[AGL] Gambling with Gammage

[Harry Edwards]

I would recommend that the diehard Dimmercrats embracing Bob Gammage as 
the latest Dimmercratic Messiah look further than Gammage campaign ads 
for information.

<<This from the Austin American-Statesman:

Rival, activists hit Gammage

By Jason Embry
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Thursday, January 12, 2006

A dozen abortion-rights and Democratic activists charged in a letter 
released Wednesday that Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bob Gammage 
abandoned their cause in Congress almost 30 years ago.

In a letter circulated by former U.S. Rep. Chris Bell, who is facing 
Gammage in the Democratic primary, 12 women said they could not trust 
Gammage "to take the heat and fight for our rights."

Signers of the letter include Sarah Weddington, the lawyer who won the 
Roe v. Wade case that legalized abortion; Peggy Romberg, executive 
director of the Women's Health and Family Planning Association of 
Texas; and Heather Paffe, political director of the Texas Association 
of Planned Parenthood Affiliates.

Bell aides said the women signed the letter as individuals and not on 
behalf of their groups.

"When he had to choose between placating anti-choicers and sticking up 
for his beliefs in Congress, Bob abandoned us," the letter says.>>

Now, I'm no great admirer of Chris Bell but at least he did some 
digging. Here's what he came up with:

<<Gammage's Record Against Choice

  January 08, 2006

When he filed for governor in Dec. 2005, Bob Gammage said that he was 
“pro-choice … pro-family and pro-privacy.” (San Antonio Express-News, 
Dec. 16, 2005)

He might say he's pro-choice, but he didn't vote pro-choice in 
Congress. Prior to Mr. Gammage reaching Congress, Rep. Henry Hyde 
passed his infamous amendment to ban Medicaid funding for 
abortions-with an exception only to save the life of the pregnant 
woman. The dominant abortion issue during Mr. Gammage's service in 
Congress was whether to add exceptions for rape & incest and to protect 
the woman's health. Nearly without exception, Mr. Gammage voted 
anti-choice in Congress:
	• 	FOR ZERO EXCEPTIONS ON HYDE AMENDMENT. On Jun. 17, 1977, Mr. 
Gammage paired in favor of the Hyde amendment “to prohibit the use of 
federal funds to finance or encourage abortions.” The amendment 
outlawed the use of federal funds “to pay for abortions in all cases,” 
including “when the mother’s life would be endangered by carrying the 
fetus to term,” an exception that existed at that time in federal law. 
“Women’s and civil rights groups fought hard against the Hyde 
amendment…claiming it discriminated against poor women who could not 
afford abortions unless Medicaid paid for them. … These groups also 
argued that the…amendment would not necessarily cut down on abortions, 
but would simply force poor women to seek cheap, unsafe ones.” The 
House adopted (201-155) the amendment. (RV 326, HR 7555, 1977, CQ, pp. 
262-65, 1,200, 1,320-21)
	• 	FOR 1 EXCEPTION ON MEDICAID ABORTIONS. On Aug. 2, 1977, Mr. Gammage 
voted for a motion to concur “in a Senate-passed amendment relating to 
abortion with an amendment to bar the use of any funds appropriated in 
the bill for abortions, except where the life of the mother would be 
endangered by continuing the pregnancy.” In effect, he voted to 
continue the current, 1-exception ban on publicly funded abortions. The 
House agreed to (238-182) the motion. (RV 466, HR 7555, 1977, CQ, pp. 
1,686-87)
	• 	AGAINST “MEDICALLY NECESSARY” EXCEPTION. On Sep. 27, 1977, Mr. 
Gammage voted against a motion to suspend the rules “and pass a 
resolution to instruct the House conferees to agree to the 
Senate-passed amendment barring the use of federal funds for abortion 
except where the mother’s life was endangered or where medically 
necessary, or in cases of rape or incest. Opponents considered 
‘medically necessary’ a wide-open loophole in the bill.” The House 
rejected (164-252) the motion. (Health/Education/Welfare, CQ, Feb. 4, 
1978, pp. 262-65)
	• 	AGAINST ADOPTING LESS-RESTRICTIVE FUNDING BAN. On Oct. 12, 1977, 
Mr. Gammage voted against a “motion that the House recede from its 
abortion position [life-of-the-mother exception to funding ban] in 
order to adopt a less restrictive position.” The House agreed to 
209-206) the motion. (Health/Education/Welfare, CQ, Feb. 4, 1978, pp. 
262-65)
	• 	AGAINST EXCEPTION FOR “SERIOUS HEALTH DAMAGE.” On Oct. 13, 1977, 
Mr. Gammage voted against concurring with a Senate amendment to add an 
exception “where the continuation of the pregnancy might endanger the 
life of the mother or result in ‘serious health damage’ to the mother 
or the fetus.” The House rejected (163-234) the motion. 
(Health/Education/Welfare, CQ, Feb. 4, 1978, pp. 262-65)
	• 	NO ON ADDING NARROW HEALTH, RAPE, INCEST EXCEPTIONS.  On Nov. 29, 
1977, Mr. Gammage voted against the Mahon-Brooks compromise “to accept 
a Senate amendment to bar the use of federal funds for abortion except 
where pregnancy would endanger the life of the mother or cause her 
‘severe and long-lasting physical health damage,’ and to permit funds 
for ‘medical procedures’ for victims of rape or incest if the offenses 
were reported to the police, a public health agency or its equivalent.” 
The House rejected (183-205) the compromise. (Health/Education/Welfare, 
CQ, Feb. 4, 1978, pp. 262-65)
	• 	AGAINST ADDING NARROW EXCEPTION FOR “FORCED” RAPE. On Dec. 6, 1977, 
Mr. Gammage paired against the Michel amendment “to permit the use of 
funds for medical procedures only in cases of ‘forced’ rape or incest, 
which were ‘promptly’ reported to police or a public health agency 
(eliminating reporting to ‘equivalent’ agencies). The changes were 
intended to rule out abortion in cases of statutory rape (sexual 
intercourse with a minor below the legal age of consent) and to reduce 
the possibility that women, once pregnant, might belatedly decide to 
report rape in order to qualify for a federally financed abortion. The 
provisions permitting abortion in cases of danger to the life of the 
mother or severe and long-lasting physical health damage were 
unchanged.” The House rejected (177-200) the amendment. 
(Health/Education/Welfare, CQ, Feb. 4, 1978, pp. 262-65)
	• 	AGAINST ADDING EXPANDED RAPE EXCEPTION. On Dec. 7, 1977, Mr. 
Gammage paired against a modified Michel amendment “eliminating the 
reference to ‘forced’ rape in the earlier Michel amendment.” The House 
narrowly rejected (171-178) the amendment. (Health/Education/Welfare, 
CQ, Feb. 4, 1978, pp. 262-65)
	• 	AGAINST ADDING RESTRICTED EXCEPTIONS FOR HEALTH, RAPE. On Dec. 7, 
1977, Mr. Gammage paired against the final compromise of 1977 in which 
Rep. Michel offered “an amendment introducing a new requirement that 
two doctors must attest to any ‘severe and long-lasting physical health 
damage’ claimed by a woman as reason for seeking a federally financed 
abortion. The final provision also allowed the use of federal funds for 
abortion where the life of the mother would be endangered if the fetus 
were carried to term, and for such medical procedures necessary for the 
victims of rape or incest, when the offense has been reported promptly 
to a law enforcement agency or public health service.” 
(Health/Education/Welfare, CQ, Feb. 4, 1978, pp. 262-65)
	• 	AGAINST DELETING HYDE AMENDMENT.  On Jun. 13, 1978, Mr. Gammage 
voted against the Stokes amendment to delete “language prohibiting the 
use of funds for abortions unless the life of the mother was in 
danger.” This amendment would have allowed unrestricted Medicaid 
abortions. The House rejected (122-287) the amendment. (RV 381, HR 
12929, 1978, CQ, pp. 1,535, 1,588-89)
	• 	AGAINST EXCEPTIONS FOR HEALTH, RAPE & INCEST. On Jun. 13, 1978, Mr. 
Gammage voted against the proposal by Jim Wright to “substitute the 
1977 compromise language” that “allowed abortions when the mother’s 
life or long-term health was endangered or in cases or rape or incest.” 
This compromise language would have replaced the “more restrictive 
language … permitting federal funds for abortions only to save the life 
of the mother,” according to a Capitol Hill publication. The House 
rejected (198-212) the Wright amendment. (RV 382, HR 12929, 1978, CQ, 
pp. 1,535-39, 1,588-89)
	• 	AGAINST MAHON ABORTION COMPROMISE. On Oct. 14, 1978, Mr. Gammage 
voted against the Mahon “motion to recede from the House position and 
concur in the Senate amendment with an amendment to prohibit the use of 
appropriated funds for abortions except when the life of the mother was 
in danger or in cases of rape or incest that had been promptly reported 
to health or law enforcement agencies or if the pregnancy would cause 
long-lasting physical health damage to the mother as determined by two 
physicians.” The House agreed (198-195) to the motion. (RV 815, HR 
12929, 1978, CQ, pp. 3,156-57)>>