A national anti-abortion group is rewarding Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle (R-NY) for her vote to defund Planned Parenthood, with a spate of positive television ads. The ads—which will cost the Susan. B. Anthony List, a pro-life organization, a cool $75,000—will run for four days in Buerkle’s congressional district.
The ads are part of a $200,000 campaign by the Susan. B. Anthony List to support members of Congress who voted for the Pence amendment, which aimed to strip all federal funding from Planned Parenthood. The group will air radio ads later this week praising Reps. Randy Hultgren (R-IL), Joe Walsh (R-IL), Frank Guinta (R-NH), Michael Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Patrick Meehan (R-PA) for their vote.
In the ad for Buerkle, a narrator says:
“With America drowning in debt, why is Washington spending millions on Planned Parenthood? This corporation has shown a willingness to aid sex traffickers, covered up statutory rape of young girls and is America’s number one abortion provider. Congresswoman Ann Marie Buerkle courageously said no to tax payer funding of Planned Parenthood. Thank you Congresswoman Buerkle for standing up for women, young girls and taxpayers.”
The ad is making a reference to the claims of Live Action, an anti-abortion group which has released undercover videos allegedly showing Planned Parenthood employees helping actors posing as pimps seeking medical care for underage sex workers. Live Action accuses Planned Parenthood of covering up sexual abuse. Planned Parenthood has denied LiveAction’s claims and says the videos have been edited to look incriminating. Attorney General Eric Holder said Tuesday that the FBI has declined to prosecute in connection with the Planned Parenthood video ‘sting.’
Buerkle is one of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s (DCCC) top targets in 2012. The DCCC recently launched a paid advertising campaign program aimed at her and 18 other Republicans Democrats say are vulnerable next year. The advertising highlights the Republican plan to defund federal family planning programs — part of a wider war on Planned Parenthood and federal abortion coverage.
Watch the video below:
