholic legislators might be of use to you. Catholics in the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives comprise about 28% of the membership: 14 Democrats and 10 Republicans in the Senate, and 71 Democrats and 53 Republicans in the House. Thus far in the 108th Congress, the voting statistics as compiled by the National Right to Life Committee are these: n The average pro-life score of Catholic Democrats in the Senate is a very low 16%. n In contrast, the average pro-life score for Catholic Republicans in the Senate is a high 92%. n Out of 14 Catholic Senate Democrats, nine have a 0% pro-life voting record, including John Kerry (the presumptive Democratic presidential candidate), and only one, John Breaux (LA) has a 100% pro-life voting record. n Of the ten Catholic Republican senators, seven have a 100% pro-life score. n The average pro-life score for Catholic Democrats in the House is a low 26%. n The average pro-life score for Catholic Republicans in the House is a very high 96%. n Of 71 Catholic Democrats in the House, 40 have a 0% pro-life score. A single Catholic Democrat has a 100% pro-life score. Among the 0%-scorers are Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. n Of 53 Catholic Republicans in the House, 44 have a 100% pro-life score. None has a 0% pro-life score. What stands out from this survey is this: Catholic Democrats in Congress overwhelmingly oppose pro-life legislation, and Catholic Republicans overwhelmingly support pro-life legislation.
The National Right to Life Committee is the nation's largest pro-life group with affiliates in all 50 states and over 3,000 chapters nationwide. National Right to Life works through legislation and education to protect those lives threatened by abortion, infanticide and euthanasia.
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