Follow the Money
111th Congress
Catholic Politicians Accepting Campaign Donations from Groups that Advocate for Abortion Rights
Groups include Planned Parenthood, Emily's List, National Organization for Women (NOW) and the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League (NARAL)
Total contributions to the current Catholic members of the 111th Congress is $ 9,269,811.00
The 111th Congress will have 24 Catholic Senators and 138 Catholic Representatives. Of the total 162 Catholic members of Congress, 82 Catholic members accept money from groups that advocate for abortion rights. The number may change slightly as vacancies are created from cabinet appointments and replacements are appointed.
The chart below accounts for donations from 1989. Only two members of Congress in this group have been in office prior; Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and George Miller (D-CA). Campaign contributions from abortion rights groups receieved prior to 1989 for these two are not reflected.
The top three Catholic members of Congress by the amount of money accepted are highlighted below.
Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) leads the pack of dissident Catholics accepting over one million dollars ($1,043,301.00) from abortion rights groups. Since 1992 Senator Murray has pleased pro-abortion rights groups by voting against the National Right to Life position forty-eight (48) times. She and Senator Hillary Clinton led the fight pressuring the FDA to make Plan B, the emergency contraception pill, available over-the-counter.
Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) who assumed office in January 2007, is at a close second having accepted $986,619.00 During her first 12 months in office Senator McCaskill voted against every pro-life bill (a total of seven) siding each time with the position supported by abortion rights groups.
Representative Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) took in $489,081.00 during her congressional race in Novemebr 2006. Since taking office she has voted to continue federal funding for Planned Parenthood, expand federal funding for life destroying embryonic stem cell research supported funding to overseas groups involved in performing abortions.
| State | Name | Senator Representative | Donations from Groups advocating for Abortion Rights | Assumed Office |
| Alaska | Lisa Murkowski (R) | Senator | $ 24,435.00 | 2002 |
| Arizona | Ann Kirkpatrick (D) | Rep District 1 | $ 186,050.00 | 2009 |
| Arizona | Ed Pastor (D) | Rep District 4 | $ 13,760.00 | 1991 |
| Arizona | Harry Mitchell (D) | Rep District 5 | $ 23,300.00 | 2007 |
| Arizona | Raúl M. Grijalva (D) | Rep District 7 | $ 12,250.00 | 2003 |
| California | Mike Thompson (D) | Rep District 1 | $ 7,935.00 | 1999 |
| California | George Miller (D) | Rep District 7 | $ 11,175.00 | 1975 |
| California | Nancy Pelosi (D) | Rep District 8 | $ 244,113.00 | 1987 |
| California | John Garamendi (D) | Rep District 10 | 2009 |
|
| California | Jerry McNerney (D) | Rep District 11 | $ 9,250.00 | 2007 |
| California | Jackie Speier (D) | Rep District 12 | $ 57,955.00 | 2008 |
| California | Anna Eshoo (D) | Rep District 14 | $ 226,821.00 | 1993 |
| California | Dennis Cardoza (D) | Rep District 18 | $ 22,750.00 | 2003 |
| California | Jim Costa (D) | Rep District 20 | $ 7,000.00 | 2005 |
| California | Xavier Becerra (D) | Rep District 31 | $ 8,453.00 | 1993 |
| California | Hilda Solis (D) | Rep District 32 | $ 242,638.00 | 2001 |
| California | Diane Watson (D) | Rep District 33 | $ 95,671.00 | 2001 |
| California | Lucille Roybal-Allard (D) | Rep District 34 | $ 45,068.00 | 1993 |
| California | Grace Napolitano (D) | Rep District 38 | $ 58,766.00 | 1999 |
| California | Linda Sánchez (D) | Rep District 39 | $ 129,592.00 | 2003 |
| California | Joe Baca (D) | Rep District 43 | $ 5,750.00 | 1999 |
| California | Loretta Sanchez (D) | Rep District 47 | $ 357,686.00 | 1997 |
| Colorado | Ken Salazar (D) | Senator | $ 7,750.00 | 2005 |
| Colorado | Betsy Markey (D) | Rep District 4 | $ 234,567.00 | 2009 |
| Connecticut | Christopher Dodd (D) | Senator | $ 31,235.00 | 1981 |
| Connecticut | John Larson (D) | Rep District 1 | $ 1,585.00 | 1999 |
| Connecticut | Joe Courtney (D) | Rep District 2 | $ 8,600.00 | 2007 |
| Connecticut | Rosa DeLauro (D) | Rep District 3 | $ 231,535.00 | 1991 |
| Delaware | Michael N. Castle (R) | Rep: At Large | $ 12,800.00 | 1993 |
| Florida | Ginny Brown-Waite (R) | Rep District 5 | $ 3,855.00 | 2003 |
| Illinois | Dick Durbin (D) | Senator | $ 77,216.00 | 1997 |
| Illinois | Luis Gutierrez (D) | Rep District 3 | $ 5,650.00 | 1993 |
| Illinois | Philip Hare (D) | Rep District 17 | $ 3,250.00 | 2007 |
| Iowa | Tom Harkin (D) | Senator | $ 191,057.00 | 1985 |
| Louisiana | Mary Landrieu (D) | Senator | $ 326,996.00 | 1997 |
| Maine | Susan Collins (Rep) | Senator | $ 244,360.00 | 1997 |
| Maryland | Barbara Mikulski (D) | Senator | $ 367,491.00 | 1987 |
| Massachusetts | John Kerry (D) | Senator | $ 205,768.00 | 1985 |
| Massachusetts | Ted Kennedy (D) | Senator | $ 211,643.00 | 1962 |
| Massachusetts | Jim McGovern (D) | Rep District 3 | $ 48,738.00 | 1997 |
| Massachusetts | John Tierney (D) | Rep District 6 | $ 29,868.00 | 1997 |
| Massachusetts | Ed Markey (D) | Rep District 7 | $ 2,812.00 | 1976 |
| Massachusetts | Mike Capuano (D) | Rep District 8 | $ 1,027.00 | 1999 |
| Massachusetts | Bill Delahunt (D) | Rep District 10 | $ 10,312.00 | 1997 |
| Missouri | Claire McCaskill (D) | Senator | $ 986,619.00 | 2007 |
| Minnesota | Betty McCollum (D) | Rep District 4 | $ 266,695.00 | 2001 |
| New Hampshire | Carol Shea-Porter (D) | Rep District 1 | $ 79,350.00 | 2007 |
| New Jersey | Bob Menendez (D) | Senator | $ 44,585.00 | 2006 |
| New Jersey | Frank Pallone (D) | Rep District 6 | $ 34,991.00 | 1993 |
New Jersey New Mexico |
Bill Pascrell Jr. (D) Ben Lujan |
Rep District 8 Rep. District 3 |
$ 2,750.00
|
1997 2009 |
| New York | Tim Bishop (D) | Rep District 1 | $ 70,450.00 | 2003 |
| New York | Carolyn McCarthy (D) | Rep District 4 | $ 417,929.00 | 1997 |
| New York | Joseph Crowley (D) | Rep District 7 | $ 4,000.00 | 1999 |
| New York New York |
Nydia Velázquez (D) Michael McMahon (D) |
Rep District 12 Rep. District 13 |
$ 41,875.00 $ |
1993 2009 |
| New York | Charles B. Rangel (D) | Rep District 15 | $ 15,685.00 | 1971 |
| New York | José Serrano (D) | Rep District 16 | $ 6,585.00 | 1990 |
| New York | John Hall (D) | Rep District 19 | $ 15,750.00 | 2007 |
| New York | Kirsten Gillibrand (D) | Senator | $ 489,081.00 | 2007 |
New York New York |
Paul Tonko Maurice Hinchey (D) |
Rep District 21 Rep District 22 |
$ 99,559.00 |
2009 1993 |
| New York | Michael Arcuri (D) | Rep District 24 | $ 36,250.00 | 2007 |
| New York | Dan Maffei (D) | Rep District 25 | $ 33,250.00 | 2009 |
| New York | Brian Higgins (D) | Rep District 27 | $ 14,500.00 | 2005 |
| New York | Eric Massa (D) | Rep District 29 | $ 33,750.00 | 2009 |
| Ohio | Dennis J. Kucinich (D) | Rep District 10 | $ 1,500.00 | 1997 |
| Ohio | Mary Jo Kilroy | Rep District 15 | $ 568,517.00 | 2001 |
| Oregon | Peter DeFazio (D) | Rep District 4 | $ 10,850.00 | 1987 |
| Pennsylvania | Bob Casey (D) | Senator | $ 327,914.00 | 2007 |
| Pennsylvania | Bob Brady (D) | Rep District 1 | $ 5,137.00 | 1998 |
| Pennsylvania | Jason Altmire (D) | Rep District 4 | $ 6,300.00 | 2007 |
| Pennsylvania | Joe Sestak (D) | Rep District 7 | $ 27,000.00 | 2007 |
| Pennsylvania | Patrick Murphy (D) | Rep District 8 | $ 31,602.00 | 2007 |
| Pennsylvania | Chris Carney (D) | Rep District 10 | $ 25,200.00 | 2007 |
| Rhode Island | Jack Reed (D) | Senator | $ 17,400.00 | 1997 |
| Rhode Island | Patrick J. Kennedy (D) | Rep District 1 | $ 9,850.00 | 1995 |
Texas Texas |
Ruben Hinojosa (D) Charlie Gonzalez (D) |
Rep. District 15 Rep District 20 |
$ 8,610.00 |
1997 1999 |
| Texas | Ciro Rodriguez (D) | Rep District 23 | $ 32,610.00 | 2007 |
| Vermont | Peter Welch (D) | Rep - At Large | $ 14,750.00 | 2007 |
| Virginia | Jim Moran (D) | Rep District 8 | $ 44,721.00 | 1991 |
| Virginia | Gerry Connolly (D) | Rep District 11 | $ 6,000.00 | 2009 |
| Washington | Patty Murray (D) | Senator | $ 1,043,301.00 | 1993 |
| Washington | Maria Cantwell (D) | Senator | $ 303,014.00 | 2001 |
Methodology: Campaign contributions were coded under two groups; Abortion Policy and Womens Issues by the Center for Responsive Politics (opensecrets.org).
Women Issue Category: Political funding in the Women Issue category is led by EMILY's List. Campaign finance reports capture only some of the contributions solicited by groups like EMILY’s List, so the total amount of money the group claims credit for is much higher. Abortion rights are a key issue for donor groups that fall under this category.
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