There is a critical vote coming up regarding abortion in the US Senate, probably this coming Tuesday, September 21. It's a vote on the "National Defense Authorization Bill" and Majority Leader Harry Reid is trying an end run to get some "thank you gifts" and "election incentives" to his core supporters. How? By adding three very controversial amendments to this defense bill:
The first would allow abortions to be performed on any military base in the world, utilizing personnel, supplies, and facilities paid for with our tax dollars, which, under current law, has been prohibited since 1966; another provision in the law which would be changed prohibits the use of DOD funds for abortion except to save the life of the mother;
The other two amendments would repeal the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" military policy, which will impose open homosexuality upon the U.S. armed services, without waiting for the pending military report which is analyzing the effect of such a policy; and add a very controversial immigration rider, the so-called "Dream Act." This would legalize and offer a path to citizenship to some 2.1 million "young" illegal immigrants initially and then, by using chain migration, will legalize and offer a citizenship path to their parents which would then total 6.3 million.
So, what do any of these three amendments have to do with defense spending? Umm, well, nothing. Absolutely nothing--which epitomizes what is so, so wrong with our current Congress and why the upcoming election is so important.
But, before November we still have work to do--and fast. This week, in fact.
Senator John McCain plans to lead a filibuster against the bill. He needs 41 votes in order to sustain the filibuster, which is possible if all the pro-life Senators stick together and refuse to invoke cloture (a procedure to cut off debate and bring the bill to the floor for a vote) as Reid will request.
An avid supporter of the military, Senator McCain knows that the needed military funding can easily be provided with a continuing resolution minus these extremist maneuvers. If the amendments are voted on individually, grassroots pro-lifers would have to rally 51 votes to defeat each them--and it is not likely that we'd be able to muster them in the current Senate configuration. Thus, sustaining the filibuster (only 41 votes needed) is our only realistic chance to stop them in the Senate!
WHAT CAN YOU DO? Please contact your two US Senators and urge them, particularly if they have professed to be pro-life in the past, to stand firm with Senator McCain as he tries to keep this bill with its non-germane, politically-motivated amendments from coming to the floor of the Senate, where we would be forced to endure yet another pro-abortion debacle.
This is a huge diversion from the normal rules of the Senate and is a real desperation move by Reid to try and ram these "payback" amendments through before the Democrats stand to lose their majority in the November elections.
1-202-224-3121 is the Capitol main switchboard for all Senators.
Time is short--please flood the Senators with your phone calls. Be knowledgeable, polite, but firm in your request that they stand with Senator McCain and vote against cloture. It is probably our only way to stop these additions to the bill.
