An ad by a pro-life group that praises Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle (R-NY) for her vote to defund Planned Parenthood is not exactly being welcomed by the first-term Congresswoman. Buerkle’s spokesperson Liza Lowery told TPM the ads–which feature Buerkle’s name and her smiling photo–were not made with her approval.
The Susan B. Anthony List created the ads as part of a $200,000 campaign to support members of Congress who voted for the Pence amendment, which aimed to strip all federal funding from Planned Parenthood.
The ads featuring Buerkle thank her for her vote, while accusing Planned Parenthood of showing a willingness to aid sex traffickers and covering up statutory rape of young girls. They will run for four days in Buerkle’s congressional district and cost the organization $75,000.
Lowery told TPM that the ads had nothing to do with Buerkle’s office and downplayed the significance of Buerkle’s vote to defund Planned Parenthood. “She voted to cut $61 billion; those cuts are all over the place,” she said. “Those (Planned Parenthood funds) are are just a small portion of them.”
The DCCC recently launched a paid advertising campaign program aimed at Buerkle and 18 other Republicans Democrats say are vulnerable next year.
