This is an old revision of this page, as edited by ArchConservative93 (talk | contribs) at 15:27, 11 January 2010. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 15:27, 11 January 2010 by ArchConservative93 (talk | contribs)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)The Susan B. Anthony List, or simply SBA List, is a 501(c)(4) non-profit, non-partisan political action committee that seeks to advance pro-life women in politics, especially to Congress. The group has over 160,000 members as of 2009, and its activists sent over 1,500,000 letters to Congress in 2009. It has seen a 50% increase in activity over the past two years.
History
According to the official website, the SBA List was founded by Jane Abraham and Marjorie Dannenfelser in 1992 after the so-called "Year of the Woman" produced "nothing but pro-abortion women elected to Congress". The women were upset that all but two congresswomen were pro-choice. It was originally created as just a political action committee, but in 1997 it became a 501(c)(4) called the Susan B. Anthony List, with a connected PAC called the SBA List Candidate Fund.
The SBA List has outspent one of its pro-choice counterparts, the National Organization for Women, in every election cycle since 1996.
Susan B. Anthony connection
The name of the organization stems from suffragist Susan B. Anthony's anti-abortion views. Anthony denounced abortion as "child-murder" and advocated for an end to it.
In 1869, Anthony wrote about abortion in her newspaper The Revolution: "Guilty? Yes, no matter what the motive, love of ease, or a desire to save from suffering the unborn innocent, the woman is awfully guilty who commits the deed. It will burden her conscience in life, it will burden her soul in death; but oh! thrice guilty is he who, for selfish gratification, heedless of her prayers, indifferent to her fate, drove her to the desperation which impelled her to the crime."
At that time, all surgery was routinely being performed without sterile operating conditions. Surgeons regularly ate in the operating room, regularly causing post-operative infection in the patient. Joseph Lister's germ infection theory was not yet widely accepted. And antibiotics for post-operative recovery and healing would not be available until the 1930's. Anthony's observations and musing were a reaction to the medical conditions which were then-existent in her own time as opposed to an embrace of what would be considered current abortion politics.
Recent news
The group gained renewed attention during the 2008 presidential election after the nomination of then-Governor Sarah Palin for vice president. They had endorsed her 2006 run for governor. They embraced her candidacy for vice president, and started a social networking site called "Team Sarah", which is "dedicated to advancing the values that Sarah Palin represents in the political process."
One of their current projects is keeping abortion coverage out of health care reform. They are currently involved in lobbying Senator Bob Casey to ensure abortion is not covered in H.R. 3590, the Senate version of health care reform, and were involved in lobbying for the Stupak-Pitts Amendment to H.R. 3962
Another project is called "Votes Have Consquences", headed up by former congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave, which is aimed at defeating pro-choice candidates in pro-life districts. It is currently targeting twelve representatives and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. It is currently airing $130,000 worth of ads such as this one in Nevada attacking Reid for saying he is pro-life but not voting that way.
In September 2009, the group endorsed Conservative Party of New York candidate Doug Hoffman over the Republican candidate Dede Scozzafava, saying Scozzafava is an "abortion radical who does not represent the views of the growing majority of pro-life American women."
See also
References
- Susan B. Anthony List
- Susan B. Anthony List Praises Pro-Life Leadership of Eunice Kennedy Shriver
- Health Bill Revives Abortion Groups
- History of SBA List
- Under Obama, Abortion Rights Advocates Try To Build Steam
- Susan B. Anthony Quotes
- The Revolution, July 8, 1869
- Pro-Life Groups Excited John McCain Picks Sarah Palin, Both Oppose Abortion
- Abortion foes aren't buying Obama's assurances
- The Abortion Hurdle: Can a Pro-Life Dem Bridge the Health Care Divide?
- Pro-Life Groups Applaud Passage of Stupak Amendment to Stop Abortion Funding
- Musgrave to pilot pro-life push
- Harry Teague on Susan B. Anthony List target list
- Abortion foes aren't buying Obama's assurances
- Ibid.
- The Abortion Hurdle: Can a Pro-Life Dem Bridge the Health Care Divide?
- Club for Growth backs Hoffman, too