Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN-04), a Catholic, has a rating of 100 percent from the pro-choice organization NARAL, and a corresponding zero percent from National Right to Life.
According to the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Liberty, McCollum has voted with pro-choice causes 100 percent of the time. Between 2015 and 2016, McCollum voted against 15 pro-life bills in Congress, as did Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN), who is Lutheran.
NARAL touts McCollum’s perfect score on its website, providing a list of the dozens of pro-life bills she has opposed. While a U.S. congressman, Walz also earned a score of 100 percent from NARAL.
Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN-06) is currently the only Catholic Minnesotan member of Congress with a pro-life record, and has a National Right to Life score of 100 percent. Rep. Pete Stauber (R-MN-08) is also “steadfastly pro-life” and Catholic, but doesn’t have a voting history as a freshman member of Congress.
“The 163 Catholics in the new Congress are split on abortion: almost all Republicans are pro life and almost all Democrats are abortion-rights advocates,” Catholic League President Bill Donohue said in a press release.
“It is obvious that religion is not a reliable predictor of the way a Catholic member of Congress will vote on abortion,” he added. “Party matters—not religion.”
According to the Center for Responsive Politics, McCollum has taken $8,850 from Planned Parenthood since first entering Congress in 2001. Catholic League has released a comprehensive list of the voting records for all Catholic members of Congress.
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Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of Battleground State News and The Minnesota Sun. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
