Republican U.S. Senator Joni Ernst and U.S. Rep Steve King of Iowa were given an “A” in Susan B. Anthony List’s “National Pro-Life Scorecard” released on Wednesday while Democratic U.S. Reps. Abby Finkenauer, Dave Loebsack, and Cindy Axne of Iowa were given an “F.”
Republican U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley was the only Iowan in Congress who was not graded, presumably because he is not up for re-election.
“SBA List’s new Scorecard takes the pro-life movement to the next level, allowing us to show a dynamic, in-depth picture of each legislator’s record on life. In a pivotal election year, when the Republican conference is united on the life issue and the stakes are higher than ever, merely voting pro-life is not enough – we expect and celebrate leadership,” SBA List President Marjorie Dannenfelser said in a released statement. “Unfortunately the Democratic Party is headed in the extreme opposite direction. 28 out of 30 Democrats in districts won by President Trump received failing grades in 2019 due to their support for abortion on demand through birth, paid for by taxpayers, and even infanticide – a radical agenda that is profoundly out of step with their constituents. The Susan B. Anthony List National Pro-life Scorecard is a powerful tool to educate voters and empower them to hold abortion extremists accountable at the ballot box.”
The scorecard reflects key votes and actions taken during the 116th Congress.
Joni Ernst – A
U.S. Senator Joni Ernst supported S. 109, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act, and S. 311, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, in procedural votes. She also co-sponsored S. 109, S. 130/S. 311, and S. 160, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. She also signed a letter to President Donald Trump urging him to veto “any legislation that comes to his desk that weakens pro-life protections on taxpayer funding or any other federal policy on abortion.”
They also noted that Ernst is the Co-chair of the Senate Values Action Team. She co-introduced S. 2585, the Ensuring Accurate and Complete Abortion Data Reporting Act with U.S. Senator Tom Cotton, R-Ark. They also note she introduced S. 141, the Protecting Funding for Women’s Health Care Act.
Ernst tweeted in response:
Steve King – A
U.S. Rep. Steve King voted against H.R. 21, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, that SBA List says would overturn Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance (PLGHA) which would force taxpayer funding for international NGOs who promote or perform abortion. He also voted against H.R. 5, the Equality Act, that SBA List says put abortion on equal standing as pregnancy, stipulating that any attempt to withhold abortion services constitutes discrimination.
King also voted in favor of two amendments to the House Labor Health and Human Services appropriations text that would restore the conscience protection rule and Protect Life Rule of Title X funds. He voted against an amendment to that same language that would block the Trump administration’s protections against taxpayer funding for research involving organs and tissue from aborted babies.
He voted for an amendment to State, Foreign Operations appropriations text to stop an increase in funds to international population control. He voted against H.R. 2740, House Labor Health and Human Services Appropriations, and H.R. 3351, House Financial Services Appropriations, because they stripped out conscience protection, the Protect Life Rule, and allowed taxpayer funding for abortion.
King also signed the discharge petition on H.R. 962, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, in order to force a vote on the bill.
He co-sponsored H.R. 4399, the Support and Value Expectant Moms and Babies Act, H.R. 20, No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act, and H.R. 784, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.
He also co-signed a letter to President Trump that requested his veto threat for any bill that weakens pro-life policies or laws. They note that King introduced H.R. 490, the Heartbeat Protection Act.
“I am honored to receive an ‘A’ rating from the Susan B. Anthony List, one of the nation’s leading pro-life organizations,” King said in a released statement. “I am particularly gratified by the emphasis the organization has placed on my work on the pro-life Heartbeat Bill, HR 490. My legislation has driven the debate about the fundamental Right to Life in this country, and its successful adoption in states like Iowa has shown the rest of the country that there is broad, popular support for the principle that ‘when a heartbeat is detected, the baby shall be legally protected.’”
Abby Finkenauer, Dave Loebsack, and Cindy Axne – F
Iowa Democratic U.S. Reps. Abby Finkenauer, Dave Loebsack, and Cindy Axne, SBA List said, all “consistently voted against efforts to protect the lives of the unborn as well as the consciences of taxpayers who don’t want their hard-earned tax dollars paying for abortion domestically or internationally.”
Of the three, Loebsack is the only one not running for re-election in 2020.
They also, according to the group, worked to prevent the implementation of the Trump administration’s pro-life regulatory efforts.
All three members of Congress voted the exact opposite way King did on scored votes.
Finkenauer, Loebsack, and Axne voted in favor of H.R. 21, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, that would force taxpayer funding for international NGOs who promote or perform abortion. They voted against amendments to appropriation text that would preserve Trump’s pro-life regulatory efforts and voted for an amendment that would strip it. They also voted in favor of H.R. 5, The Equality Act.
They voted for H.R. 2740, House Labor Health and Human Services Appropriations, and H.R. 3351, House Financial Services Appropriations, that stripped out conscience protection, the Protect Life Rule, and allowed taxpayer funding for abortion.
Finkenauer, Loebsack, and Axne also did not sign the H.R. 962, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. They did not co-sponsor any of SBA List’s tracked legislation.