Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America

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Susan B. Anthony List
Formation	1992
Headquarters	Arlington, Virginia
President	Marjorie Dannenfelser
Website	http://www.sba-list.org

The Susan B. Anthony List, or simply SBA List, is a 501(c)(4) non-profit , non-partisan organization that seeks to advance pro-life women in politics, especially to Congress, through its connected SBA List Candidate Fund political action committee. It has over 280,000 members as of 2010, 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. The group only endorses pro-life female candidates or pro-life male candidates running against pro-choice female candidates.

They plan to spend $6 million for the 2010 elections and thus far have endorsed eight candidates for Senate, 18 for the House of Representatives, three for governor, and two for attorney general.

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 was reincorporated as 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. It is seen by many as the pro-life counterpart to EMILY's List.

Susan B. Anthony connection

The name of the organization stems from the belief that suffragist Susan B. Anthony was pro-life. This topic has been subject to a long-running dispute about Anthony's views on abortion and the degree of importance with which she regarded the issue.

Pro-lifers cite an 1869 editorial about abortion in her newspaper, The Revolution, that referred to abortion as "child-murder" and said the following: "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." The piece was signed simply "A." Pro-choicers say there is no proof that Anthony wrote that piece.

In a 2010 Washington Post piece, Dannenfelser also cites other early feminists, such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who referred to abortion as "infanticide" in The Revolution and wrote a letter saying, "When we consider that women are treated as property, it is degrading to women that we should treat our children as property to be disposed of as we see fit." She notes that Victoria Woodhull, the first female presidential candidate in the U.S., told the Wheeling, West Virginia Evening Standard newspaper in 1875 that "Every woman knows that if she were free, she would never bear an unwished-for child, nor think of murdering one before its birth." Dannenfelser cites a fourth early feminist, Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell, the first female physician, who recorded in her diary her thoughts about Madame Restell, an early 19th-century abortionist: "The gross perversion and destruction of motherhood by the abortionist filled me with indignation, and awakened active antagonism. That the honorable term 'female physician' should be exclusively applied to those women who carried on this shocking trade seemed to me a horror. It was an utter degradation of what might and should become a noble position for women."

Recent news

The group has gained renewed attention because of 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 current project is called "Votes Have Consquences", headed up by former congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave, which is aimed at defeating vulnerable candidates who did not vote pro-life on key issues, such as health care reform. Under this project the group bypassed their female candidate requirements and endorsed Dan Coats of Indiana for Senate against Rep. Brad Ellsworth, who voted for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

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."

In January 2010 they launched a "Block Hard for Tebow" campaign in support of star quarterback Tim Tebow, who came under fire from pro-choice groups like NOW for starring in a pro-life commercial for Focus on the Family that aired during the Super Bowl.

The organization was involved in trying to keep abortion coverage out of health care reform. They had targeted Senator Bob Casey to ensure abortion is not covered in H.R. 3590., and were involved in lobbying for the Stupak-Pitts Amendment to H.R. 3962 The group blasted Sen. Ben Nelson for what they say was a fake compromise on abortion in H.R. 3590, and condemned the Christmas Eve passage of the Senate bill.

The group had planned to honor Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI) at its March gala, but after Stupak's last minute deal on H.R. 3590 that Barack Obama would issue an executive order banning federal funding for abortion under the bill, Stupak was stripped of his "Defender of Life Award," which he was supposed to receive three days later at their gala. "We were planning to honor Congressman Stupak for his efforts to keep abortion-funding out of health care reform. We will no longer be doing so," Dannenfelser said. "Let me be clear: any representative, including Rep. Stupak, who votes for this health care bill can no longer call themselves 'pro-life.'" No one received the award in his place, and Dannenfelser instead used the occasion to condemn Stupak. The group also dropped its plans to help Stupak fend off a primary challenge from Connie Saltonstall, who is running on a pro-choice platform.

In May 2010 the organization hosted a breakfast with an appearance and abortion-focused keynote address from Sarah Palin. Over 500 people attended the event and heard Palin speak about the pro-life movement and other issues affecting women. Palin also about finding out her son, Trig, had Down syndrome, saying she didn't think she could handle raising a special needs child, but realized "God knows what he's doing" when he was born. The event was the group's second in two months to feature a prominent governor (Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty spoke at their gala in March 2010.)

2010 endorsements

U.S. Senate

Sharron Angle, Republican nominee for Senate against Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. They had endorsed Angle's primary opponent Sue Lowden, former Nevada state Republican Party chairwoman and former state senator, but endorsed Angle after she won the primary.
Kelly Ayotte, former Attorney General of New Hampshire and candidate for the New Hampshire seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Judd Gregg.
Rep. Roy Blunt, candidate for the open Senate seat in Missouri being vacated by Sen. Kit Bond.
Rep. John Boozman, Republican nominee for Senate in Arkansas against Sen. Blanche Lincoln.
Dan Coats, Republican nominee for the open Senate seat in Indiana being vacated by Sen. Evan Bayh, who announced his retirement five days after Coats' announcement of his intent to run. Coats is a former senator is seeking to reclaim his old seat, which he held from 1989 to 1999.
Carly Fiorina, running against Sen. Barbara Boxer in California.
Jane Norton, former Lieutenant Governor of Colorado and candidate for the Senate in Colorado.
Christine O'Donnell, Delaware candidate for Vice President Joe Biden's former Senate seat.

House

Rep. Michele Bachmann (MN-06), Republican congresswoman facing a challenge from state Sen. Tarryl Clark.
Diane Black (TN-06, Tennessee state senator and candidate for the open seat being vacated by retiring Rep. Bart Gordon in the 6th district.
Ann Marie Buerkle (New York-25), former Syracuse Common Councilor and New York State Assistant Attorney General.
Steve Chabot (Ohio-01), who is running against Rep. Steve Driehaus to reclaim the seat he lost to Driehaus in 2008. SBA List made an endorsement in this male vs. male race as part of its plan to target Democrats who say they are pro-life who voted for the health care bill and have run radio ads in the district against Driehaus.
Teresa Collett (Minnesota-04), candidate against Rep. Betty McCollum.
Renee Ellmers (NC-02), candidate against incumbent Rep. Bob Etheridge.
Jaime Herrera (WA-03), candidate for the open seat being vacated by retiring Rep. Brian Baird.
Joe Heck (NV-03), Nevada state senator running against incumbent Rep. Dina Titus.
Jennifer Horn (NH-02, running for the open seat being vacated by Paul Hodes, who is running for the open Senate seat in New Hampshire.
Rich Iott (OH-09), running against Marcy Kaptur.
Captain Adam Kinzinger (IL-11), candidate against freshman Rep. Debbie Halvorson. Kinzinger is a member of the U.S. National Guard and veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Rep. Candice Miller (MI-10), incumbent member of the House.
Rep. Sue Myrick (NC-09, incumbent congresswoman.
Kristi Noem (South Dakota-AL), member of the South Dakota state House. Dannenfelser called Noem the "biggest breakout of 2010."
Star Parker (CA-37), a political commentator and author.
Rep. Joe Pitts (PA-16), incumbent representative who has allied with SBA List on legislative matters, such as the Stupak-Pitts Amendment, which the group lobbied heavily for.
Robin Smith (TN-03), running for the seat being vacated by Rep. Zach Wamp, who is running for governor.
Jackie Walorski (NH-02), member of the Indiana state House and candidate against Rep. Joe Donnelly.

State offices

Pam Bondi, Florida prosecutor and candidate for Attorney General of Florida.
Rep. Mary Fallin, incumbent House member and candidate for governor of Oklahoma.
Brenna Findley, candidate for attorney general of Iowa.
Nikki Haley, candidate for Governor of South Carolina and member of the South Carolina state House.
Rita Meyer, candidate for governor of Wyoming.

External links

References

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