Brownback Urges President to Champion Life Issues

Letter signed by 35 senators sent to White House:

WASHINGTON, Feb 15 /Standard Newswire/ -- U.S. Senator Sam Brownback today joined 34 senators in urging President Bush to uphold and champion pro-life policy.

"President Bush has shown that he is committed to protecting the dignity of every life, from the unborn to the elderly," said Brownback. "Now that we have a Democrat-controlled Congress, I respectfully urge President Bush to remind my colleagues of his commitment to pro-life policies."

Brownback today sent a letter to the White House asking President Bush to issue a letter to the Congress reaffirming the White House's pro-life stance. The letter was signed by 35 senators, including Brownback.

Brownback continued, "A letter sent to Congress from President Bush would be a powerful reminder that the United States is a country that is committed to protecting the dignity of human life. I look forward to working with my colleagues on important life-related legislation."

Following is the full text of the letter sent to President Bush:

"We respectfully request that you issue a letter to the Senate and House Leadership, reaffirming your strong pro-life policy convictions and serving notice that you will veto any legislation that weakens present pro-life policy.

"President George H.W. Bush issued such a letter on June 4, 1991 to great effect when he was confronted with a Democrat-controlled Congress. An examination of the record will show that attacks of pro-life policy in the Democrat-controlled Congress were much more vociferous prior to the June 4 letter than they were after the letter. It seems that committee chairs were more successful in holding pro-abortion provisions at bay when there was a formal declaration that their legislation had no chance of enactment if it contained pro-abortion and other anti-life measures that weakened present law or regulations.

"Issuance of such a letter now would be timely and of tremendous value in our effort to ensure that no life-related policy is weakened during the 110th Congress. We thank you for your continued leadership and appreciate your consideration of this request."

The following senators joined Brownback in signing the letter: Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Pete Domenici (R-NM), Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), John McCain (R-AZ), Trent Lott (R-MS), Larry Craig (R-ID), Bob Bennett (R-UT), Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-TX), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Jon Kyle (R-AZ), Craig Thomas (R-WY), Pat Roberts (R-KS), Wayne Allard (R-CO), Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Chuck Hagel (R-NE), Mike Enzi (R-WY), Jim Bunning (R-KY), Mike Crapo (R-ID), George Voinovich (R-OH), John Ensign (R-NV), Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Elizabeth Dole (R-NC), John Cornyn (R-TX), Norm Coleman (R-MN), Richard Burr (R-NC), Jim DeMint (R-SC), Tom Coburn (R-OK), John Thune (R-SD), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), David Vitter (R-LA), Mel Martinez (R-FL), Bob Corker (R-TN).