Thirty-five pro-life Republican senators have sent a letter to President Bush asking him to "uphold and champion pro-life policy" in the face of a Congress led by liberal Democrats.
The letter requests the president send a letter to congressional leadership restating his "strong pro-life policy convictions" and making clear he will veto any legislation that weakens pro-life policies.
Notably, if all 35 senators stand together, it would be impossible to override a veto of objectionable legislation.
The senators pointed out that Bush's father issued a similar letter in June 1991 when confronted with a Democrat-controlled Congress.
"An examination of the record will show that attacks on pro-life policy in the Democrat-controlled Congress were much more vociferous prior to the June 4 letter than they were after the letter," the senators wrote. "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."
Carrie Gordon Earll, senior analyst for bioethics at Focus on the Family Action, said the letter represents more than just words.
"It's an encouraging reminder to President Bush that many members of the U.S. Senate stand with him in his strong defense of human life," she said. "Any action that serves to put senators on record is a good one."
The letter was signed by some heavy hitters -- including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky; Sens. Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn of Texas; Sam Brownback and Pat Roberts of Kansas; Chuck Grassley of Iowa; John McCain and John Kyl of Arizona; Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint of South Carolina; James Inhofe and Dr. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma; Jeff Sessions of Alabama and John Ensign of Nevada.
(Paid for by Focus on the Family Action)
