Saying that they represent the real voices of women on issues like abortion and stem cell research, a couple hundred women walked the halls of Congress 26Apr to lobby lawmakers and learn tips on successful lobbying form leading pro-life organizations.
They told members of Congress that groups like NARAL and Planned Parenthood don’t represent their views.
“We were impressed to see a diverse group of enthusiastic pro-life women travel to Capitol Hill from 23 states” said Karen Cross [political dir, National Right to Life], including CA, WY, ME, FL, NY, AL, and GA.
The “female citizen-lobbyists represent the millions of real women” who want Congress to vote on upholding parental notification on abortion and a ban on human cloning,” Cross added.
Wendy Wright [pres, Concerned Women for America] agreed and said the participants told lawmakers they want “common-sense legislation on abortion… We hear senators claim they want to ‘reduce the number of abortions,'” Wright said.
She indicated pro-life women presented “the opportunity for them to prove it, telling senators to pass laws restricting abortionists from taking advantage of young women.”
Before dispersing to lobby members of Congress, the women heard presentations from leading pro-life officials, including pro-life Sens. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania and Sam Brownback of Kansas and pro-life Rep. Melissa Hart, also of Pennsylvania.
Charmaine Yoest of the Family Research Council was one of many women representing pro-life groups that went to Capitol Hill to make their voices heard.
“This is the civil rights issue of our day, and women’s voices are leading the way toward change,” she said.
“As we look ahead to the 2006 Congressional elections, we are here to tell Congress that real women want a real response to pro-life issues.”
This is the second year that the pro-life groups have co-sponsored the event.
Other leading groups that put the women’s lobbying day together include the Susan B. Anthony List, Democrats for Life of America and the Silent No More Awareness Campaign.
[http://www.lifenews.com/nat2228.html, Ertelt, LifeNews.com, 28Apr06, DC]