After examining McCain's voting record in depth, I think that it is near impossible to come to any other conclusion than the fact that his votes increased the amount of abortions that occurred in America over his career. We need to get this information to Pro-Life voters in order to ask them how many abortions would have been prevented if the bills he voted against were passed? Also, if this has been his record to date, then what will he do as president?
He has a long record people - we need to tie it around his neck! While he claims to be "Pro-Life", his votes lead women into the most difficult of places, where that decision is much more likely.
These Votes on Bills either directly or indirectly have put women in the position were an abortion is more likely to occur:
Simple, clear-cut and direct connection to mothers - he voted to eliminate or cut Health insurance to the women that are most likely to choose abortion - Low-income, pregnant women.
****McCain Voted To Cut, Eliminate, Restrict Health Insurance Coverage for Low Income Children and Pregnant Mothers At Least SIX Times***. [SCR 27, Vote #76, 5/21/97; S 949, Vote #149, 6/27/97; HR 4810, Vote #204, 7/17/00; H.R. 976, Vote #307, 8/2/07; S 3, Vote #45, 3/11/03; H.R. 3963, Vote #401, 10/31/07]
Nearly 50 percent of abortions are from teenage women - cutting this 100 million - directly would cut-off help from the teens who need it the most!
*****McCain opposed spending $100 million to prevent unintended and teen pregnancies*****. In 2005, McCain voted NO to allocate $100 million to expand access to preventive health care services that reduce the numbers of unintended and teen pregnancies and reduce the number of abortions. (This will raise abortions in the US by a large amount!)
McCain opposed legislation requiring that abstinence-only programs be medically accurate and scientifically based. McCain voted NO on legislation that would help reduce the number of teen pregnancies by providing funding for programs to teach comprehensive, medically accurate sexuality education and other programs to prevent unintended teen pregnancies.
McCain's opposition to Children's health care is not only despicable, but if women knew their future children were going to have adequate health care, it may be enough to convince them that they could afford to raise their child. The next two votes show that he consistently opposes helping children.
McCain Opposed Reauthorizing SCHIP And Providing Insurance For Millions Of Uninsured Children. In August 2007, McCain voted against passage of H.R. 976, which would have reauthorized the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). According to Knight Ridder, “The Senate proposal would provide coverage to 3.2 million” uninsured children and renew coverage for the 6 million children already covered by the program. The legislation passed 68-31. [H.R. 976, Vote #307, 8/2/07; Knight Ridder, 8/2/07]
*** McCain opposed Title X, the nation's family planning program. In 1990, McCain voted NO on legislation to extend the Title X federal family planning program, which provides low-income and uninsured women and families with health care services ranging from breast and cervical cancer screening
McCain Opposed Extending Coverage To Uninsured Children. On October 31, 2007, after President Bush vetoed the first SCHIP reauthorization, McCain again opposed expanding SCHIP to millions of additional children. He voted against a motion to invoke cloture and bring the reauthorization forward for a vote before the Senate. The motion passed 62-33. [H.R. 3963, Vote #401, 10/31/07]
Once again, here is McCain opposing helping people with being able to afford their health care - which the reason that women give for having abortions the most often is financial ability to take care of their children. The next three votes show his continued votes against helping people get health care
****McCain Opposed Expanding Health Care Coverage And Containing Rising Costs. In 2004, McCain voted against an amendment that provided an additional $60 billion over five years to expand health care coverage. The amendment failed 43-53. [SCR 95, Vote #47, 3/11/04]
****McCain Voted Against Providing Tax Credits to Small Businesses That Offer Health Insurance To Employees. In 2000, McCain voted against considering an amendment that would have provided a tax credit to small businesses that offered health insurance coverage to their employees. The amendment failed 49-49. [HR 4810, Vote #205, 7/17/00]
****McCain Voted Against Allowing Uninsured Parents To Enroll In The Same Plans As Their Children. In 2000, McCain voted against an amendment would allow states to expand coverage under the Medicaid and State Children’s Health Insurance Programs (S-CHIP) to the parents of the children enrolled in the program. The amendment failed 51-47. [HR 4810, Vote #204, 7/17/00]
While this may not be directly connected to abortions, not having time to care for children connected to many other factors may encourage women to move towards that root. A bit of a stretch, but despicable none-the-less!
McCain Voted to Gut the Family and Medical Leave Act. In 1993, McCain voted to jeopardize leave for millions of workers by gutting the bill. He voted to suspend the Family and Medical Leave Act unless the federal government certified that compliance would not increase business expenses. [Source: aflcio.org S.Amdt. 16, S. 5, Vote 7, 2/4/93; H.R. 1, Vote 11, 2/4/93]
Another major reason why parents resort to abortion is because they find out their child may be disabled. This connects to the financial reasons because the expense of raising a disable child are immense. So, this vote is horrific:
McCain Voted Against Increasing Benefits For Children With Special Needs In The Social Security Act. In 1997, McCain voted to table an amendment that would revise the Social Security Act to include additional benefits for children with special needs, including physical, speech and language therapy, and mental health services. The motion to table passed 57-43. [S 947, Vote #128, 6/25/97]
Here are some other just horrendous votes against women and families:
McCain Opposed Expanding COBRA Coverage to Retirees. In 2000, McCain voted against an amendment that would have expanded COBRA coverage to include retirees whose employer-sponsored health care coverage was terminated and to provide a 25-percent tax credit for COBRA coverage. The amendment failed 30-68. [HR 4810, Vote #202, 7/17/00]
McCain Opposed Equal Pay Bill for Women, Said They ‘Need Education and Training’ Instead. McCain skipped a vote on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act that would ensure women have the opportunity to recover back pay for discrimination once they discover it. If he had been there to vote, he said he would have voted against it and that women “need education and training” rather than an equal pay bill. The bill addressed a recent Supreme Court decision that said Steelworker Lilly Ledbetter could not recover back pay for 19 years of discrimination at Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. because she had not discovered the unequal pay until she retired. The bill would amend the 1964 Civil Rights Act to allow employees to file charges of pay discrimination within 180 days of the last received paycheck affected by the discrimination. [Source: aflcio.org; H.R. 2831, Vote 110, 4/23/08; Associated Press, 4/28/08]
McCain Opposed Requiring Health Plans To Pay For Post-Stabilization Services At Hospitals Under Certain Circumstances. In 1999, McCain voted to require all group health plans to allow their participants to go to emergency rooms for treatment without prior authorization under the “prudent layperson” standard. McCain voted against requiring a health plan to pay for any post-stabilization services if a health plan could not be reached for instructions on further care within 1 hour after stabilization of a patient and if the care given met the regulatory definition for covered post-stabilization care currently used by Medicare and Medicaid for their health maintenance organization (HMO) participants (that definition is “medically necessary, non-emergency services furnished to an enrollee after he or she is stabilized following an emergency medical condition”). The amendment failed 47-53. [S 1344, Vote #201, 7/13/99]
McCain Voted Against A $3,000 Tax Credit To Help Seniors Or Their Families Pay For Long-Term Care. In 2000, McCain voted against an amendment that would increase the general estate tax exemption and provide seniors with long term care needs or their caregivers a $3000 tax credit phased beginning in 2001. The credit would be $1000 the first year and increase in $500 increments each year. Taxpayers with long term care needs, or with spouses or dependents with long term care need would be eligible for the tax credit. The amendment failed 46-51. [HR 8, Vote #193, 7/14/00]
McCain Has Voted To Cut, Restrict, And Underfund Medicaid At Least Seven Times. [HJR 2, Vote #21, 1/23/03; HCR 178, Vote #159, 6/13/96; HCR 178, Vote #156, 5/23/96; SCR 57, Vote #117, 5/16/96; HCR 67, Vote #296, 6/29/95; SCR 13, Vote #173, 5/22/95; S. 947, Vote #124, 6/25/97; S. 947, Vote #111, 6/24/97; HCR 67, Vote #296, 6/29/95]
McCain Has Voted To Cut, Restrict, And Underfund Medicare At Least 18 Times. [S. 1932, Vote #363, 12/21/05; S. 1932, Vote #303, 11/3/2005; S. 1, Vote #253, 6/26/03; S. 1, Vote #247, 6/26/03; SCR 23, Vote #89, 3/25/03; HJR 2, Vote #21, 1/23/03; H.C.R. 83, Vote #73, 4/5/01; S.C.R. 86, Vote #53, 4/1/98; H.C.R. 178, Vote #156, 5/23/96; H.C.R. 178, Vote #159, 6/13/96; H.R. 2491, Vote #584,11/17/95; H.R. 2491, Vote #556, 10/27/95; H.C.R. 67, Vote #296, 6/29/95; S.C.R. 13, Vote #232, 5/25/95; S. 1357, Vote #499, 10/26/95; 5/23/96; S 1357, Vote #524, 10/27/95; SCR 13, Vote #218, 5/25/95; S.C.R. 13, Vote #173]
McCain Voted Against Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage At Least Twenty-Eight Times. [S 1, Vote #262, 6/26/03; S1, Vote #259, 6/26/03; S 1, Vote #254, 6/26/03; S 1, Vote #253, 6/26/03; S1, Vote #250, 6/26/03; S 1, Vote #240, 6/24/03; S 1, Vote #239, 6/24/03; S 1, Vote #236, 6/24/03; S 1, Vote #234, 6/24/03; S 1, Vote #229, 6/19/03; S 1, Vote #227, 6/18/03; S. 1932, Vote #363, 12/21/05; S 1932, Vote #302, 11/3/05; S 1054, Vote #159, 5/15/03; SCR 23, Vote 389, 3/25/03; SCR 23, Vote #83, 3/25/03; SCR 23, Vote #63, 3/20/03; S 812, Vote #199, 7/31/02 ;S 812, Vote #187, 7/23/02; S 812, Vote #186, 7/23/02; S 812, Vote #182, 7/18/02; HCR 83, Vote #66, 4/3/01; HCR 83, Vote #65, 4/3/01; HR 4810, Vote #206, 7/17/00; HR 8, Vote #186, 7/13/00; HR 4577, Vote #144, 6/22/00; SCR 101, Vote #52, 4/5/00; S 1429, Vote #231, 7/29/99]]
McCain's voting record from www.ontheissues.org
So, after seeing McCain's record, I think it is clear that his votes have led to more abortions, less health care, and definitely not taking care "of the least of these" as my version of Christianity taught me. He may call himself "Pro-Life" but that is in name only - he is clearly against life (if not wealthy), against women, and against family.
It is time that we make him face up to his record!
Update: Thanks Everyone! My second time on the Rec list and this issue is much more important than my Tabloidy first time! I just want to say that i have helped convert at least 20-30 of my life long Pro-Life friends and family to Obama supporters, so it is possible! It just takes persistence and creativity. They might not agree with you when you come from one direction, so instead of pounding away at it from that direction, try a different root. Most importantly, if things start to get heated remind them that you love then or care for them no matter how they vote! I have found that the way that i argue my points on these issues has convinced people more than the info I used!
Also, please Digg this post!
Update Two: If the Pro-Lifer you are trying to convince is Catholic, I highly recommend the following site: http://www.romancatholicsforobama.com
Update Three: The comment i get most often when I tell people that I want to and have converted Pro-Lifers to Obama is that Pro-Lifers are too extreme, so why bother. I just want to make the point that we do not need to change the mind of all pro-lifers, if we each reach out to those in our lives with love, if we even convert one or two - it could swing a state - it adds up! Just have patience, remember how important this is and act with love - and we will win in November!
Update Four: Nate from 538 blog just reported that Obama has taken back the EV lead (Thanks Stagemom)
Update Six: I have found that my Catholic friends are surprised when they hear that there are more Catholic Dems than Republicans. There are 85 Catholic Dems in Congress and Senate and 65 Catholic Republicans.