The fight over the recent defense authorization bill focused squarely upon a measure in the bill that would repeal the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” military policy. While the last Senate vote to move the defense bill forward to a vote failed, Senator Joe Lieberman, Connecticut Democrat, and Senator Susan Collins, Maine Republican, are proposing the DADT repeal will become stand-alone legislation instead of it’s current home in the defense bill.
However, social conservatives are not done with their concern over the defense bill due to a measure, inserted by former Democratic Senator of Illinois Roland Burris, in the legislation that would allow for abortions to be performed on military bases by military personnel.
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Once again, Senator Bob Casey Jr., Pennsylvania Democrat and self-proclaimed pro-lifer, finds himself in the middle of his Party’s wishes to make abortions as available as possible and continuing to tell his constituents that he remains a strong pro-life vote in the Senate. I asked Mr. Casey on Monday if he had concerns over the abortion measure in the defense bill, and his response appeared similar to his defense of the final abortion language agreement in the health care legislation.
“ There’s an amendment we could be voting on when we get to that issue, and of course I don’t think that’s the right policy. I think we should continue the current policy which is to not have them on those bases,” he said.
When asked by a reporter if he would not vote for the defense bill if lifting the ban on abortions on military bases remained, he answered:
“I’ve always said that should be the policy we pursue, but I’m not going to oppose the defense bill. There are other things I may not want in there either.”
Listen to Senator Casey here.
Senator Casey is coming under increasing criticism from pro-life groups that he says one thing about standing for pro-life policy and votes another when Democrats pull him into voting for bills with pro-abortion language.
The Democrats have either found a way to steam roll over the Pennsylvania lawmaker, or he has no problems being a token pro-life Democrat in the Senate that his party can count on to give cover to. Regardless of either, Mr. Casey has yet to convince pro-life activists he really is true to their cause. His father, the late Senator Bob Casey, a pro-life Democrat that could be counted on by pro-life activists, only has so long coattails for his son to ride.
