Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America (formerly Susan B. Anthony List) is an American 501(c)(4) non-profit organization, which seeks to reduce and ultimately end abortion in the US, by supporting anti-abortion politicians, primarily women,Electing , Susan B. Anthony List website; accessed June 17, 2014. through its SBA Pro-Life America Candidate Fund political action committee.
Founded in 1993 by sociologist and psychologist Rachel MacNair, the SBA List was a response to the success of the abortion rights group EMILY's List, which was partly responsible for bringing about the 1992 "Year of the Woman", in which a significant number of women who favored abortion rights were elected to Congress. MacNair wished to help anti-abortion women gain high public office.
MacNair recruited Marjorie Dannenfelser and Jane Abraham as the first experienced leaders of SBA List. Dannenfelser is now president of the organization and Abraham is chairwoman 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 argues that Anthony and other early feminists were opposed to abortion, a view that has been challenged by scholars and abortion-rights activists. Anthony scholar Ann D. Gordon and Anthony biographer Lynn Sherr write 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 Life, watched a 60 Minutes television documentary profiling IBM heiress Ellen Malcolm and the successful campaign-funding activities of her Democratic abortion-rights group EMILY's List. MacNair, a peace activist and anti-abortion activist, was motivated to organize the Susan B. Anthony List for the purpose of countering EMILY's List by providing early campaign funds to anti-abortion women candidates. Led by FFL and MacNair, 15 anti-abortion groups formed an umbrella organization, the National Women's Coalition for Life (NWCL), which adopted a joint anti-abortion statement on April 3, 1992.
Also inspired by EMILY's List, in 1992, the WISH List was formed to promote Republican candidates who favored abortion rights. In November 1992, after many of the candidates who favored abortion rights won their races to create what was termed the "Year of the Woman", MacNair announced the formation of the SBA List, describing its purpose as endorsing and supporting women who held anti-abortion beliefs without regard to party affiliation. MacNair determined to challenge the EMILY's List and the WISH List notion that the top female politicians primarily supported abortion rights. She said the SBA List would not support right-wing political candidates. "We want good records on women's rights – probably not Phyllis Schlafly". The NWCL sponsored the SBA List with $2,485 to create it as a political action committee (PAC)The SBA List was formed as a political action committee with the Federal Election Commission identification number C00280057. 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. Organized by founding board member Susan Gibbs, the "kickoff" event raised "more than $9000".
Susan B. Anthony and early feminist connection
MacNair named the SBA List after the famous suffragist. The leaders of the SBA List say that Anthony was "passionately pro-life"."Susan B. Anthony: Pro-life Feminist", The Washington Post, May 2010; accessed June 17, 2014. The portrayal of Anthony as a passionate opponent of abortion has been subject to a modern-day dispute. The National Susan B. Anthony Museum and House said, "The List's assertions about Susan B. Anthony's position on abortion are historically inaccurate." Anthony scholar Ann D. Gordon and Anthony biographer Lynn Sherr said that "Anthony spent no time on the politics of abortion. It was of no interest to her." According to Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the SBA List, Anthony "referred to abortion as 'the horrible crime of child murder.Whitehead, D. (2011). "Feminism, Religion, and the Politics of History". Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion, 27(2), 3-9. Gordon and Sherr said the "child-murder" quote attributed to Anthony actually appeared in an article written anonymously by someone else and that other quotes attributed to Anthony have been 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 Anthony Museum and House provided evidence for the idea that the author of the "child-murder" article was a man. The "child-murder" article appeared in Anthony's newspaper and was signed "A". According to Ward, Susan B. Anthony signed her articles as "SBA". Ward said that another article in her newspaper that was signed "A" took issue with one of its editorials, generating a discussion in which the editors referred its author as "Mr. A."
History
Early activities and re-organization Founding board member Susan Gibbs, later the communications director for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, said, of the early years for the SBA List, "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 re-organized 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 chairwoman 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 an anti-abortion 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 anti-abortion candidates as well, endorsing three men in a pilot program. One of the three won election to office: Republican Peter Fitzgerald who received $2,910 from the SBA List to assist him in his $12.3 million win over 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. In 2000, the SBA List contributed $25,995 to its favored candidates, in contrast to the WISH List and EMILY's List, which contributed $608,273 and $20 million, respectively, to their favored candidates.
21st-century history
Contributions from supporters grew by 50% from 2007 to 2009."Health Bill Revives Abortion Groups" , New York Times, November 24, 2009. As of December 2009, the SBA List had outspent the National Organization for Women in every election cycle since 1996.Under Obama, Abortion Rights Advocates Try To Build Steam , nationaljournal.com, December 2009; accessed June 17, 2014. Former Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave joined the SBA List in March 2009 and works as a project director and spokesperson. The organization tried to keep abortion coverage out of any health care reform legislation in 2009 and 2010."Abortion Foes Aren't Buying Obama's Assurances" , Los Angeles Times It had targeted Senator Bob Casey to ensure abortion was not covered in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA),"The Abortion Hurdle: Can a Pro-Life Dem Bridge the Health Care Divide?", time.com; accessed June 17, 2014."Group Runs Anti-Abortion Ad Against Casey" , cqpolitics.com, December 2009; accessed June 17, 2014. 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"Pro-Life Group Blasts Nelson Compromise" , politico.com, December 2009; accessed June 17, 2014. and condemned the Christmas Eve passage of the Senate bill."Reaction from Across Political Spectrum to Health Vote" , Boston Globe, December 2009.
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,"Choice, Life Groups Slam Obama Order on Abortion Funding" , Fox News, March 21, 2010. Stupak was stripped of his "Defender of Life Award" three days before the gala because of the SBA List's doubts, shared by the most prominent anti-abortion groups, about the effectiveness of the Executive Order."Stupak Award Rescinded" , CNN, Mar. 22, 2010"Stupak Stripped of 'Defender of Life' Award He Was to Receive this Week" , The Hill 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."Without Stupak, Anti-Abortion Group's Dinner Goes On" , New York Times, March 24, 2010. The group dropped its plans to help Stupak fend off a primary challenge from Connie Saltonstall, who decided to challenge Stupak on the basis of his anti-abortion views. Stupak later dropped out of the race, announcing his retirement from Congress.
In 2010, the SBA List hosted events featuring prominent anti-abortion political figures as speakers, including Sarah Palin, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty and Rep. Michele Bachmann."Tim Pawlenty, Michele Bachmann Headline Anti-Abortion Fundraiser" Politico, March 2010"Susan B. Anthony Gala" The Hill 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 with five scholars at the Yale Club of New York City, billed as "A Conversation on Pro-Life Feminism"."Reaching Out to the Woman in the Yellow Sweater" , Slate, The XX Factor Blog, August 26, 2010"A Conversation on Pro-life Feminism" , SBA List website; accessed June 17, 2014. An SBA List project, "Votes Have Consequences", was headed by former Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave and was aimed at defeating vulnerable candidates in 2010 whom they considered insufficiently anti-abortion, for instance those who supported health care reform."Musgrave to Pilot Pro-Life Push" , Politico, March 2009; accessed June 17, 2014. In January 2011, along with Americans for Tax Reform and The Daily Caller, the organization sponsored a debate between candidates for chair of the Republican National Committee."Steele Meets Challengers For GOP Chairmanship" , npr.org, January 3, 2011; accessed June 17, 2014.