From: Michael McMonagle
Sent: 12/20/2017 7:41 PM
To: Mike McMonagle
Subject: Pa. House Passes S.B.3; Gov. Wolf Vetos; Other Updates; Requested Actions
Dear Pro-Life Friends:
The Pa. House passed S.B.3 on December 12, 2017 by a 121-70 vote. I am attaching a copy of the Roll Call vote on the Final Passage of S.B.3. Gov. Tom Wolf again demonstrated his zeal for abortion by his highly public criticism of this passage and veto of this legislation on December 18, 2017.
Because there are currently insufficient votes in the Pa. House and Senate to override Gov. Wolf's veto (The Pa. House requires 136; the Pa. Senate requires 34 and the Pa. Senate passed S.B.3 on February 8, 2017 by a 32-18 vote.) neither body will attempt an override vote.
I request that you take certain actions in response to these developments, which I describe, and provide some context for, in the remainder of this email. I also briefly discuss a few other Pa. public policy issues.
I realize that the remainder of this email, as well as its attachments, provides lengthy reading. This communication, nevertheless, provides valuable, unique and candid updates and insights.
Such information provides necessary context and encouragement for our immediate pro-life public policy efforts. Furthermore, I, and others, invest extensive time and effort to prepare and send this information to recognize the importance and express appreciation for your efforts, as well as equipping ourselves for the long-term success of our efforts.
The following is a discussion of these topics.
1. Please Respond to Your Member's Vote
Please personally thank those Members who supported S.B.3. Please also ask other individuals and organizations to do so, which includes the placement of Church Bulletin Announcements (CBA).
Similarly, please admonish those Members who voted against S.B.3 even if he or she has held a clear pro-abortion position. I later address the cases of two Members who betrayed their pro-life record or campaign position.
I am attaching a proposed CBA for each case.
2. The Good News: The Renewal of Pro-Life Activism; Vigorous Public Square Debate; 2018 Governor's Race Clarity; A Pro-Life Switch
The preparations for and follow-up to the vote on S.B.3 have motivated pro-life citizens in Pa. to take certain actions and ask other pro-life citizens, including pro-life clergy, to take certain actions. These developments increase the effectiveness of the pro-life movement. This renewal assists future efforts of the pro-life movement, particularly providing additional legal protections for women and children from abortion.
The passage of S.B.3 has also renewed the public square debate on the "abortion issue." Such debate serves to increase public support for the pro-life position. As an example of this public square debate, I am attaching two recent Opinion columns in the Philadelphia Inquirer. Pittsburgh abortionist, Sarah Horvath, wrote the December 14, 2017 column and Philadelphia pro-life attorney, Christine Flowers, wrote the December 18, 2017 column.
Finally, all the current 2018 Republican candidates for Pa. Governor have expressed support for S.B.3. Thus, the recent vote on S.B.3 provides stark contrast between these candidates and Gov. Wolf.
3. The Bad News: The Loss of Previously Pro-Life Democrats and a Republican Betrayal
On June 21, 2016, the Pa. House passed H.B.1948, which is very similar to S.B.3, by a 132-65 vote. H.B.1948 received support from 23 Democrat House Members, but only 11 Democrat House Members supported S.B.3.
These Democrat House Members who supported H.B.1948, but voted against S.B.3 are Reps. Thomas Caltagirone, Dom Costa, Daniel Deasy, John Galloway, Bill Kortz, Robert Matzie, Brandon Neuman, Adam Ravenstahl, and Harry Readshaw.
From his public remarks on the House Floor and reports from faithful pro-life Democrats, the leader of this betrayal is apparently Rep. Harry Readshaw from Pittsburgh. Rep. Readshaw and the previously pro-life Democrats who opposed S.B.3 publicly claimed that "the Republicans" were not willing to "compromise" on this legislation, by, for example, adding a rape exception. Such reasoning fails by
The real reason for this betrayal by previously pro-life Democrats is fear. They fear that "Trump Hysteria" among Democrats and "women's groups" have so mobilized them that these Members risk losing to a pro-abortion Democrat Primary challenger. They fail to realize that a much greater lose can occur other than losing an election. ("For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" -Mark 8:36)
To his credit, Monsignor Michael McCormick, the Pastor of St. Frances Cabrini in Lower Bucks County, promptly delivered such a message to the Pa. House Member who primarily represents his Parish, i.e. Rep. John Galloway, who had compiled a pro-life voting record.
The local pro-life contact in this area, Paul Durle, is also organizing admonishment from other constituents of Rep. Galloway. Such admonishment could include distribution of an appropriate flyer in January 2018 in his District like the distribution of Pro-Life Voter Guides.
On November 8, 2016, Alex Charlton won election to the 165th State House District in the Springfield, Delaware County area to replace Rep. Bill Adolph, who consistently voted pro-life. Charlton ran as a pro-life candidate.
However, on December 11, 2017, as a member of the Pa. House Health Committee, he voted on both sides. He voted for the pro-abortion motion to delay a vote on S.B.3, but voted to pass S.B.3. However, on December 12, 2017, he voted against the Final Passage of S.B.3.
As a Republican, Rep. Charlton's betrayal represents a more serious long-term threat to our efforts in the Pa. General Assembly than does the betrayal of previously pro-life Democrats. Since the 1990s, the Pa. pro-life movement has made a significant gain by the large reduction of pro-abortion Republican state legislators. This gain has more than offset the reduction in pro-life Democrat state legislators.
To be candid, a significant reason for this reduction in pro-abortion Republican state legislators has been the fear of losing an election. Until Rep. Charlton, there never had been a pro-abortion Republican state legislator from Delaware County. So, the local and state pro-life movement needs to respond vigorously to this nascent but serious threat posed by Rep. Charlton.
Pro-life leaders in Delaware County (such as John Williamson and Ted Meehan) have already begun responding to the Charlton threat by promoting public criticism of, and planning political opposition to Rep. Charlton.
Rep. Bernie O'Neill, who represents a District in Central Bucks County from Warminster to New Hope, voted for S.B.3 despite a prior pro-abortion voting record. Prior to the vote, two constituents, Patricia Dowling and Denise Wilcox, met with Rep. O'Neill. They learned of his lengthy and compassionate care for his disabled sister. They contrasted that care with the arguments of S.B.3's opponents that 20 to 24-week gestation abortions need to remain legal to prevent the birth of children with disabilities.
4. A Report on Our Efforts to Persuade Freshmen Members and Those with Mixed Records
In the weeks prior to this December 12, 2017 vote in the Pa. House, we focused many of our efforts on persuading freshmen Members and Members with mixed records to support S.B.3.
Except for Rep. Charlton, all the freshmen Members elected with a pro-life position voted for S.B.3. Indeed, two of them, Rep. Eric Roe of Chester County and Michael Corr of Montgomery County, publicly advocated for S.B.3.
We had mixed results from our efforts with Members with mixed records. Rep. Warren Kampf from Chester County voted pro-abortion while Rep. Harry Lewis from Chester County voted pro-life. Rep. Scott Petri from Bucks County received an excused absence from the Pa. House Floor shortly before the vote on S.B.3.
Despite these mixed results, these efforts, I believe, proved very worthwhile. They served to "get us back in shape" for future efforts and raised our expectations to pursue some pro-abortion Pa. House Members, who represent highly Catholic areas.
Such Members include Northeast Philadelphia Democrats Kevin Boyle and Ed Nielson and South Philadelphia Democrat Maria Donatucci, whose husband, Robert, served as a pro-life Representative from that District for many years. Nevertheless, our nascent efforts with Rep. Donatucci did result in, despite her prior pro-abortion record, her "getting excused" and not voting on S.B.3.
5. At Least Temporary Bad News on Other Pa. Public Policy Issues
Negative developments have recently occurred on two Pa. public policy issues that I mentioned in my most recent email.
On December 15, 2017, Pa. Attorney General (AG) Josh Shapiro won a decision from a Philadelphia Federal district court Judge Wendy Beetlestone in his lawsuit to reinstate the Obamacare Mandate that requires religious service and educational institutions, such as the Little Sisters of the Poor, to pay for abortifacient and contraceptive drugs. AG Shapiro filed his lawsuit in response to President Trump's repeal of this Obamacare mandate.
The Trump Administration's attorneys and the Thomas Becket Fund, which is seeking to intervene on behalf of the Little Sisters, are doing a good job in presenting the legal case against AG Shapiro's lawsuit. Given the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decisions on similar cases, they are likely to win on appeal.
However, the pro-life and religious leaders in Pa. (including me) have failed to publicly rebuke AG Shapiro for his brazen pro-abortion attack on religious liberty and on the Little Sisters.
In the service of the Culture of Death and his political ambitions to be elected Pa. Governor in 2022, AG Shapiro has launched this attack to force the Little Sisters to fund contraceptive and abortifacient drugs. Yet, I am not aware of any public criticism of AG Shapiro from the Pa. Catholic Conference, a Catholic Bishop, a Pa. pro-life legislator or other public official or attorney, or leader in the Pa. pro-life movement.
We need to do a mea culpa and get busy publicly rebuking Josh Shapiro for his action, even if his lawsuit is eventually dismissed.
On his own initiative, Gov. Wolf has authorized the Pa. Children Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to pay for the genital mutilation and chemical assault on children with gender dysphoria. Wolf and his allies euphemistically label this mutilation "gender confirmation surgery."
In November 2017, the Pa. Senate, under the leadership of Sen. Don White, by a 37-13 vote, amended Pa.'s CHIP re-authorization to prohibit payment for such mutilation. Because Gov. Wolf threatened to veto this CHIP re-authorization, at the request of Pa. House leaders, Reps. Mike Turzai and Dave Reed, the Pa. House removed this prohibition. The Pa. Senate then also caved and passed this re-authorization without Sen. White's amendment.
These Pa. House leaders are promising to pass separate legislation with this CHIP funding restriction. However, they are being intellectually dishonest because they know that such legislation would not likely pass over Gov. Wolf's veto.
I thank the leaders of the Pa. Family Policy Council for initiating this action by Sen. White. I believe that we in the pro-life movement need to educate ourselves and realize that resisting "transgenderism" has become a necessary and crucial part of our resistance to the Culture of Death.
Please note that the same verse in Genesis that provide the moral basis for the sanctity of human life also declares that human beings are not only created male and female, but God's image is revealed in the male-female difference, which makes the one-flesh union possible. "God created Man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female created he them." -Genesis 1:27.
6. Summary of Requested Actions
Enjoy the remainder of 2017. We have an intense challenging 2018 ahead of us. May God bless you!
Best wishes,
Mike McMonagle
President
Pro-Life Coalition of Pennsylvania
215-393-3610
Summary
The Pa. House passed S.B.3 on December 12, 2017 by a 121-70 vote. I am attaching a copy of the Roll Call vote on the Final Passage of S.B.3. Gov. Tom Wolf again demonstrated his zeal for abortion by his highly public criticism of this passage and veto of this legislation on December 18, 2017.
Because there are currently insufficient votes in the Pa. House and Senate to override Gov. Wolf's veto (The Pa. House requires 136; the Pa. Senate requires 34 and the Pa. Senate passed S.B.3 on February 8, 2017 by a 32-18 vote.) neither body will attempt an override vote.
I request that you take certain actions in response to these developments, which I describe, and provide some context for, in the remainder of this email. I also briefly discuss a few other Pa. public policy issues.
Why Read This Email and its Attachments?
I realize that the remainder of this email, as well as its attachments, provides lengthy reading. This communication, nevertheless, provides valuable, unique and candid updates and insights.
Such information provides necessary context and encouragement for our immediate pro-life public policy efforts. Furthermore, I, and others, invest extensive time and effort to prepare and send this information to recognize the importance and express appreciation for your efforts, as well as equipping ourselves for the long-term success of our efforts.
Remaining Topics
1. Please Respond to You Member's Vote
2. The Good News: The Renewal of Pro-Life Activism; Vigorous Public Square Debate; 2018 Governor's Race Clarity; A Pro-Life Switch
3. The Bad News: The Loss of Previously Pro-Life Democrats and a Republican Betrayal
4. A Report on Our Efforts to Persuade Freshmen Members and Those with Mixed Records
5. At Least Temporary Bad News on Other Pa. Public Policy Issues
6. Summary of Requested Actions
The following is a discussion of these topics.
1. Please Respond to Your Member's Vote
Please personally thank those Members who supported S.B.3. Please also ask other individuals and organizations to do so, which includes the placement of Church Bulletin Announcements (CBA).
Similarly, please admonish those Members who voted against S.B.3 even if he or she has held a clear pro-abortion position. I later address the cases of two Members who betrayed their pro-life record or campaign position.
I am attaching a proposed CBA for each case.
2. The Good News: The Renewal of Pro-Life Activism; Vigorous Public Square Debate; 2018 Governor's Race Clarity; A Pro-Life Switch
The preparations for and follow-up to the vote on S.B.3 have motivated pro-life citizens in Pa. to take certain actions and ask other pro-life citizens, including pro-life clergy, to take certain actions. These developments increase the effectiveness of the pro-life movement. This renewal assists future efforts of the pro-life movement, particularly providing additional legal protections for women and children from abortion.
The passage of S.B.3 has also renewed the public square debate on the "abortion issue." Such debate serves to increase public support for the pro-life position. As an example of this public square debate, I am attaching two recent Opinion columns in the Philadelphia Inquirer. Pittsburgh abortionist, Sarah Horvath, wrote the December 14, 2017 column and Philadelphia pro-life attorney, Christine Flowers, wrote the December 18, 2017 column.
Finally, all the current 2018 Republican candidates for Pa. Governor have expressed support for S.B.3. Thus, the recent vote on S.B.3 provides stark contrast between these candidates and Gov. Wolf.
3. The Bad News: The Loss of Previously Pro-Life Democrats and a Republican Betrayal
On June 21, 2016, the Pa. House passed H.B.1948, which is very similar to S.B.3, by a 132-65 vote. H.B.1948 received support from 23 Democrat House Members, but only 11 Democrat House Members supported S.B.3.
These Democrat House Members who supported H.B.1948, but voted against S.B.3 are Reps. Thomas Caltagirone, Dom Costa, Daniel Deasy, John Galloway, Bill Kortz, Robert Matzie, Brandon Neuman, Adam Ravenstahl, and Harry Readshaw.
From his public remarks on the House Floor and reports from faithful pro-life Democrats, the leader of this betrayal is apparently Rep. Harry Readshaw from Pittsburgh. Rep. Readshaw and the previously pro-life Democrats who opposed S.B.3 publicly claimed that "the Republicans" were not willing to "compromise" on this legislation, by, for example, adding a rape exception. Such reasoning fails by
a) not considering that the circumstances of a child's conception should eliminate his or her legal rights; and
b) not considering that a woman who becomes pregnant from rape still has 20 weeks to hire an abortionist to kill her child and, furthermore, laws that encourage non-prompt reporting of sexual assault only enable rapists and endanger additional women.
The real reason for this betrayal by previously pro-life Democrats is fear. They fear that "Trump Hysteria" among Democrats and "women's groups" have so mobilized them that these Members risk losing to a pro-abortion Democrat Primary challenger. They fail to realize that a much greater lose can occur other than losing an election. ("For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" -Mark 8:36)
Our Response
To his credit, Monsignor Michael McCormick, the Pastor of St. Frances Cabrini in Lower Bucks County, promptly delivered such a message to the Pa. House Member who primarily represents his Parish, i.e. Rep. John Galloway, who had compiled a pro-life voting record.
The local pro-life contact in this area, Paul Durle, is also organizing admonishment from other constituents of Rep. Galloway. Such admonishment could include distribution of an appropriate flyer in January 2018 in his District like the distribution of Pro-Life Voter Guides.
A Delaware County Republican Betrayal
On November 8, 2016, Alex Charlton won election to the 165th State House District in the Springfield, Delaware County area to replace Rep. Bill Adolph, who consistently voted pro-life. Charlton ran as a pro-life candidate.
However, on December 11, 2017, as a member of the Pa. House Health Committee, he voted on both sides. He voted for the pro-abortion motion to delay a vote on S.B.3, but voted to pass S.B.3. However, on December 12, 2017, he voted against the Final Passage of S.B.3.
As a Republican, Rep. Charlton's betrayal represents a more serious long-term threat to our efforts in the Pa. General Assembly than does the betrayal of previously pro-life Democrats. Since the 1990s, the Pa. pro-life movement has made a significant gain by the large reduction of pro-abortion Republican state legislators. This gain has more than offset the reduction in pro-life Democrat state legislators.
To be candid, a significant reason for this reduction in pro-abortion Republican state legislators has been the fear of losing an election. Until Rep. Charlton, there never had been a pro-abortion Republican state legislator from Delaware County. So, the local and state pro-life movement needs to respond vigorously to this nascent but serious threat posed by Rep. Charlton.
Pro-life leaders in Delaware County (such as John Williamson and Ted Meehan) have already begun responding to the Charlton threat by promoting public criticism of, and planning political opposition to Rep. Charlton.
An Unexpected Switch to the Pro-Life Side
Rep. Bernie O'Neill, who represents a District in Central Bucks County from Warminster to New Hope, voted for S.B.3 despite a prior pro-abortion voting record. Prior to the vote, two constituents, Patricia Dowling and Denise Wilcox, met with Rep. O'Neill. They learned of his lengthy and compassionate care for his disabled sister. They contrasted that care with the arguments of S.B.3's opponents that 20 to 24-week gestation abortions need to remain legal to prevent the birth of children with disabilities.
4. A Report on Our Efforts to Persuade Freshmen Members and Those with Mixed Records
In the weeks prior to this December 12, 2017 vote in the Pa. House, we focused many of our efforts on persuading freshmen Members and Members with mixed records to support S.B.3.
Except for Rep. Charlton, all the freshmen Members elected with a pro-life position voted for S.B.3. Indeed, two of them, Rep. Eric Roe of Chester County and Michael Corr of Montgomery County, publicly advocated for S.B.3.
We had mixed results from our efforts with Members with mixed records. Rep. Warren Kampf from Chester County voted pro-abortion while Rep. Harry Lewis from Chester County voted pro-life. Rep. Scott Petri from Bucks County received an excused absence from the Pa. House Floor shortly before the vote on S.B.3.
Despite these mixed results, these efforts, I believe, proved very worthwhile. They served to "get us back in shape" for future efforts and raised our expectations to pursue some pro-abortion Pa. House Members, who represent highly Catholic areas.
Such Members include Northeast Philadelphia Democrats Kevin Boyle and Ed Nielson and South Philadelphia Democrat Maria Donatucci, whose husband, Robert, served as a pro-life Representative from that District for many years. Nevertheless, our nascent efforts with Rep. Donatucci did result in, despite her prior pro-abortion record, her "getting excused" and not voting on S.B.3.
5. At Least Temporary Bad News on Other Pa. Public Policy Issues
Negative developments have recently occurred on two Pa. public policy issues that I mentioned in my most recent email.
Josh Shapiro Wins: The Little Sisters of the Poor Lose
On December 15, 2017, Pa. Attorney General (AG) Josh Shapiro won a decision from a Philadelphia Federal district court Judge Wendy Beetlestone in his lawsuit to reinstate the Obamacare Mandate that requires religious service and educational institutions, such as the Little Sisters of the Poor, to pay for abortifacient and contraceptive drugs. AG Shapiro filed his lawsuit in response to President Trump's repeal of this Obamacare mandate.
The Trump Administration's attorneys and the Thomas Becket Fund, which is seeking to intervene on behalf of the Little Sisters, are doing a good job in presenting the legal case against AG Shapiro's lawsuit. Given the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decisions on similar cases, they are likely to win on appeal.
However, the pro-life and religious leaders in Pa. (including me) have failed to publicly rebuke AG Shapiro for his brazen pro-abortion attack on religious liberty and on the Little Sisters.
In the service of the Culture of Death and his political ambitions to be elected Pa. Governor in 2022, AG Shapiro has launched this attack to force the Little Sisters to fund contraceptive and abortifacient drugs. Yet, I am not aware of any public criticism of AG Shapiro from the Pa. Catholic Conference, a Catholic Bishop, a Pa. pro-life legislator or other public official or attorney, or leader in the Pa. pro-life movement.
We need to do a mea culpa and get busy publicly rebuking Josh Shapiro for his action, even if his lawsuit is eventually dismissed.
Pa. House and Senate Republicans Cave; Tom Wolf Wins; Children with Gender Dysphoria Lose
On his own initiative, Gov. Wolf has authorized the Pa. Children Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to pay for the genital mutilation and chemical assault on children with gender dysphoria. Wolf and his allies euphemistically label this mutilation "gender confirmation surgery."
In November 2017, the Pa. Senate, under the leadership of Sen. Don White, by a 37-13 vote, amended Pa.'s CHIP re-authorization to prohibit payment for such mutilation. Because Gov. Wolf threatened to veto this CHIP re-authorization, at the request of Pa. House leaders, Reps. Mike Turzai and Dave Reed, the Pa. House removed this prohibition. The Pa. Senate then also caved and passed this re-authorization without Sen. White's amendment.
These Pa. House leaders are promising to pass separate legislation with this CHIP funding restriction. However, they are being intellectually dishonest because they know that such legislation would not likely pass over Gov. Wolf's veto.
I thank the leaders of the Pa. Family Policy Council for initiating this action by Sen. White. I believe that we in the pro-life movement need to educate ourselves and realize that resisting "transgenderism" has become a necessary and crucial part of our resistance to the Culture of Death.
Please note that the same verse in Genesis that provide the moral basis for the sanctity of human life also declares that human beings are not only created male and female, but God's image is revealed in the male-female difference, which makes the one-flesh union possible. "God created Man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female created he them." -Genesis 1:27.
6. Summary of Requested Actions
a) Please thank or admonish your State House Member for his or her vote on S.B.3.
b) Please assist in the efforts to hold certain Members accountable for betraying their previously pro-life position.
c) Please work vigorously to elect a pro-life Governor in 2018.
d) Please join in publicly rebuking Pa. AG Josh Shapiro for his attack on the Little Sisters and other religious service and educational institutions.
e) Please realize that resisting "transgenderism" needs to become an important component of the work of the pro-life movement. Please assist upcoming efforts to persuade the Pa. General Assembly to overturn Gov. Wolf harmful distortion of the CHIP Program and have his 2018 Republican opponents commit to do so.
Conclusion
Enjoy the remainder of 2017. We have an intense challenging 2018 ahead of us. May God bless you!
Best wishes,
Mike McMonagle
President
Pro-Life Coalition of Pennsylvania
215-393-3610
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