Contraception for Horses but Not Humans? PA Version

Two related amendments to H.R.1 were voted on this month. Both were sponsored by an Indiana Republican. Both deal with contraception.

H.AMDT.95 (A085)
Amends: H.R.1
Sponsor: Rep Pence, Mike [IN-6] (offered 2/17/2011)
AMENDMENT PURPOSE:
An amendment numbered 11 printed in the Congressional Record to prohibit the use of funds for Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc.

Wonder how your representative voted? You can find the vote either in the Congressional Record or on THOMAS (www.thomas.gov).

• Altmire, Jason, (D-04) NO
• Barletta, Lou, (R-11) YES
• Brady, Robert, (D-01) NO
• Critz, Mark, (D-12) NO
• Dent, Charles W., (R-15) NO
• Doyle, Mike, (D-14) NO
• Fattah, Chaka, (D-02) NO
• Fitzpatrick, Michael G., (R-08) YES
• Gerlach, Jim, (R-06) YES
• Holden, Tim, (D-17) NO
• Kelly, Mike, (R-03) YES
• Marino, Tom, (R-10) YES
• Meehan, Pat, (R-07) YES
• Murphy, Tim, (R-18) YES
• Pitts, Joseph R., (R-16) YES
• Platts, Todd, (R-19) YES
• Schwartz, Allyson Y., (D-13) NO
• Shuster, Bill, (R-09) YES
• Thompson, Glenn W., (R-05) YES

In contrast, Rep. Dan Burton, an Indiana Republican, introduced an amendment, to the budget of the Bureau of Land Management, in the section concerning the management of wild horses, that, in the words of Politico (“GOP pushes birth control for horses?,” by Sarah Kliff 2/16:

The amendment would modify the budget to bar “funds made available by this Act [from being] used for the gathers and removals of free-roaming wild horses and burros, except for the purpose of fertility control.”

Want to know how your representative voted on H. Amdt 39 to HR 1? It was a voice vote, which means there is no official tally in the Congressional Record, to say who voted for and against.

Both were amendments to the same bill. The Planned Parenthood amendment was voted in with 240 for and 185 against. That is a 55 vote difference. Surely that is enough of a difference to tell by voice vote. So why did one get a roll call vote and one a voice vote? Good question.

Those interested in the topic might call their representative and ask how he voted.

I find it odd that some representatives might vote for contraception for horses and not for people. If your representative voted against government money being used to allow human females access to contraception, but did think it a good use of federal money to use contraception in horses (who, after all, cannot consent to such a thing), it might be worth asking him why.