Susan B. Anthony List
Encyclopedia
The Susan B. Anthony List, or simply SBA List, is a 501(c)(4) non-profit, non-partisan
organization that seeks to eliminate abortion in the U.S. by supporting pro-life
politicians, primarily women, through its SBA List Candidate Fund political action committee
. It has over 330,000 members.
Founded in 1993 by sociologist and psychologist Rachel MacNair
, the SBA List was a response to the success of the pro-choice
group EMILY's List
, which was partly responsible for bringing about the 1992 "Year of the Woman
" in which a significant number of women, all pro-choice, were elected to Congress. MacNair wished to help pro-life women gain high public office. She recruited Marjorie Dannenfelser and Jane Abraham
as the first experienced leaders of SBA List. Dannenfelser is now president of the organization and Abraham is chairman of the board.
Named for suffragist Susan B. Anthony
, SBA List identifies itself with Anthony and several 19th-century women's rights activists; SBA List believes Anthony and other early feminists were opposed to abortion. Regarding Anthony's abortion beliefs, SBA List has been challenged by scholars and pro-choice
activists; Anthony scholar Ann D. Gordon and Anthony biographer Lynn Sherr
argue that Anthony "spent no time on the politics of abortion."
, watched a 60 Minutes
television documentary profiling IBM
-heiress Ellen Malcolm
and the successful campaign-funding activities of her Democratic
pro-choice group EMILY's List
. MacNair, a peace activist
and pro-life Quaker, was motivated to organize the Susan B. Anthony List for the purpose of countering EMILY's List by providing early campaign funds to pro-life women candidates. Led by FFL and MacNair, 15 pro-life groups formed an umbrella organization, the National Women's Coalition for Life (NWCL), which adopted a joint pro-life statement on April 3, 1992.
Also inspired by EMILY's List, in 1992 the WISH List
was formed to promote pro-choice candidates who were members of the opposing Republican Party
. In November 1992 after many of the pro-choice candidates won their races to create the "Year of the Woman
", MacNair announced the formation of the SBA List, describing its purpose as endorsing and supporting women who held pro-life beliefs without regard to party affiliation. MacNair determined to challenge the EMILY's List and the WISH List notion that the top female politicians were primarily pro-choice. The NWCL sponsored the SBA List with $2,485 to create it as a political action committee
(PAC) on February 4, 1993, listing MacNair as the first secretary; the group operated out of MacNair's office inside a crisis pregnancy center
on East 47th Street in Kansas City, Missouri
. The first SBA List public event was held the same month at the Washington, D.C., headquarters of the National Woman's Party
.
. The early leaders of the SBA List believed that Anthony was "passionately pro-life". This topic has been subject to a modern-day dispute about Anthony's views on abortion
, with pro-choice activists "concerned that their heroine is being appropriated." While Anthony deplored abortion, she never worked against it. Anthony scholar Ann D. Gordon and Anthony biographer Lynn Sherr
say the quotes SBA List cites are misattributed or taken out of context. Gordon said that Anthony "never voiced an opinion about the sanctity of fetal life ... and she never voiced an opinion about using the power of the state to require that pregnancies be brought to term."
The SBA List also cites other early feminists, such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton
, who 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." The SBA List 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." The SBA List refers to a fourth early feminist, Elizabeth Blackwell
, the first woman to receive a medical degree in the United States, 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." Finally, the organization also cites suffragist Alice Paul
, author of the original Equal Rights Amendment
, who said, "Abortion is the ultimate exploitation of women."
, said "None of us had political experience. None of us had PAC experience. We just had a passion for being pro-life." Shortly after its founding, experienced political activists Marjorie Dannenfelser and then Jane Abraham
were brought on board—Dannenfelser served as executive director, leading the organization from her home in Arlington, Virginia. In 1994, the SBA List was successful in helping 8 of its 15 selected candidates gain office. In 1996, only two challengers who were financially backed were elected, while five SBA-List-supported incumbents retained their positions; a disappointing election for the group.
In 1997 the SBA List was reorganized by Dannenfelser and Abraham into its current form as a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization with a connected PAC, the SBA List Candidate Fund. Abraham became president and Dannenfelser held the position of Chairman of the Board. The rules for endorsing and financially supporting candidates were tightened: in addition to the politician having to be female, she must have demonstrated a pro-life record (a simple declaration was not enough), and she must be seen as likely to win her race. In 1998, the SBA List began backing male pro-life candidates as well, endorsing three men in a pilot program. One of the three gained office: the SBA List gave millionaire Republican Peter Fitzgerald $2,910 to assist him in his $12.3 million win over pro-choice Democrat Carol Moseley Braun
in a battle for the U.S. Senate seat in Illinois
. Abraham served as president from 1997 until 2006 when Dannenfelser became president.
The election year 2000 was another disappointment for the SBA List, with the group contributing $25,995 to endorsed pro-life candidates in contrast to the pro-choice candidates funded with $608,273 from the WISH List or with $20 million from the EMILY's List.
, in every election cycle since 1996.
Former Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave
joined the SBA List in March 2009 and works as a project director and spokesperson. Musgrave had previously been given a pro-life award in 2003 by the SBA List.
The organization was involved in trying to keep abortion coverage out of health care reform legislation
in 2009 and 2010. It had targeted Senator
Bob Casey
to ensure abortion was not covered in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
(PPACA), and lobbied for the Stupak-Pitts Amendment to H.R. 3962 The group criticized Senator Ben Nelson
for what it called a fake compromise on abortion in the PPACA 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 deal with President Obama in which Obama would issue an executive order
banning federal funding for abortion under the bill, Stupak was stripped of his "Defender of Life Award" three days before the gala because of Dannenfelser's doubts, shared by the most prominent pro-life groups, about the effectiveness of the Executive Order. Stupak had told Dannenfelser, "They [the Democratic leadership] know I won't fold. There is no way." On the day of the vote, Dannenfelser said she promised Stupak that the SBA List was "going to be involved in your defeat." In a statement, Dannenfelser said, "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...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 was running on a pro-choice platform. Stupak later dropped out of the race, announcing his retirement from Congress.
In 2010, the SBA List hosted events featuring prominent pro-life political figures as speakers, including Sarah Palin, Minnesota Governor
Tim Pawlenty
and Rep. Michele Bachmann
.
In August 2010, to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment
, which granted women the right to vote, the SBA List held a colloquium at the Yale Club of New York City
, billed as "A Conversation on Pro-Life Feminism". The event featured a panel of five scholars in the fields of law, philosophy, history, political science and sociology, who discussed various concepts of feminism and the possibility of broadening the spectrum of pro-life political candidates to include those with more centrist fiscal views.
An SBA List project, "Votes Have Consequences", was headed by former Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave and was aimed at defeating vulnerable candidates in 2010 who did not vote pro-life on key issues, such as health care reform. Under this project, the group endorsed Dan Coats
of Indiana for Senate against Rep. Brad Ellsworth
, who had voted for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
.
In January 2011, along with Americans for Tax Reform
and The Daily Caller
, the organization sponsored a debate between candidates for chairman of the Republican National Committee
.
Peter Roff writing for U.S. News and World Report credited the SBA List for the passage in the House of an amendment to defund Planned Parenthood
of federal dollars for fiscal year 2011.
In March 2011, the SBA List teamed with Live Action
for a bus tour through 13 congressional districts either thanking or condemning their representatives for their votes to defund Planned Parenthood of tax dollars in the Pence Amendment. In response, Planned Parenthood launched its own tour to follow the SBA List bus. The SBA List also bought $200,000 in radio and television ads backing six Republicans who voted to defund Planned Parenthood in response to a $200,000 ad buy by Planned Parenthood against the Pence Amendment.
In July 2011, the SBA List held a rally in New Hampshire
supporting the New Hampshire Executive Council's decision to cut off state funding for Planned Parenthood. Spokeswoman Marilyn Musgrave said the Council's decision "really will save unborn lives."
following Sarah Palin
's nomination for Vice President
. They had endorsed her 2006 run for governor
of Alaska
. In 2008, the SBA List also started a social networking site and blog called "Team Sarah", which is "dedicated to advancing the values that Sarah Palin represents in the political process."
Palin headlined the organization's 2010 "Celebration of Life" breakfast fundraiser, an event which got extensive media coverage and in which she coined the term "mama grizzly
".
According to Politico
, Palin's criteria for endorsing candidates is whether they have the support of the Tea Party movement
and whether they have the support of the SBA List.
to fill an empty House seat in upstate New York
, the group endorsed the pro-life third-party Conservative
candidate Doug Hoffman
over the pro-choice Republican candidate, Dede Scozzafava, on the stated basis that Scozzafava was an "abortion radical who does not represent the views of the growing majority of pro-life American women." The SBA List joined forces with the National Organization for Marriage
in support of Hoffman, spending over $100,000 printing literature, making phone calls, and flooding the district with volunteers from across the country.
campaigns for or against 50 candidates.
The SBA List conducted a 23-city bus tour to the Congressional districts of self-described pro-life Democrats in Ohio
, Indiana
and Pennsylvania
who voted for the health care reform bill and to rally supporters to vote them out. The bus tour attracted counterprotests at some stops, such as one in Pennsylvania where a group called Catholics United accused the SBA List of lying about health care reform. Emily Buchanan of the SBA List responded by noting that Catholics United accepted funds from liberal philanthropist George Soros
, a non-Catholic.
The organization launched a "Life Speaking Out" petition to urge the Republican Party to include opposition to abortion in its Pledge to America
. The petition was sent with over 20,000 signatures on it.
The organization especially focused on the California Senate race
where Carly Fiorina
challenged incumbent Senator Barbara Boxer
. The group gave $200,000 to Fiorina's campaign during the Republican primary and expected to give another $1 million for the general election campaign against Boxer. The SBA List partnered with the National Organization for Marriage to air Spanish language
TV commercials attacking Boxer's positions on abortion and gay marriage. The two groups bought $200,000 worth of airtime for the commercial to air in the markets of Los Angeles
, Fresno
, and San Diego
. However, Boxer prevailed over Fiorina in the November 2010 election.
Other notable endorsements included Sharron Angle
, who unsuccessfully challenged incumbent Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
in Nevada
; the SBA List endorsed Angle despite having previously endorsed Angle's primary opponent, Sue Lowden
. In September 2010, the SBA List launched a $150,000 campaign on behalf of New Hampshire
Senate candidate Kelly Ayotte
for the Republican primary. Ayotte won the primary to become the nominee, and later prevailed in the general election. In October 2010, the SBA List endorsed Joe Miller, Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate in Alaska. The SBA List endorsed Miller after Sen. Lisa Murkowski
decided to stage a write-in campaign after losing the Republican primary to Miller, and they launched a $10,000 radio campaign to air ads attacking Murkowski for turning a "deaf ear" to the will of voters who voted her out in the primary. Murkowski defeated Miller, who conceded after two months of court battles over contested ballots.
36 of SBA List's 2010 endorsed candidates were elected.
advertisements in the district of Rep. Steve Driehaus
of Ohio that showed a photo of Driehaus and said, "Shame on Steve Driehaus! Driehaus voted FOR taxpayer-funded abortion" The advertisement referred to Driehaus's vote in favor of the health care overhaul bill. The SBA List takes the position that the health care legislation allows for taxpayer-funded abortion, a factually incorrect claim. In response, Driehaus, who represented the heavily pro-life 1st congressional district of Ohio
, filed a complaint with the Ohio Elections Commission (OEC), stating that the advertisements were false and violated Ohio election law. The OEC ruled in Driehaus' favor in a probable cause hearing on October 14, 2010. In response, the SBA List asked a federal judge to issue an injunction against the OEC on the grounds that the law at issue stifles free speech and that its ads were based on the group’s own interpretation of the law. The American Civil Liberties Union
of Ohio filed an 18-page amicus brief on the SBA List's behalf, arguing that the Ohio law in question is "unconstitutionally vague" and has a "chilling" effect on the SBA List's right to freedom of speech
. A federal judge rejected the SBA List's federal lawsuit on abstention
grounds and allowed Driehaus's OEC complaint to move forward.
After the OEC complaint was filed, the SBA List began airing a radio ad in Driehaus's district in which Dannenfelser stated that the group "[would] not be silenced or intimidated" by Driehaus's legal action. Driehaus was able persuade the billboard company to withdraw the SBA List's advertisement, which was never erected. Driehaus ended up losing his seat to Steve Chabot
in the November election. Driehaus then sued the SBA List in a second case on December 3, 2010, accusing the organization of defamation that caused him a "loss of livelihood", arguing that the "First Amendment
is not and never has been an invitation to concoct falsehoods aimed at depriving a person of his livelihood." The SBA List countered by stating that the organization would "continue to defend the truth and the right to criticize our elected officials." The SBA List continued seeking to have the law in question overturned; the ACLU joined in the organization's fight against the law.
On August 1, 2011, judge Timothy Black
dismissed the SBA List's challenge to the Ohio law, holding that the federal court lacked jurisdiction since the billboards were never erected and the OEC never made a final ruling and denied a motion for summary judgment by SBA List in the defamation case, allowing Driehaus's defamation claims regarding other SBA List statements to go forward. Black also required that SBA List stop claiming on its website that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act subsidized abortion, because it did not directly mention abortion. SBA List argued that its statements were opinions and were thus protected, but the court rejected this argument given that SBA List itself had claimed that this was a "fact." On August 19, 2011, the SBA List appealed the decision on the Ohio law to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals
.
, endorsing challengers Bryce Reeves against Edd Houck
, Caren Merrick
against Barbara Favola
for an open seat, Patricia Phillips against Mark Herring
, and incumbent Sen. Jill Vogel
in an effort to stop the state Senate from being a "graveyard for pro-life legislation." It also announced it was spending $25,000 against Sen. Edd Houck
to expose his "extreme record on abortion."
in which signers commit to appointing only pro-life judicial nominees and cabinet members, preventing taxpayer funding of abortion, and supporting legislation to ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy based on the fetal pain concept. Candidates Rick Perry
, Tim Pawlenty
, Michele Bachmann
, Newt Gingrich
, Rick Santorum
, Thaddeus McCotter, Herman Cain
, and Ron Paul
all signed the pledge, but Mitt Romney
, Jon Huntsman, Jr.
, and Gary Johnson
declined. Romney's refusal (he said the pledge might have "unintended consequences") sparked heated criticism from the SBA List, some of the other candidates, and political observers given Romney's past support for legalized abortion. Huntsman said he would not sign any pledges from political groups during the campaign and was criticized by the SBA List as well. Cain initially said he agreed with the first three parts, but objected to the wording in the pledge which said he would have to "advance" the fetal pain bill; he said he would sign it but Congress would have to advance it. Cain later signed the pledge in November 2011. Johnson declined because he is pro-choice.
The SBA List is set to embark on a Values Voter Bus Tour in Iowa
with the Family Research Council
and National Organization for Marriage
from August 9-12, 2011, ending the day before the critical Iowa Straw Poll. The tour will visit 22 cities and be joined by Pawlenty, Bachmann, and Santorum as well as Iowa Lt. Gov.
Kim Reynolds
and Reps. Steve King
and Louie Gohmert
, among other "state and national leaders".
Nonpartisan (American organizations)
A nonpartisan organization, in American politics, is a non-profit organization organized under United States Internal Revenue Code that qualifies for tax-exempt status because it refrains from engaging in certain prohibited political activities...
organization that seeks to eliminate abortion in the U.S. by supporting pro-life
Pro-life
Opposition to the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-life, or anti-abortion, movement, a social and political movement opposing elective abortion on moral grounds and supporting its legal prohibition or restriction...
politicians, primarily women, through its SBA List Candidate Fund political action committee
Political action committee
In the United States, a political action committee, or PAC, is the name commonly given to a private group, regardless of size, organized to elect political candidates or to advance the outcome of a political issue or legislation. Legally, what constitutes a "PAC" for purposes of regulation is a...
. It has over 330,000 members.
Founded in 1993 by sociologist and psychologist Rachel MacNair
Rachel MacNair
Rachel M. MacNair is an American sociologist and psychologist who holds a consistent life ethic, and works against killing. A Quaker, she is an activist against abortion and war. She has written against the culture of violence and the eating of meat...
, the SBA List was a response to the success of the pro-choice
Pro-choice
Support for the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-choice movement, a sociopolitical movement supporting the ethical view that a woman should have the legal right to elective abortion, meaning the right to terminate her pregnancy....
group EMILY's List
EMILY's List
EMILY's List is a political action committee in the United States that aims to help elect female candidates to office. It was founded by Ellen Malcolm in 1984....
, which was partly responsible for bringing about the 1992 "Year of the Woman
Year of the Woman
The Year of the Woman was a popular label attached to 1992 after the election of a number of female Senators in the United States.The hotly contested Senate confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas involving the allegations of Anita Hill raised the question of the dominance...
" in which a significant number of women, all pro-choice, were elected to Congress. MacNair wished to help pro-life women gain high public office. She recruited Marjorie Dannenfelser and Jane Abraham
Jane Abraham
Jane Abraham is an American political activist. She has been serving as Vice Chairman of the Michigan Republican Party since 2006. She is married to Spencer Abraham, former United States Senator from Michigan and former United States Secretary of Energy under President George W. Bush.Abraham...
as the first experienced leaders of SBA List. Dannenfelser is now president of the organization and Abraham is chairman of the board.
Named for suffragist Susan B. Anthony
Susan B. Anthony
Susan Brownell Anthony was a prominent American civil rights leader who played a pivotal role in the 19th century women's rights movement to introduce women's suffrage into the United States. She was co-founder of the first Women's Temperance Movement with Elizabeth Cady Stanton as President...
, SBA List identifies itself with Anthony and several 19th-century women's rights activists; SBA List believes Anthony and other early feminists were opposed to abortion. Regarding Anthony's abortion beliefs, SBA List has been challenged by scholars and pro-choice
Pro-choice
Support for the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-choice movement, a sociopolitical movement supporting the ethical view that a woman should have the legal right to elective abortion, meaning the right to terminate her pregnancy....
activists; Anthony scholar Ann D. Gordon and Anthony biographer Lynn Sherr
Lynn Sherr
Lynn Sherr is an American broadcast journalist and author, best known as a correspondent for the ABC news magazine 20/20....
argue that Anthony "spent no time on the politics of abortion."
Founding
The formation of the SBA List was catalyzed in March 1992 when Rachel MacNair, head of Feminists for LifeFeminists for Life
Feminists for Life of America is a non-profit, pro-life feminist, non-governmental organization . Established in 1972 and now based in Alexandria, Virginia, the organization describes itself as "shaped by the core feminist values of justice, nondiscrimination, and nonviolence." FFL is dedicated...
, watched a 60 Minutes
60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
television documentary profiling IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
-heiress Ellen Malcolm
Ellen Malcolm
Ellen R. Malcolm is an activist who has had a long career in American politics, particularly in political fundraising. She is an heiress of one of the founders of IBM....
and the successful campaign-funding activities of her Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
pro-choice group EMILY's List
EMILY's List
EMILY's List is a political action committee in the United States that aims to help elect female candidates to office. It was founded by Ellen Malcolm in 1984....
. MacNair, a peace activist
Peace movement
A peace movement is a social movement that seeks to achieve ideals such as the ending of a particular war , minimize inter-human violence in a particular place or type of situation, often linked to the goal of achieving world peace...
and pro-life Quaker, was motivated to organize the Susan B. Anthony List for the purpose of countering EMILY's List by providing early campaign funds to pro-life women candidates. Led by FFL and MacNair, 15 pro-life groups formed an umbrella organization, the National Women's Coalition for Life (NWCL), which adopted a joint pro-life statement on April 3, 1992.
Also inspired by EMILY's List, in 1992 the WISH List
The Wish List (political organization)
The Wish List is a political action committee devoted to electing pro-choice Republican women to the House of Representatives and Senate. The Wish List was founded in 1992. The acronym "WISH" stands for Women In the Senate and House. It can be considered a counterpart to another organization:...
was formed to promote pro-choice candidates who were members of the opposing Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. In November 1992 after many of the pro-choice candidates won their races to create the "Year of the Woman
Year of the Woman
The Year of the Woman was a popular label attached to 1992 after the election of a number of female Senators in the United States.The hotly contested Senate confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas involving the allegations of Anita Hill raised the question of the dominance...
", MacNair announced the formation of the SBA List, describing its purpose as endorsing and supporting women who held pro-life beliefs without regard to party affiliation. MacNair determined to challenge the EMILY's List and the WISH List notion that the top female politicians were primarily pro-choice. The NWCL sponsored the SBA List with $2,485 to create it as a political action committee
Political action committee
In the United States, a political action committee, or PAC, is the name commonly given to a private group, regardless of size, organized to elect political candidates or to advance the outcome of a political issue or legislation. Legally, what constitutes a "PAC" for purposes of regulation is a...
(PAC) on February 4, 1993, listing MacNair as the first secretary; the group operated out of MacNair's office inside a crisis pregnancy center
Crisis pregnancy center
A crisis pregnancy center , sometimes called a pregnancy resource center , is a non-profit organization established to counsel pregnant women against having an abortion....
on East 47th Street in Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
. The first SBA List public event was held the same month at the Washington, D.C., headquarters of the National Woman's Party
National Woman's Party
The National Woman's Party , was a women's organization founded by Alice Paul in 1915 that fought for women's rights during the early 20th century in the United States, particularly for the right to vote on the same terms as men...
.
Susan B. Anthony and early feminist connection
MacNair named the SBA List after the famous suffragist, Susan B. AnthonySusan B. Anthony
Susan Brownell Anthony was a prominent American civil rights leader who played a pivotal role in the 19th century women's rights movement to introduce women's suffrage into the United States. She was co-founder of the first Women's Temperance Movement with Elizabeth Cady Stanton as President...
. The early leaders of the SBA List believed that Anthony was "passionately pro-life". This topic has been subject to a modern-day dispute about Anthony's views on abortion
Susan B. Anthony abortion dispute
American suffragist Susan B. Anthony's position on abortion has been the subject of a modern-day dispute, centered not around Anthony's personal position on abortion, but rather around whether she worked or spoke against it and how she would fit into the modern debate over the...
, with pro-choice activists "concerned that their heroine is being appropriated." While Anthony deplored abortion, she never worked against it. Anthony scholar Ann D. Gordon and Anthony biographer Lynn Sherr
Lynn Sherr
Lynn Sherr is an American broadcast journalist and author, best known as a correspondent for the ABC news magazine 20/20....
say the quotes SBA List cites are misattributed or taken out of context. Gordon said that Anthony "never voiced an opinion about the sanctity of fetal life ... and she never voiced an opinion about using the power of the state to require that pregnancies be brought to term."
The SBA List also cites other early feminists, such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Elizabeth Cady Stanton was an American social activist, abolitionist, and leading figure of the early woman's movement...
, who 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." The SBA List notes that Victoria Woodhull
Victoria Woodhull
Victoria Claflin Woodhull was an American leader of the woman's suffrage movement, an advocate of free love; together with her sister, the first women to operate a brokerage in Wall Street; the first women to start a weekly newspaper; an activist for women's rights and labor reforms and, in 1872,...
, the first female presidential candidate in the U.S., told the Wheeling, West Virginia
Wheeling, West Virginia
Wheeling is a city in Ohio and Marshall counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia; it is the county seat of Ohio County. Wheeling is the principal city of the Wheeling Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, 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." The SBA List refers to a fourth early feminist, Elizabeth Blackwell
Elizabeth Blackwell
Elizabeth Blackwell was the first female doctor in the United States and the first on the UK Medical Register...
, the first woman to receive a medical degree in the United States, who recorded in her diary her thoughts about Madame Restell
Madame Restell
Ann Trow , better known as Madame Restell, was an early-19th-century abortionist who practiced in New York City.-Biography:...
, 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." Finally, the organization also cites suffragist Alice Paul
Alice Paul
Alice Stokes Paul was an American suffragist and activist. Along with Lucy Burns and others, she led a successful campaign for women's suffrage that resulted in the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1920.-Activism: Alice Paul received her undergraduate education from...
, author of the original Equal Rights Amendment
Equal Rights Amendment
The Equal Rights Amendment was a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution. The ERA was originally written by Alice Paul and, in 1923, it was introduced in the Congress for the first time...
, who said, "Abortion is the ultimate exploitation of women."
Early activities and reorganization
The early SBA List did not have much skill at furthering its mission. Founding board member Susan Gibbs, later the communications director for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of WashingtonRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington is a particular church of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. It comprises the District of Columbia and Calvert, Charles, Montgomery, Prince George's and Saint Mary's counties in the state of Maryland....
, said "None of us had political experience. None of us had PAC experience. We just had a passion for being pro-life." Shortly after its founding, experienced political activists Marjorie Dannenfelser and then Jane Abraham
Jane Abraham
Jane Abraham is an American political activist. She has been serving as Vice Chairman of the Michigan Republican Party since 2006. She is married to Spencer Abraham, former United States Senator from Michigan and former United States Secretary of Energy under President George W. Bush.Abraham...
were brought on board—Dannenfelser served as executive director, leading the organization from her home in Arlington, Virginia. In 1994, the SBA List was successful in helping 8 of its 15 selected candidates gain office. In 1996, only two challengers who were financially backed were elected, while five SBA-List-supported incumbents retained their positions; a disappointing election for the group.
In 1997 the SBA List was reorganized by Dannenfelser and Abraham into its current form as a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization with a connected PAC, the SBA List Candidate Fund. Abraham became president and Dannenfelser held the position of Chairman of the Board. The rules for endorsing and financially supporting candidates were tightened: in addition to the politician having to be female, she must have demonstrated a pro-life record (a simple declaration was not enough), and she must be seen as likely to win her race. In 1998, the SBA List began backing male pro-life candidates as well, endorsing three men in a pilot program. One of the three gained office: the SBA List gave millionaire Republican Peter Fitzgerald $2,910 to assist him in his $12.3 million win over pro-choice Democrat Carol Moseley Braun
Carol Moseley Braun
Carol Elizabeth Moseley Braun is an American feminist politician and lawyer who represented Illinois in the United States Senate from 1993 to 1999. She was the first and to date only African-American woman elected to the United States Senate, the first woman to defeat an incumbent senator in an...
in a battle for the U.S. Senate seat in Illinois
United States Senate election in Illinois, 1998
The 1998 United States Senate election in Illinois was held on November 3, 1998. Incumbent Democrat U.S. Senator Carol Moseley Braun decided to run for re-election, despite the number of controversies she was in during her first term. Republican State Senator Peter Fitzgerald was his parties'...
. Abraham served as president from 1997 until 2006 when Dannenfelser became president.
The election year 2000 was another disappointment for the SBA List, with the group contributing $25,995 to endorsed pro-life candidates in contrast to the pro-choice candidates funded with $608,273 from the WISH List or with $20 million from the EMILY's List.
Recent history
Contributions from supporters grew by 50% from 2007 to 2009. As of December 2009, the SBA List had outspent one of its pro-choice counterparts, the National Organization for WomenNational Organization for Women
The National Organization for Women is the largest feminist organization in the United States. It was founded in 1966 and has a membership of 500,000 contributing members. The organization consists of 550 chapters in all 50 U.S...
, in every election cycle since 1996.
Marilyn Musgrave
Marilyn Neoma Musgrave , American politician, is a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives who served from 2003 to 2009, representing the 4th District of Colorado....
joined the SBA List in March 2009 and works as a project director and spokesperson. Musgrave had previously been given a pro-life award in 2003 by the SBA List.
The organization was involved in trying to keep abortion coverage out of health care reform legislation
Health care reform in the United States
Health care reform in the United States has a long history, of which the most recent results were two federal statutes enacted in 2010: the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act , signed March 23, 2010, and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 , which amended the PPACA and...
in 2009 and 2010. It had targeted Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Bob Casey
Bob Casey, Jr.
Robert Patrick "Bob" Casey, Jr. is the senior U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania and a member of the Democratic Party. He previously served as Pennsylvania Treasurer, and Pennsylvania Auditor General. He is the son of former Governor Bob Casey, Sr..He is the first Democrat elected to a full term in...
to ensure abortion was not covered in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a United States federal statute signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. The law is the principal health care reform legislation of the 111th United States Congress...
(PPACA), and lobbied for the Stupak-Pitts Amendment to H.R. 3962 The group criticized Senator Ben Nelson
Ben Nelson
Earl Benjamin "Ben" Nelson is the senior U.S. Senator from Nebraska. He is a member of the Democratic Party and was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2000....
for what it called a fake compromise on abortion in the PPACA and condemned the Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve refers to the evening or entire day preceding Christmas Day, a widely celebrated festival commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth that takes place on December 25...
passage of the Senate bill.
The group had planned to honor Rep. Bart Stupak
Bart Stupak
Bartholomew Thomas "Bart" Stupak is a lobbyist and American politician of the Democratic Party. He served as the U.S. Representative from from 1993 to 2011....
(D-MI) at its March gala, but after Stupak's deal with President Obama in which Obama would issue an executive order
Executive Order 13535
Executive Order 13535 is an executive order announced by President Barack Obama on March 21, 2010, and signed on March 24. It reinforces a commitment to preservation of the Hyde Amendment's policy restricting federal funds for abortion within the context of recent health care legislation...
banning federal funding for abortion under the bill, Stupak was stripped of his "Defender of Life Award" three days before the gala because of Dannenfelser's doubts, shared by the most prominent pro-life groups, about the effectiveness of the Executive Order. Stupak had told Dannenfelser, "They [the Democratic leadership] know I won't fold. There is no way." On the day of the vote, Dannenfelser said she promised Stupak that the SBA List was "going to be involved in your defeat." In a statement, Dannenfelser said, "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...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 was running on a pro-choice platform. Stupak later dropped out of the race, announcing his retirement from Congress.
In 2010, the SBA List hosted events featuring prominent pro-life political figures as speakers, including Sarah Palin, Minnesota Governor
Governor of Minnesota
The Governor of Minnesota is the chief executive of the U.S. state of Minnesota, leading the state's executive branch. Forty different people have been governors of the state, though historically there were also three governors of Minnesota Territory. Alexander Ramsey, the first territorial...
Tim Pawlenty
Tim Pawlenty
Timothy James "Tim" Pawlenty , also known affectionately among supporters as T-Paw, is an American politician who served as the 39th Governor of Minnesota . He was a Republican candidate for President of the United States in the 2012 election from May to August 2011...
and Rep. Michele Bachmann
Michele Bachmann
Michele Marie Bachmann is a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, representing , a post she has held since 2007. The district includes several of the northern suburbs of the Twin Cities, such as Woodbury, and Blaine as well as Stillwater and St. Cloud.She is currently a...
.
In August 2010, to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment
Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits any United States citizen to be denied the right to vote based on sex. It was ratified on August 18, 1920....
, which granted women the right to vote, the SBA List held a colloquium at the Yale Club of New York City
Yale Club of New York City
The Yale Club of New York City, commonly called the Yale Club, is a private club in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA Its membership is restricted almost entirely to alumni and faculty of Yale University, University of Virginia and Dartmouth College...
, billed as "A Conversation on Pro-Life Feminism". The event featured a panel of five scholars in the fields of law, philosophy, history, political science and sociology, who discussed various concepts of feminism and the possibility of broadening the spectrum of pro-life political candidates to include those with more centrist fiscal views.
An SBA List project, "Votes Have Consequences", was headed by former Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave and was aimed at defeating vulnerable candidates in 2010 who did not vote pro-life on key issues, such as health care reform. Under this project, the group endorsed Dan Coats
Dan Coats
Daniel Ray "Dan" Coats is the junior United States Senator from Indiana and member of the Republican Party. He was in the United States Senate from from 1989 to 1999, retired, and then returned in 2011....
of Indiana for Senate against Rep. Brad Ellsworth
Brad Ellsworth
John Bradley "Brad" Ellsworth is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2007 until 2011, and was the unsuccessful 2010 Democratic nominee for the United States Senate seat currently held by Dan Coats...
, who had voted for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a United States federal statute signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. The law is the principal health care reform legislation of the 111th United States Congress...
.
In January 2011, along with Americans for Tax Reform
Americans for Tax Reform
Americans for Tax Reform is an advocacy group and taxpayer group whose stated goal is "a system in which taxes are simpler, flatter, more visible, and lower than they are today. The government's power to control one's life derives from its power to tax...
and The Daily Caller
The Daily Caller
The Daily Caller is a news website based in Washington, D.C., United States, with a focus on politics, original reporting and breaking news, founded by journalist and political pundit Tucker Carlson and Neil Patel, former adviser to former Vice President Dick Cheney...
, the organization sponsored a debate between candidates for chairman of the Republican National Committee
Republican National Committee
The Republican National Committee is an American political committee that provides national leadership for the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican political platform, as well as coordinating fundraising and election strategy. It is...
.
Peter Roff writing for U.S. News and World Report credited the SBA List for the passage in the House of an amendment to defund Planned Parenthood
Planned Parenthood
Planned Parenthood Federation of America , commonly shortened to Planned Parenthood, is the U.S. affiliate of the International Planned Parenthood Federation and one of its larger members. PPFA is a non-profit organization providing reproductive health and maternal and child health services. The...
of federal dollars for fiscal year 2011.
In March 2011, the SBA List teamed with Live Action
Live Action (organization)
Live Action is an American pro-life non-profit organization founded by Lila Rose in 2004. According to their website, they are a "youth led movement dedicated to building a culture of life and ending abortion." They are known for controversial stings against Planned Parenthood clinics, the largest...
for a bus tour through 13 congressional districts either thanking or condemning their representatives for their votes to defund Planned Parenthood of tax dollars in the Pence Amendment. In response, Planned Parenthood launched its own tour to follow the SBA List bus. The SBA List also bought $200,000 in radio and television ads backing six Republicans who voted to defund Planned Parenthood in response to a $200,000 ad buy by Planned Parenthood against the Pence Amendment.
In July 2011, the SBA List held a rally in New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
supporting the New Hampshire Executive Council's decision to cut off state funding for Planned Parenthood. Spokeswoman Marilyn Musgrave said the Council's decision "really will save unborn lives."
Elections
The SBA List Candidate Fund endorses pro-life women, and pro-life men running against pro-choice women.2008 presidential election
The SBA List gained renewed attention during the 2008 presidential electionUnited States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
following Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin
Sarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was...
's nomination for Vice President
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
. They had endorsed her 2006 run for governor
Alaska gubernatorial election, 2006
The 2006 Alaska gubernatorial general election took place on November 7, 2006. The former mayor of Wasilla, Sarah Palin, was elected governor.-Republican primary:...
of Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
. In 2008, the SBA List also started a social networking site and blog called "Team Sarah", which is "dedicated to advancing the values that Sarah Palin represents in the political process."
Palin headlined the organization's 2010 "Celebration of Life" breakfast fundraiser, an event which got extensive media coverage and in which she coined the term "mama grizzly
Mama grizzly
Mama grizzly is a term that former U.S. vice presidential candidate and Alaska governor Sarah Palin coined to refer to herself, then later applied to female candidates she supported or endorsed in the 2010 U.S. midterm elections. Palin first used the term in a May 2010 speech at a fundraiser for...
".
According to Politico
Politico (newspaper)
The Politico is an American political journalism organization based in Arlington, Virginia, that distributes its content via television, the Internet, newspaper, and radio. Its coverage of Washington, D.C., includes the U.S. Congress, lobbying, media and the Presidency...
, Palin's criteria for endorsing candidates is whether they have the support of the Tea Party movement
Tea Party movement
The Tea Party movement is an American populist political movement that is generally recognized as conservative and libertarian, and has sponsored protests and supported political candidates since 2009...
and whether they have the support of the SBA List.
2009 elections
In September 2009, in a special electionNew York's 23rd congressional district special election, 2009
The 2009 special election for New York's 23rd congressional district was held on November 3, 2009, to select the successor to Republican John M. McHugh...
to fill an empty House seat in upstate New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, the group endorsed the pro-life third-party Conservative
Conservative Party of New York
The Conservative Party of New York State is an American political party active in the state of New York. It is not part of any nationwide party, nor is it affiliated with the American Conservative Party, which it predates by over 40 years....
candidate Doug Hoffman
Doug Hoffman
Douglas L. "Doug" Hoffman is an American businessman, accountant and former congressional candidate. He was the Conservative Party candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2009 special election for New York's 23rd congressional district. On November 3, 2009, he was defeated by...
over the pro-choice Republican candidate, Dede Scozzafava, on the stated basis that Scozzafava was an "abortion radical who does not represent the views of the growing majority of pro-life American women." The SBA List joined forces with the National Organization for Marriage
National Organization for Marriage
The National Organization for Marriage is a nonprofit political association established in 2007 to work against legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States, specifically to pass California Proposition 8 banning same-sex marriage in California...
in support of Hoffman, spending over $100,000 printing literature, making phone calls, and flooding the district with volunteers from across the country.
2010 elections
For the 2010 elections, the SBA List planned to spend $6 million (including $3 million solely on U.S. Senate races) and endorsed several dozen candidates. The SBA List spent nearly $1.7 million on independent expenditureIndependent expenditure
-Definition:In elections in the United States, an independent expenditure is a political campaign communication which expressly advocates the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate that is not made in cooperation, consultation or concert with or at the request or suggestion of a...
campaigns for or against 50 candidates.
The SBA List conducted a 23-city bus tour to the Congressional districts of self-described pro-life Democrats in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
and Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
who voted for the health care reform bill and to rally supporters to vote them out. The bus tour attracted counterprotests at some stops, such as one in Pennsylvania where a group called Catholics United accused the SBA List of lying about health care reform. Emily Buchanan of the SBA List responded by noting that Catholics United accepted funds from liberal philanthropist George Soros
George Soros
George Soros is a Hungarian-American business magnate, investor, philosopher, and philanthropist. He is the chairman of Soros Fund Management. Soros supports progressive-liberal causes...
, a non-Catholic.
The organization launched a "Life Speaking Out" petition to urge the Republican Party to include opposition to abortion in its Pledge to America
Pledge to America
The Pledge to America is a list of proposed legislative items that the Republican Party promised to pursue in the 112th Congress if Republicans gained a majority of the seats in the U.S. House of Representatives in the November 2010 election. The Pledge to America was written by Rep. Kevin...
. The petition was sent with over 20,000 signatures on it.
The organization especially focused on the California Senate race
United States Senate election in California, 2010
The 2010 United States Senate election in California took place on November 2, 2010. The election was held alongside 33 other United States Senate election in addition to congressional, state, and various local elections. Incumbent Democratic U.S...
where Carly Fiorina
Carly Fiorina
Carly Fiorina is an American business executive and a former Republican candidate for the United States Senate representing California. Fiorina served as chief executive officer of Hewlett-Packard from 1999 to 2005 and previously was an executive at AT&T and its equipment and technology spinoff,...
challenged incumbent Senator Barbara Boxer
Barbara Boxer
Barbara Levy Boxer is the junior United States Senator from California . A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives ....
. The group gave $200,000 to Fiorina's campaign during the Republican primary and expected to give another $1 million for the general election campaign against Boxer. The SBA List partnered with the National Organization for Marriage to air Spanish language
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
TV commercials attacking Boxer's positions on abortion and gay marriage. The two groups bought $200,000 worth of airtime for the commercial to air in the markets of Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, Fresno
Fresno, California
Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...
, and San Diego
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
. However, Boxer prevailed over Fiorina in the November 2010 election.
Other notable endorsements included Sharron Angle
Sharron Angle
Sharron Elaine Angle is an American politician who served as a Republican member of the Nevada Assembly from 1999 to 2007. She ran unsuccessfully as the 2010 Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate seat in Nevada, garnering 45 percent of the vote...
, who unsuccessfully challenged incumbent Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
Harry Reid
Harry Mason Reid is the senior United States Senator from Nevada, serving since 1987. A member of the Democratic Party, he has been the Senate Majority Leader since January 2007, having previously served as Minority Leader and Minority and Majority Whip.Previously, Reid was a member of the U.S...
in Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
; the SBA List endorsed Angle despite having previously endorsed Angle's primary opponent, Sue Lowden
Sue Lowden
Suzanne Parkinson "Sue" Pluskoski Lowden is the former Chairwoman of the Nevada Republican Party and a former State Senator in Nevada. Lowden is a former businesswoman, television news anchor and kindergarten teacher...
. In September 2010, the SBA List launched a $150,000 campaign on behalf of New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
Senate candidate Kelly Ayotte
Kelly Ayotte
Kelly A. Ayotte is the junior United States Senator from New Hampshire and a member of the Republican Party. She earlier served as the Attorney General of New Hampshire.-Early life, education and career:...
for the Republican primary. Ayotte won the primary to become the nominee, and later prevailed in the general election. In October 2010, the SBA List endorsed Joe Miller, Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate in Alaska. The SBA List endorsed Miller after Sen. Lisa Murkowski
Lisa Murkowski
Lisa Ann Murkowski is the senior U.S. Senator from the State of Alaska and a member of the Republican Party. She was appointed to the Senate in 2002 by her father, Governor Frank Murkowski. After losing a Republican primary in 2010, she became the second person ever to win a U.S...
decided to stage a write-in campaign after losing the Republican primary to Miller, and they launched a $10,000 radio campaign to air ads attacking Murkowski for turning a "deaf ear" to the will of voters who voted her out in the primary. Murkowski defeated Miller, who conceded after two months of court battles over contested ballots.
36 of SBA List's 2010 endorsed candidates were elected.
Driehaus political ad litigation
In the 2010 campaign, the organization purchased billboardBillboard
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
advertisements in the district of Rep. Steve Driehaus
Steve Driehaus
Steven L. "Steve" Driehaus is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2009 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party...
of Ohio that showed a photo of Driehaus and said, "Shame on Steve Driehaus! Driehaus voted FOR taxpayer-funded abortion" The advertisement referred to Driehaus's vote in favor of the health care overhaul bill. The SBA List takes the position that the health care legislation allows for taxpayer-funded abortion, a factually incorrect claim. In response, Driehaus, who represented the heavily pro-life 1st congressional district of Ohio
Ohio's 1st congressional district
Ohio's 1st congressional district is currently represented by Republican Steve Chabot. This district includes parts of Cincinnati, and borders both Kentucky and Indiana.-Cities:Cincinnati Cheviot Deer Park Forest Park Harrison Mount Healthy...
, filed a complaint with the Ohio Elections Commission (OEC), stating that the advertisements were false and violated Ohio election law. The OEC ruled in Driehaus' favor in a probable cause hearing on October 14, 2010. In response, the SBA List asked a federal judge to issue an injunction against the OEC on the grounds that the law at issue stifles free speech and that its ads were based on the group’s own interpretation of the law. The American Civil Liberties Union
American Civil Liberties Union
The American Civil Liberties Union is a U.S. non-profit organization whose stated mission is "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States." It works through litigation, legislation, and...
of Ohio filed an 18-page amicus brief on the SBA List's behalf, arguing that the Ohio law in question is "unconstitutionally vague" and has a "chilling" effect on the SBA List's right to freedom of speech
Freedom of speech
Freedom of speech is the freedom to speak freely without censorship. The term freedom of expression is sometimes used synonymously, but includes any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used...
. A federal judge rejected the SBA List's federal lawsuit on abstention
Abstention doctrine
An abstention doctrine is any of several doctrines that a court of law in the United States of America might apply to refuse to hear a case, when hearing the case would potentially intrude upon the powers of another court...
grounds and allowed Driehaus's OEC complaint to move forward.
After the OEC complaint was filed, the SBA List began airing a radio ad in Driehaus's district in which Dannenfelser stated that the group "[would] not be silenced or intimidated" by Driehaus's legal action. Driehaus was able persuade the billboard company to withdraw the SBA List's advertisement, which was never erected. Driehaus ended up losing his seat to Steve Chabot
Steve Chabot
Steven Joseph "Steve" Chabot is the U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Republican Party. He previously represented the district from 1995 to 2009.-Early life, education and career:...
in the November election. Driehaus then sued the SBA List in a second case on December 3, 2010, accusing the organization of defamation that caused him a "loss of livelihood", arguing that the "First Amendment
First Amendment to the United States Constitution
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering...
is not and never has been an invitation to concoct falsehoods aimed at depriving a person of his livelihood." The SBA List countered by stating that the organization would "continue to defend the truth and the right to criticize our elected officials." The SBA List continued seeking to have the law in question overturned; the ACLU joined in the organization's fight against the law.
On August 1, 2011, judge Timothy Black
Timothy Black
Timothy Seymour Black is a United States judge on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.- Early life and education :...
dismissed the SBA List's challenge to the Ohio law, holding that the federal court lacked jurisdiction since the billboards were never erected and the OEC never made a final ruling and denied a motion for summary judgment by SBA List in the defamation case, allowing Driehaus's defamation claims regarding other SBA List statements to go forward. Black also required that SBA List stop claiming on its website that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act subsidized abortion, because it did not directly mention abortion. SBA List argued that its statements were opinions and were thus protected, but the court rejected this argument given that SBA List itself had claimed that this was a "fact." On August 19, 2011, the SBA List appealed the decision on the Ohio law to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals
United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* Eastern District of Kentucky* Western District of Kentucky...
.
2011 elections
In October 2011, the SBA List announced it was getting involved in the 2011 Virginia state Senate electionsVirginia state elections, 2011
The 2011 Virginia state elections took place on November 8, 2011. All 140 seats in the Virginia General Assembly were up for re-election, as were many local offices.-Virginia Senate:...
, endorsing challengers Bryce Reeves against Edd Houck
Edd Houck
R. Edward "Edd" Houck is a Democratic member of the Senate of Virginia, representing the 17th District since 1984. He was defeated by a margin of 222 votes in his attempt to be re-elected on November 8, 2011.-State Senate:...
, Caren Merrick
Caren Merrick
Caren DeWitt Merrick is an American entrepreneur and politician. co-founded webMethods with her husband Phillip Merrick in 1996. webMethods is the most successful software IPO to date, with the fourth most successful debut on the NASDAQ...
against Barbara Favola
Barbara Favola
Barbara Favola is currently running to replace Senator Mary Margaret Whipple for Virginia Senate District 31 in the 2011 election. Favola has been a resident of Arlington since 1982. Favola is currently serving as Vice Chairman of the Arlington County Board. She has served as Chairman in 2000 and...
for an open seat, Patricia Phillips against Mark Herring
Mark Herring
Mark R. Herring is an American politician. A Democrat, he was elected to the Senate of Virginia, in a special election on January 31, 2006, winning against Republican candidate Mick Staton...
, and incumbent Sen. Jill Vogel
Jill Holtzman Vogel
Jill Holtzman Vogel is an American politician. A Republican, she was elected to the Senate of Virginia in 2007. She the 27th district in the northern part of the state, consisting of Clarke and Frederick Counties, the city of Winchester, and parts of Fauquier and Loudoun Counties.-External links:*...
in an effort to stop the state Senate from being a "graveyard for pro-life legislation." It also announced it was spending $25,000 against Sen. Edd Houck
Edd Houck
R. Edward "Edd" Houck is a Democratic member of the Senate of Virginia, representing the 17th District since 1984. He was defeated by a margin of 222 votes in his attempt to be re-elected on November 8, 2011.-State Senate:...
to expose his "extreme record on abortion."
2012 presidential election
In June 2011, the SBA List unveiled a pro-life pledge for 2012 Republican presidential candidatesRepublican Party (United States) presidential primaries, 2012
The 2012 Republican presidential primaries are the selection processes in which voters of the Republican Party will choose their nominee for President of the United States in the 2012 presidential election. The primary contest began with a fairly wide field, and is the first presidential primary...
in which signers commit to appointing only pro-life judicial nominees and cabinet members, preventing taxpayer funding of abortion, and supporting legislation to ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy based on the fetal pain concept. Candidates Rick Perry
Rick Perry
James Richard "Rick" Perry is the 47th and current Governor of Texas. A Republican, Perry was elected Lieutenant Governor of Texas in 1998 and assumed the governorship in December 2000 when then-governor George W. Bush resigned to become President of the United States. Perry was elected to full...
, Tim Pawlenty
Tim Pawlenty
Timothy James "Tim" Pawlenty , also known affectionately among supporters as T-Paw, is an American politician who served as the 39th Governor of Minnesota . He was a Republican candidate for President of the United States in the 2012 election from May to August 2011...
, Michele Bachmann
Michele Bachmann
Michele Marie Bachmann is a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, representing , a post she has held since 2007. The district includes several of the northern suburbs of the Twin Cities, such as Woodbury, and Blaine as well as Stillwater and St. Cloud.She is currently a...
, Newt Gingrich
Newt Gingrich
Newton Leroy "Newt" Gingrich is a U.S. Republican Party politician who served as the House Minority Whip from 1989 to 1995 and as the 58th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999....
, Rick Santorum
Rick Santorum
Richard John "Rick" Santorum is a lawyer and a former United States Senator from the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Santorum was the chairman of the Senate Republican Conference -making him the third-ranking Senate Republican from 2001 until his leave in 2007. Santorum is considered both a social...
, Thaddeus McCotter, Herman Cain
Herman Cain
Herman Cain is a candidate for the 2012 U.S. Republican Party presidential nomination.Cain has a background as a business executive, syndicated columnist, and radio host from Georgia. He served as chairman and CEO of Godfather's Pizza from 1986 to 1996...
, and Ron Paul
Ron Paul
Ronald Ernest "Ron" Paul is an American physician, author and United States Congressman who is seeking to be the Republican Party candidate in the 2012 presidential election. Paul represents Texas's 14th congressional district, which covers an area south and southwest of Houston that includes...
all signed the pledge, but Mitt Romney
Mitt Romney
Willard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W...
, Jon Huntsman, Jr.
Jon Huntsman, Jr.
Jon Meade Huntsman, Jr. is an American politician and diplomat who served as the 16th Governor of Utah. He also served in the administrations of four United States presidents and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.Huntsman worked as a White House staff assistant for...
, and Gary Johnson
Gary Johnson
Gary Johnson may refer to:*Gary Johnson , former Governor of New Mexico and candidate for President in 2012*Gary Johnson , American politician, Wisconsin State Assembly...
declined. Romney's refusal (he said the pledge might have "unintended consequences") sparked heated criticism from the SBA List, some of the other candidates, and political observers given Romney's past support for legalized abortion. Huntsman said he would not sign any pledges from political groups during the campaign and was criticized by the SBA List as well. Cain initially said he agreed with the first three parts, but objected to the wording in the pledge which said he would have to "advance" the fetal pain bill; he said he would sign it but Congress would have to advance it. Cain later signed the pledge in November 2011. Johnson declined because he is pro-choice.
The SBA List is set to embark on a Values Voter Bus Tour in Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
with the Family Research Council
Family Research Council
The Family Research Council is a conservative or right-wing Christian group and lobbying organization formed in the United States in 1981 by James Dobson. It was fully incorporated in 1983...
and National Organization for Marriage
National Organization for Marriage
The National Organization for Marriage is a nonprofit political association established in 2007 to work against legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States, specifically to pass California Proposition 8 banning same-sex marriage in California...
from August 9-12, 2011, ending the day before the critical Iowa Straw Poll. The tour will visit 22 cities and be joined by Pawlenty, Bachmann, and Santorum as well as Iowa Lt. Gov.
Lieutenant Governor of Iowa
This is a List of Lieutenant Governors of the U.S. state of Iowa, 1858 to present. In Iowa, the Lieutenant Governor and the governor run together on the same ticket. Before the 1998 Election, the law was changed from the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor running separately....
Kim Reynolds
Kim Reynolds
Kim Reynolds is the 47th and current Lieutenant Governor of Iowa and a former state senator from Osceola. Republican nominee for Governor Terry Branstad publicly proposed Reynolds for lieutenant governor on June 25, 2010 and she received the Republican nomination from the 2010 Republican State...
and Reps. Steve King
Steve King
Steven Arnold "Steve" King is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party.The district is located in the western part of the state and includes Sioux City and Council Bluffs....
and Louie Gohmert
Louie Gohmert
Louis Buller Gohmert, Jr. is an American politician and current Republican U.S. Representative from Texas's 1st congressional district.-Life and career:...
, among other "state and national leaders".
External links
- SBA List official website
- Suzy B, SBA List official blog
- Team Sarah website, an SBA List special project