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Majority of Catholic senators voted to fund Planned Parenthood

April 20, 2011

The United States Senate voted 58-42 on April 14 to reject a House resolution that would have denied funding to the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and its affiliates. The measure had passed the House by a 241-185 margin.

Voting to continue federal government funding of Planned Parenthood were 17 Catholic senators: Mark Begich (D-AK), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Robert Casey (D-PA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Tom Harkin (D-IA), John Kerry (D-MA), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Patty Murray (D-WA), and Jack Reed (D-RI).

Voting to defund the nation’s largest abortion provider were the other seven Catholic senators: Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), John Hoeven (R-ND), Mike Johanns (R-NE), Jim Risch (R-ID), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Pat Toomey (R-PA), and David Vitter (R-LA).

 


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  • Posted by: - Apr. 21, 2011 3:43 PM ET USA

    Will the Catholic bishops of these 17 "Catholic" senators come out from under their desks and SPEAK with respect to this scandalous vote?

  • Posted by: lauriem5377 - Apr. 21, 2011 6:01 AM ET USA

    I pray their local Bishops will make them each aware of the impact of their shameful vote on their souls. It is hard to believe it remains funded by the vote of 'Catholic' politicians.

  • Posted by: impossible - Apr. 20, 2011 11:17 PM ET USA

    Anselm. Following article will give you some insight about the effect of “Faithful Citizenship” documents. This is about the 2008 document which was not as bad as the 2004 version, but still ambiguous. Will “Faithful Citizenship” Win the Catholic Vote For Obama? http://www.insidecatholic.com/feature/will-qfaithful-citizenshipq-win-the-catholic-vote-for-obama.html Some minimal research will further demonstrate my point. “Sound bites” from encyclicals are often used to “spin” political ideology.

  • Posted by: Nuage - Apr. 20, 2011 10:24 PM ET USA

    I am from PA and I would like to thank our new senator, Pat Toomey, for doing the right thing. Planned Parenthood leads the abortion industry in this country. They do not need public funding. The vast majority of abortion providers rank among the wealthiest of Americans, and they have earned their fortunes by killing unwanted children in the womb. This is a fact. Shame on you, Senator Casey - you have disgraced your family name, yet again. May God have mercy on you.

  • Posted by: Anselm - Apr. 20, 2011 8:55 PM ET USA

    @Impossible: It is obvious that they missed the entire first page that speaks out against abortion on the short version and the first half of the booklet in the full version! @Obregon: Not sure where the Bishops supported Obama, I do know they support some democratic standings on some social justice issues and capitol punishment, all based on writings on the Popes. More likely they were giving credit on the parts of Catholic teaching they get right.

  • Posted by: lauriem5377 - Apr. 20, 2011 7:49 PM ET USA

    I hope everyone here will pray for and write to those Catholic Senators who remained faithful to the Word of our Lord in their vote to defund the nation's largest abortion provider. I also hope everyone here will pray for the souls of those who voted to give material support to the nation's largest abortion provider and write to let them know how disappointed you are in their vote against the precious little souls entrusted to all our care.

  • Posted by: impossible - Apr. 20, 2011 6:42 PM ET USA

    Same old - same old! In 2004 “Catholic” Senator Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) released a vote analysis covering 24 Catholic Senators with the conclusion that the five Senators most faithful to positions of the Catholic Church are Durbin, Kennedy, Leahy, Kerry and Mikulski. His office said those findings were based on “the criteria established by the U.S Catholic bishops.” In compiling the analysis, Durbin’s office used “Faithful Citizenship: A Catholic Call to Political Responsibility

  • Posted by: - Apr. 20, 2011 6:22 PM ET USA

    Pat Toomey is a Senator of Pennsylvian not as listed R. LA

  • Posted by: Obregon - Apr. 20, 2011 2:14 PM ET USA

    The bishops should take a hard look at what happens when good catechesis is ignored, and we should be able to see the difference between "real" and "nominal" Catholics! Finally the USCCB spoke clearly against Planned Parenthood but they also supported Obama knowing Obama believes in abortion and in the organization that funds it.

  • Posted by: ginamarie91432156 - Apr. 20, 2011 9:45 AM ET USA

    If only all of these Catholic Senators were properly catechized...this would be a very different story.