Category: Reproductive Rights
Mike Ferguson (R-NJ7) once again cast his vote against embryonic stem cell research, continuing his desire to prevent cures for his constituents suffering from spinal cord injuries, diabetes and other maladies for this research is said to promise cures.
I'd write a longer post, but the links say it all.
Last Friday was the last day of Mike Ferguson's third term in Congress, and he decided to end it with a bang.
Following on his work on the Terry Schiavo issue where he tried to play doctor, Ferguson now wants to pass Federal legislation telling doctors what to tell their patients. Again demonstrating his radical anti-abortion credentials, Ferguson wants to make every doctor counsel women seeking an abortion during the second trimester that the fetus feels pain. It did not pass.
Next, contradicting his campaign claims that he is an environmentalist and opposes offshore drilling, Ferguson voted for a bill that will expand offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.
Over the last two weeks we've found out that Mike Ferguson told Carl Riccio's mother that her son would never walk again, and this week we learned that his staff refused to let 14 year old juvenile diabetes sufferer Lyndsey Rosethal talk to him [listen to her radio ad] about stem cell research.
Now we find that he is refusing to endorse a bill that would ensure drug safety and prevent adverse drug reactions in children solely because the bill was sponsored by Democrats. This is not hyperbole, and the witnesses to this have written the letter below.
“Congressman Mike Ferguson believes every child deserves the best quality health care.” This is what his campaign advertising claims. It might be true if it included the modifier, “in an election year.”We are N.J. residents whose children’s lives have been threatened by adverse reactions to prescription drugs. We have been meeting with the congressman about drug safety for the last three years. It was only after a huge public outcry that the FDA has finally addressed the potential deadly adverse effects of antidepressants. This has resulted in a black box warning for these drugs as well as a required medication guide to be distributed to parents with each prescription. This guide is meant to fully inform parents of the risks of this category of drugs and their off-label, non-FDA approved use in children and teens. However, we have discovered that these medication guides are not being given to parents as the FDA directed.
We have met with Congressman Ferguson on numerous occasions regarding this matter. We have expressed our hope that he might intervene, as our elected representative, to ensure that this common sense and life-saving regulation is enforced. We have also asked him to sign on to existing bills that ensure and enhance drug safety. While he assured us that he cared about children’s safety, he informed us that he would not sign on to any bill that had been sponsored by a Democratic member of Congress. Apparently, partisan politics is more important than the well-being of the children of New Jersey.
He said this not only in our presence, but in the presence of our children who almost lost their lives.
Despite this setback, we have continued to speak with his staff on this issue; however, over the past year the congressman refused to meet with us personally. We have traveled to Washington multiple times to fight for the children of New Jersey with no response from the congressman. Amazingly, three months before the election we were invited to meet with his senior staff to discuss this issue. This meeting resulted in a letter from the congressman to the FDA demanding answers on this subject on August 31, 2006.
This is a full year after it was brought to his attention, two weeks prior to the Institute of Medicine’s scathing report on the inadequacies of the FDA, and just weeks before Election Day. This is simply too convenient to be coincidental!
To date the Congressman, the Vice Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, has neither signed on nor initiated any legislation for drug safety.
Laurie Yorke
Lisa Van Syckel
Michelle Van Syckel
Ryan Yorke
Nicole Cumber-Teen victim
Dawn Jeronowitz
Mike Ferguson says he is pro-life, pro-family and supports moral values but his actions in refusing to help these parents of sick and injured children tell a completely different story.
Wrong choices. Wrong Congressman.
Contribute to Linda Stender today for a new House and a new future.
The following letter was published in the Home News Tribune on October 24, 2005.
Stender will fight for all women's healthBreast cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in women ages 35 and older. It is also among the most treatable types of cancer if caught early enough through a mammogram. However, in minority and lower-class communities, mammograms are not readily accessible or affordable, leaving many women facing a higher risk of not being diagnosed in time for breast-cancer treatment to take effect. Yet, Rep. Michael Ferguson, R-7th Dist., refused to support measures brought before his committee in the House to require clinicians to provide equal access to mammograms regardless of ethnicity or socioeconomic status.
Ferguson's opponent, Assemblywoman Linda Stender, D-Union, believes the battle against breast cancer must be fought within all levels of the community. She will fight to pass legislation to provide free mammograms to those unable to afford them — thereby assuring women are not denied the opportunity for early breast-cancer detection.
Join me in sending Stender to Congress this November, a strong women looking out for us all.
Louise Reilly
BELLE MEAD
Last week a letter to the editor ran from a 14 year old girl named Lindsey Rosenthal from Belle Mead. Lindsey has juvenile diabetes, and tried to talk with Mike Ferguson about supporting embryonic stem cell research to find a cure. Ferguson's staff would not let her, saying that "we cannot even discuss this issue with him because it is against 'pro life.'"
That's right. He refused to talk with a 14 year old girl about finding a cure for her lifelong disease. Well, Lindsey recorded a radio ad for Linda Stender, and you can listen to it right now.
After you listen, remember that Ferguson is the same man who told Tricia Riccio that her paralyzed son would never walk again and refused to discuss embryonic stem cell research with her as well. This race is about a lot of things, but one of the biggest is that Mike Ferguson wants to prevent Lindsey Rosenthal and Carl Riccio from receiving cures to their ailments because of a theory. When we vote him out, we bring these two young people hope and maybe a cure.
And after you get sufficiently steamed about this, be sure to donate as much as you can to Linda Stender so she can run this ad on the radio as many times as possible between now and election day. She needs your help today, tomorrow and next week.
If you don't have the money to give -- and many of us don't -- please call Linda's office at 908-322-1996 and sign up to volunteer for an afternoon. They're paying $125 if you work the weekend before election day and on election day itself, and there's plenty work for volunteers before that!
And be sure to contribute if you can. $5 means a lot when a thousand people give it. We've got 1450 people on our mailing list, and all of you at Dump Mike. Just a little from everyone is that many more times the ad from Lindsey can run.
The following letter was published in the Home News Tribune on October 23, 2006:
Stender is best choice for 7th CDDemocrat Linda Stender is clearly the best choice for our state and our nation in New Jersey's 7th Congressional District. She would provide needed checks and balances against the corruption of the Bush administration.
Stender disagreed with Bush's decision to go to war in Iraq, but supports our troops and would pressure Bush for an exit strategy that brings soldiers home safely. Incumbent Rep. Mike Ferguson, R-7th Dist., however, has repeatedly given the Bush administration a free pass on oversight and accountability when it comes to Iraq and even voted to keep the troops there indefinitely.
Stender supports stem-cell research, which provides the best hope of curing many illnesses plaguing our nation. Ferguson, while claiming to be for stem-cell research, voted against it in Congress.
Stender supports a path toward energy independence. She would stand up to the big oil companies and would not allow price-gouging. She favors progress toward better and cleaner energy sources, which would reduce oil demand and reduce prices as well as protect the public.
I encourage voters to elect Stender. She would block the radical Bush agenda and help get our country back on course.
Charles Versfelt
RARITAN
Michael J. Fox did this ad for Claire McCaskill of Missouri regarding stem cell research and how her opponent -- Jim Talent -- is trying to block Americans like him from being cured of their maladies. Fox is suffering from Parkinson's disease, one of many conditions such as leukemia, spinal cord injuries, organ failure and diabetes which could be eradicated if not for politicians like Talent -- and Mike Ferguson.
As you watch this ad, swap "LInda Stender" for "Claire McCaskill," "Mike Ferguson" for "Jim Talent," and "New Jersey" for "Missouri."
The following letter was published in the October 18, 2006 Cranford Chronicle:
Ferguson called an 'obedient lapdog'To The Chronicle:
On Oct. 4, the National Jewish Democratic Council (njdc.org) announced its "Backwards 18," its list of the 18 worst members of the U.S. House and Senate who are running for re-election this year.
Representative Mike Ferguson was chosen for this exclusive list. According to NJDC, Ferguson "is a voice for the extreme right. Despite representing a moderate district, he has voted against every single issue involving the separation of Church and State on which NJDC has spoken out ... and supports a constitutional amendment to overturn Roe vs. Wade. He opposes stem-cell research and supports permitting religious organizations to employ discriminatory practices when making hiring decisions."
Does Ferguson's philosophy of forcing his conservative Christian philosophy upon all Americans through legislation accurately reflect the desires of his congressional district? Does America want a theocracy led by holier-than-thou Republican ayatollahs? Do you want to re-elect an obedient Bush/Cheney lapdog and "rubber stamp"? Have you seen enough incompetent and corrupt Republican leadership since 2001?
For more information about Ferguson, visit the Web sites dumpmike.com, whymikewhy.com, and bluejersey.com.
JOHN CANTILLI
Cranford
The following letter was published in the October 14, 2006 Home News Tribune.
Congressman says he's for life; what about mine?I am 14 years old and, like most kids my age, I have dreams. Most kids dream of being an astronaut, actor or sports star. I dream of a cure for juvenile diabetes, a disease I have had since I was 6 years old. For the last eight years of my life, I have spoken out about juvenile diabetes, how it has robbed me of my carefree childhood. I have raised both awareness and funds. I have petitioned politicians to support medical research for a cure. One of the best avenues for a cure is embryonic stem-cell research. I personally have met with Rep. Michael Ferguson, R-7th Dist., three times over the past four years, and his aides told our family that we cannot even discuss this issue with him because it is against "pro life."
Am I not a life?
These embryos that scientists want to use get thrown away if they are not used for research. How is that pro life, Congressman Ferguson? When I recently met with Linda Stender, his Democratic Party opponent in this fall's election, she told me that she would help me achieve my dream, that my dream could actually become a reality. Stender has the ability to change my dreams, and the dreams of everyone who has a disease; you just have to give her a chance.
Vote for Stender. Vote for life.
Lindsey Rosenthal
BELLE MEAD
This letter was published in the October 14, 2006 Home News Tribune:
Stem-cell research must be election issueIt is astonishing to learn that New Jersey congressmen Ferguson, Garrett, Lo Biondo, Saxton, and Smith recently voted to kill a measure to provide federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research. Study of these stem cells has great potential for discovering the basics of cellular function and holds out significant promise for control of chronic diseases.
The proposal was carefully constructed to address moral and ethical concerns by specifically limiting research to excess embryos that are scheduled to be discarded, and only with the written confirmation and informed consent of the donors. These embryos are left over from in vitro fertilization — a process that fertilizes a number of eggs to produce embryos for implantation and then destroys the extras. Therefore, not one embryo used for stem-cell research would otherwise have become a child.
It is most difficult to justify a logic that assigns a higher moral priority to precluding utilization of about to be discarded 5-day-old, frozen blastulas over the ethical and moral imperative to humanely attempt to relieve significant medical suffering among our living population.
There is hardly a single New Jersey family that has not experienced the suffering from diseases such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, multiple sclerosis, heart disease, cancer and diabetes by a member or dear friend. These chronic, degenerative and often fatal diseases could someday be treated or prevented as a result of embryonic stem-cell research.
When voters go to the polls on Nov. 7, they should carefully consider the merit of returning these congressmen to Washington.
Arthur L. Yeager
EDISON
The Bernardsville News is the first paper to give an endorsement in the NJ7 Congressional race between Mike Ferguson and Linda Stender. The nod went to Linda Stender. The paper is not too big and a weekly, but it is in extremely red territory and hopefully this kind of thing can make a difference there.
[UPDATE: The Hunterdon Review, also owned by Recorder, used the same editorial last week. Deep in the heart of redness!]
Vote for Linda Stender for Congress from the Seventh District.She is articulate and bright. She has had local, county and state government experiences. Most importantly, she represents an end to the status quo acceptance of the failed policies of the Bush Administration, so unquestionably accepted by her opponent, Republican incumbent Michael Ferguson.
His response to the surprisingly strong Stender campaign is to blast Stender as a tax and spend Democrat.
Yet Stender, as a state Assemblywoman, voted against the Corzine budget and increased sales tax. Meanwhile, Ferguson, as member of the Republican-controlled U.S. Senate, has presided over a federal budget that has gone from a surplus position to a massive deficit.
It is ironic he complains about doings as the state level, yet he has never served in any state or locally elected office in his career. In fact, he only moved to the Seventh Congressional district so he could run for Congress after he lost his bid for a Sixth District Congressional seat in Monmouth County in 1998.
Nearly 60 percent of the district considers themselves Independent and we think Stender will more accurately reflect their philosophies than Ferguson.
We support Stender’s call for a re-examination of how we are conducting the war in Iraq, a position also called for by many retired Army generals and the majority of the nation. Ferguson is unquestioning of the Bush Administration’s handling of the war.
We support Stender’s call for embryonic stem cell research, so those whose loved ones are suffering from anything from Parkinson’s to Alzheimer’s to diabetes to paralysis may have hope for a cure. Ferguson staunchly opposes embryonic stem cell research and as such has earned the disfavor of Tricia Riccio, a crusader from Warren Township whose son Carl Riccio was paralyzed in a Watchung Hills Regional High School wrestling match in 2003.
Stender favors a woman’s right to choose on abortion, developing alternative energy supplies, and protecting the environment.
None of those issues carry much weight with Ferguson. He is anti-choice to the point of wanting to amend the Constitution to make abortion a crime even in the cases of rape and incest.
He garnered a pitiful 17 percent approval rating from the League of Conservation Voters, the political voice of the national environmental movement whose ratings reflect Ferguson’s voting record on key environmental and public health votes. Ferguson’s environmental rating is the lowest of the 13 members of the New Jersey congressional delegation, Democrats and Republicans alike.
Environmental issues are part of the core values of Somerset and Hunterdon county residents and those values should be represented in the halls of Congress by the person they elect to represent them.
Indeed, poll after poll shows Stender’s positions on the core issues this district thinks are important, from the Bush Administration’s handling of the war in Iraq, to stem cell research, to the environment, are more reflective of the majority of voters in this district than Mr. Ferguson’s. People in the 7th Congressional District should vote for the candidate who best reflects their values on Tuesday, Nov. 7 and that is Linda Stender.
Vote for Stender for Congress from the 7th District.
The following letter was published in the Courier News on Friday the 13th in October, 2006:
Lawmakers blind to stem cellsIt is astonishing to learn that New Jersey Congressmen LoBiondo, Saxton, Smith, Ferguson and Garrett recently voted to kill a measure to provide federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research. Study of these stem cells has great potential for discovering the basics of cellular function and holds significant promise for control of chronic diseases.
The proposal was carefully constructed to address moral and ethical concerns by specifically limiting research to excess embryos that are scheduled to be discarded, and only with the written confirmation and informed consent of the donors. These embryos are left over from in vitro fertilization -- a process that fertilizes a number of eggs to produce embryos for implantation and then destroys the extras. Therefore, not one embryo used for stem-cell research would otherwise have become a child.
It is most difficult to justify a logic that assigns a higher moral priority to precluding utilization of about-to-be-discarded, five-day-old frozen blastulas over the ethical and moral imperative to humanely attempt to relieve significant medical suffering among our living population.
There is hardly a single New Jersey family that has not experienced the suffering from diseases such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, multiple sclerosis, heart disease, cancer and diabetes by a member or dear friend. These chronic, degenerative and often fatal diseases could someday be treated or prevented as a result of embryonic stem-cell research.
When voters go to the polls Nov. 7, they should carefully consider the merit of returning these congressmen to Washington.
ARTHUR L. YEAGER
Edison
I have maintained over time that Mike Ferguson is not such a bad guy or father, but an incompetent and weak Congressman who makes wrong choices for his district and our country. The guy is, I've said, a lightweight who has been propelled forward by rich parents, powerful forces from the religous right, and corrupt DC Republicans like Tom DeLay, Bob Ney and Jack Abramoff.
But sometimes you have to wonder if he is a lightweight or just meanspirited like the rest of the DC Republican leadership. Check out this from Tom Moran's column in the Star Ledger:
If you were to design a weapon against Republican Congressman Mike Ferguson, you could not do much better than Tricia Riccio. ...She is an articulate soccer mom whose son, Carl, broke his neck during a high school wrestling match in 2003.
Since then, she has become a crusader for embryonic stem cell research, on the reasonable grounds that it presents the only chance her son will ever lift himself out of his wheelchair and walk. ...
But Riccio had something more. She made it personal. She made Ferguson sound cruel.
In a meeting in his office last year, she said, Ferguson flat-out told her that her son's case was hopeless.
"He said, 'Mrs. Riccio, your son is not going to walk in his lifetime.'"
Not only is this an unbelievably cruel thing to say, and unbelievable stupid considering Ferguson has absolutely no training in medicine, but it is also unbelievable obtuse. Ferguson voted to block funding for embryonic stem cell research, the very teatment that could allow Mrs. Riccio's son to walk again!
If that treatment doesn't arrive in time for her son to benefit, it will be Congressmen like Mike Ferguson's fault. Yet he has the gall to stand there and tell a grieving mother that her son will never walk again without taking any responsibility for that reality.
Worse still, Ferguson constantly hides his opposition to embryonic stem cell research by claiming that adult stem cell research is just as beneficial. But his statement to Mrs. Ricci proves that he doesn't believe that! He clearly told her that there is no medicine -- including the adult stem cell research he pushes and an alternative -- that will help her son even though real scientists with real training and real research say that embryonic stem cell research can help.
It's shocking that Ferguson is allowed to pretend to have family values and care about children. He doesn't have either.
Wrong choices, wrong Congressman. And just downright mean.
This is Linda Stender's new television advertisement. It's pretty tough, and should remind all the independent pro-choice voters in the district why a vote for Mike Ferguson is a vote against freedom.
Linda Stender's latest campaign piece [see it in PDF, or in PNG after the jump] hit mailboxes today, again slamming Mike Ferguson (R-NJ7) for opposing promising new avenues of medical research.
This is the first time they have used the new theme, "Why Mike? Why?" in a literature piece, and it comes on the same day they launched a website by the same name. It looks like this is going to be the new theme for the campaign.
It works on a couple of levels. The first is plaintive, asking, "Why do you vote/behave/think like that, Mike? Why?" The second is, "Why should I vote for Mike if he doesn't represent my values? Why?"
The positive hit for Stender:
Linda Stender supports stem cell research to give our families hope. As a member of the state Legislature, Linda has been a leader in funding research efforts in New Jersey.As a member of Congress, Linda will support stem cell research to unlock cures for illnesses that harm our loved ones.
Tuesday, November 7th Vote Stender for Congress
The negative on Ferguson:
But Congressman Mike Ferguson VOTES AGAINST HOPEFerguson opposes embryonic stem cell research that could unlock cures for cancer, Alzheimer's and diabetes.
Ferguson marches lock-step wit President Bush and other ideologues that put their narrow views before science -- and before hope.
Why Mike? Why?
For more information, visit www.whymikewhy.com
This is probably her best lit piece I've seen, and the Why Mike? Why? theme might work if it is used properly.
Continue reading "Stender Mailer: Mike Ferguson Opposes Embryonic Stem Cell Research" »
Linda Stender is hitting back at Mike Ferguson with mailings, a radio ad and -- from what I hear -- a television ad up on cable. I haven't seen it, but if you have put it in the comments. These three posts are the current pieces going out in the mail.
The third is about Ferguson's radical opposition to embryonic stem cell research and women’s right to choose. You can click on either image to get to a pdf of the piece and mail it to your friends.
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Back
Linda Stender is hitting back at Mike Ferguson with mailings, a radio ad and -- from what I hear -- a television ad up on cable. I haven't seen it, but if you have put it in the comments. These three posts are the current pieces going out in the mail.
The second is about Ferguson's unlimited support for President George Bush's policies both domestically and internationally. You can click on either image to get to a pdf of the piece and mail it to your friends.
Front
Back
Congresmman Mike Ferguson opposes abortion, but he also opposes policies and legislation that would reduce the number of abortions in the United States and abroad.
There is a bill in front of the Subcommittee on Health, where Ferguson is co-chair, that would increase funding and availability of contraceptives and family planning education for poor women. This, in turn, would reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies and result in a dramatically lower number of abortions. The Bush administration estimates that there are 3 million unwanted pregnancies a year, with 50 percent ending in abortions.
Now new evidence from the Bush administration demonstrates that the number of unwanted pregnancies among poor women is skyrocketing under Republican "pro-life" policies, resulting in even more abortions.
Poor women in America are increasingly likely to have unwanted pregnancies, whereas relatively affluent women are succeeding more and more in getting pregnant only when they want to, according to a study analyzing federal statistics.As a result of the growing disparity, women living in poverty are now almost four times more likely to become pregnant unintentionally than women of greater means, the study found.
Based on nationwide data collected by the National Center for Health Statistics and other sources, the researchers found that from 1994 through 2001, the rate of unplanned pregnancies increased by almost 30 percent for women below the federal poverty line -- now defined as $16,000 annually for a family of three. For women in families comfortably above poverty, the rate of unplanned pregnancies fell by 20 percent during the same period.
The abortion rate also rose among poor women while declining among the more affluent.
The Republican took over the House and Senate in 1994, and the White House in 2001. During that time they have radically reduced access to family planning and contraception, choosing to focus only on abstinence education to prevent unwanted pregnancies. Abstinence education has a place, since teenagers are often not ready for the emotional or other costs of sex and pregnancies, but only when it is coupled with realistic prevention messages, as well.
Congressman Ferguson is one of the most absolutist opponents of contraception, family planning and abortion. He is so radical that his own colleagues call him "Mr. Embryo", and that radical position is hurting poor women. Unwanted pregnancies create financial burdens, empotional stress, hurt families, and end in abortion as often as they result in children.
From the Daily Targum, April 16:
Linda Stender, the Democratic candidate for Congress in District 7, is fortunate in at least one respect: the case against her opponent Congressman Mike Ferguson, R-7th, is one that is easy to make. If politics were a trial, Ferguson would need to hire the best defense attorney in America to defend his record in Congress and would likely still lose.On the issues of ethics and campaign finance, Ferguson has accepted $54,413 from former Congressman Tom DeLay and Americans for a Republican Majority, DeLay's political action committee. When the House of Representatives attempted to launch an inquiry into possible corruption of House members by lobbyist Jack Abramoff, Ferguson voted to block the inquiry. One would do well to remember Ferguson received one of the largest fines in Federal Election Commission history, $210,000, for breaking federal campaign laws in 2000.
Regarding the environment, Congressman Ferguson voted "yes" to drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and "yes" to the energy bills in 2001, 2003 and 2005. The League of Conservation Voters, a group that supported Ferguson in 2002, now rates him at an approval level of 17 percent, one of the worst environmental ratings of any member of the House of Representatives.
Ferguson has not been shy in forcing his own private, personal views of God and morality on the American people. Dubbed "Mr. Embryo" by his House colleagues, Ferguson has voted against every bill supporting embryonic stem cell research since he entered Congress in 2001.
Finally, on an issue that deeply impacts middle class families, the availability of student loans for college, Congress voted to pass the federal budget reconciliation act by a razor-thin margin of 216 to 214. Student loan programs account for more than $12 billion in cuts. A number of Republican members in Congress, including Chris Smith from New Jersey, voted against the bill; not Mike Ferguson - he voted for the budget and thus for the steep cuts in student aid.
Ferguson's record of lock-step support for the George W. Bush agenda is out of the mainstream in New Jersey's 7th Congressional District. His record in Congress is one that is inapposite to the views of most residents of New Jersey. The case against re-electing Mike Ferguson is strong; but voters, like juries, are a fickle group.
This letter was published in the Cranford Chronicle on April 6, 2006:
Notion of Rep. Ferguson as 'moderate' is a mythTo The Chronicle:
Let's consider a couple ratings of Representative Mike Ferguson's voting record by two non-profit organizations.
First, the ACLU has rated all U.S. House membersaccording to how they have voted on matters of civil liberties and constitutional rights.Ferguson's lifetime score is 7 percent.For comparison, the lifetime scores for Reps. Rothman, Andrews, Pallone, Payne, and Holt range from 70 percent to 100 percent.
Second, NARAL has awarded Ferguson a 2005 score of 0 percent for his House votes concerning women's reproductive rights.Yes folks, you read that correctly, his score is zero. Democratic representatives from New Jersey scored between 80 and 100 percent.
Mike Ferguson obviously has little regard for the civil liberties and reproductive freedom of his fellow Americans.His scores show that his voting record is a miserable failure.His extreme right-wing views and uncritical embrace of the Bush-Cheney agenda prove that he is clearly out of touch with the moderate citizens of New Jersey's 7th District. The notion of "moderate Mike" is just a myth.
For an alternative, and a positive change,see the Web site lindastenderforcongress.com.
JOHN CANTILLI
Cranford
Congressman Mike Ferguson is the vice chair of the House Subcommittee on Health, which was referred a bill called the "Prevention First Act [pdf] in January. So far the bill, which is intended to reduce abortions in the United States, has neither come up for discussion nor a vote. Rep. Ferguson has so far taken no position on the bill.
Blue 7th PAC is calling on Rep. Ferguson, as vice chair of the committee, to bring this bill up for discussion. Rep. Ferguson is well-known to be an avid opponent of abortion, going so far as to support a Constitutional Amendment making it illegal. The "Prevention First Act" should be a common ground where both pro-choice and anti-abortion advocates can find common ground:
The summary of the "Prevention First Act is:
To expand access to preventive health care services that help reduce unintended pregnancy, reduce the number of abortions, and improve access to womens health care.
To reduce unintended pregnancies and, as a result, reduce abortions the bill would:
Each of these provisions would increase the availability of health care and contraception to women to assist in better controling their reproductive lives. The bill doesn't include any funding or education for abortifacients like RU-486, but only works to increase prevention of contraception.
The bill notes that the Centers for Disease Control count 3,000,000 pregnancies in the United States as unintended, and that half of those pregnancies end in abortion. Preventing the unintended pregnancies will prevent abortions.
Everyone can agree that it is better for women to get pregnant only when they are ready and want to have a child, if for no other reason than the woman can prepare better physically, financially and emotionally for the pregnancy. Everyone can also agree that it is better for women to avoid having abortions, if for no other reason than all surgery is risky.
This bill should be common ground, but cannot get up for discussion much less a vote. Blue 7th PAC is calling on House Subcommittee on Health Vice Chairman Michael Ferguson to bring this bill up in front of his subcommittee for discussion and a vote. If there are provisions he objects to such as requiring hospitals to distribute emergency contraception he can work to remove them. But blocking this bill would do nothing to prevent abortions, while passing it would significantly reduce them.
You can contact Mike Ferguson's office at:
Warren, NJ: (908) 757-7835 (v) or (908) 757-7841 (f) or e-mail.
Washington, DC: (202) 225-5361 (v) or (202) 225-9460 (f) or e-mail
Campaign Office: (732) 560-4700 (v) or (732) 560-4790 (f) or e-mail.
Today Rahm Emmanuel of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is coming to New Jersey for an event with Mike Ferguson's opponent, Linda Stender. The visit made the Sunday Chicago Tribune and the wires.
As state Rep. Linda Stender tries to oust Republican Rep. Michael Ferguson from his congressional seat representing north-central New Jersey, she hopes the promise of embryonic stem cell research, and Ferguson's opposition to it, gives her a distinct advantage."If you know anybody who suffers from diabetes or Alzheimer's or has had a spinal cord injury, I think that you want to see a cure," Stender, a self-described "progressive," said in an interview. "There are people in my family that have been affected by terrible diseases. And I choose to put my faith in science to find a cure, and the promise of a cure appears to be in stem cell research."
Ferguson, a strong opponent of abortion, is clear in his opposition to stem cell research for moral reasons. But he insists he always has been a champion of medical and biotechnology research _issues important to the sizeable health care industry in his district_during his five years on Capitol Hill.
"I just think efforts to politicize this issue are misguided and will ultimately be unsuccessful, and that's because of my very strong record in field of health care," Ferguson said. He said his mother survived bone marrow cancer for six years thanks to scientific advances.
Congressman Ferguson's office continues to refuse to answer questions regarding the over the counter sale of Plan B, the emergency contraceptive. Now, instead of answering a different question they are saying they don't comment unless issues come up before the house. From kwilkinson of the site, Blue Jersey:
No position forthcoming. He'll only say something if it comes up in front of the House, which it won't, because it's being held up indefinitely by the FDA politicos, according to Marcus.
This is pretty selective, and intended to avoid answering direct questions from his constituents. It's also based upon a pretty big falsehood. See, contrary to what Marcus said there is a bill in front of the House regarding Plan B and the FDA. Ferguson's people just don't want you to know it.
H. R. 4229 [pdf] is sponsored by Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY14) and has 61 cosponsors. Here's the summary:
To require the Commissioner of Food and Drugs to determine whether to allow the marketing of Plan B as a prescription drug for women 15 years of age or younger and a nonprescription drug for women 16 years of age or older, and for other purposes.
This bill, which goes directly to the question Ferguson's staff refuses to asnwer, was referred on February 17, 2006 to the "Subcommittee on Health" which is part of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
Congressman Mike Ferguson sits on the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
Congressman Mike Ferguson is the vice chair for the House Subcommittee on Health.
One of two things happened in that call regarding Plan B: either Ferguson's office intentionally lied to a constituent regarding bills and issues pending in front of a committee Ferguson sits on, of Ferguson's office is unaware of the bills and issues pending in front of a committee on which Ferguson is the second in command. They are either lying or incompetent.
So please call his office at (908) 757-7835 (NJ) or (202) 225-5361 (DC) and ask for Abby Bird, the Congressman's official spokeswoman, Marcus who spoke to kwilkinson, or someone else who can answer a question on Ferguson's position on Plan B.
If you get to Ms. Bird or another person capable of answering your questions, please ask them, "Would Congressman Ferguson support a hearing and Subcommittee on Health vote on H.R.4229 to require the FDA to approve Plan B for over-the-counter sales to women 17 years old and older and as a prescription for girls younger than 17?" All we want is a hearing and an up or down vote, because that will put Ferguson on the record.
Please do not be confrontational, but just try to get an answer to the question.
If you do not get a person who will answer the question please visit the online form and ask the question that way.
Contact Blue 7th at info@blue7th.com with the day you asked the question and any answers you get.
Continue reading "All We Want Is An Up or Down Vote on Plan B" »
A number of people have called or written Congressman Mike Ferguson's office about the emergency contraceptive called Plan B to determine his position on whether it should be sold over the counter without a prescription. Plan B is made of the same stuff as the contraceptive known as the pill in higher concentrations, and has been approved by the FDA as an emergency contraceptive for use within days of unprotected sex to prevent conception. It is not an abortion pill.
To date his office has not answered the question once, though they do have a new tactic: answering a different question. A few weeks ago the following question was sent to Ferguson's office via his official on-line form:
What is your position on Plan B? Do you think it should be made available?
The answer that came back [after the jump] was about H.R.1652, the Access to Legal Pharmaceuticals Act, a bill that requires pharmacies to fill medical prescriptions even if the pharmacist has a moral objection to the drug. Interestingly, not only is this not an answer to the question Ferguson was asked but he also refused to take a position on this bill.
Thank you for contacting me regarding H.R.1652, the Access to Legal Pharmaceuticals Act. I appreciate hearing from you and having the benefit of your views. ...H.R.1652 was referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Should this legislation come to the House floor for a vote, I will reflect further on your well-stated views.
Ferguson sits on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, yet will only "reflect further" if the committee reads the bill out to the entire house. He would not say whether he believes the committee should approve the bill, or if he will vote against it. Of course, he doesn't have to because it is sponsored by a Democrat and has no chance of coming to a vote in the committee, much less for the entire house.
Previously, Ferguson has written that he would not support legislation requiring that hospitals inform rape victims that Plan B is available. Not that they give it to rape victims, but that hospitals be allowed to keep a rape victim in the dark of her medical options to prevent conception and, as such, avoid being impregnated by the rapist.
Based on his refusal to go on record regarding emergency contraception and his opposition to telling rape victims of their full range of legal health care options, it is reasonable to assume that Ferguson opposes the legal sale of Plan B. If that is not the case and he supports the sale, we will gladly change this post and publicize his position.
But Congressman Ferguson or someone from his office needs to tell us. We know from conversations with their chief of staff that they track this blog and are aware of our postings, so if they want to clear this up they can just write to info@blue7th.com.
So please call his office at (908) 757-7835 (NJ) or (202) 225-5361 (DC) and ask for Abby Bird, the Congressman's official spokeswoman, or someone else who can answer a question on Ferguson's position on Plan B.
If you get to Ms. Bird or another person capable of answering your questions, please ask them, "Does Congressman Ferguson support the sale of emergency contraceptives such as Plan B to women who wish to use them?" Please do not be confrontational, but just try to get an answer to the question.
If you do not get a person who will answer the question please visit the online form and ask the question that way.
Contact Blue 7th at info@blue7th.com with the day you asked the question and any answers you get.
Continue reading "Ferguson's Opposition To Contraceptives" »
Congressman Mike Ferguson's opposition to contraception and family planning services is a lesser known cousin to his fervent opposition to abortion. It is all tied up in the Right to Life community he is beholden to. His positions on contraception, abortion, embryonic stem cell research and other issues are so far out of the mainstream that his colleagues in the House jokingly call him "Mr. Embryo." He opposes such common sense programs such as requiring hospitals to inform rape victims that emergency contraception is available.
Recently a constituent received a letter from Ferguson that further illustrates his radical position, and his willingness to ignore facts and research to support it. The entire letter is printed after this post, with the recipient's name and address redacted, but here is the relevant part:
Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) on June 16, 2005, offered an amendment to H.R. 2862, the annual appropriations bill that finances the State, Justice and Commerce departments, which would lift restrictions on U.S. taxpayer assistance to UNFPA. [United Nations Population Fund]Former Secretary of State Colin Powell announced July 17, 2004, that UNFPA helped China manage programs that involved forced abortions. Powell said at the time that the administration would continue to help women and children around the world through other programs. The United States is the largest donor of bilateral assistance to help improve the health of women and children and provided more than $1.8 billion in 2004 through a U.S. Agency for International Development fund
Rep. Maloneys amendment failed 192-233, and I voted against the amendment in the House. I believe it is wrong for U.S. taxpayers to subsidize a program that aids in coerced abortions and forced sterilizations in China.
It's true that the administration claims that the UNFPA is involved in China's programs, but it's also true that they have no evidence to back up the claim.
Continue reading "Ferguson: Out of the Mainstream on Contraception" »
Congressman Mike Ferguson's views on contraception, stem cell research and abortion are so far outside the mainstream that his own colleagues have nicknamed him, "Mr. Embryo."
From the May 25, 2005 Subcommittee On Oversight And Investigations Of The House Committee On Energy And Commerce hearing on Community Health Centers:
Mr. Whitfield: I am 52 today.Chairman Barton: Today is your birthday, so happy birthday. I need to give Congressman Ferguson, Mr. Embryo himself, credit for that. . . that is going to be on your tombstone.
Chairman Barton is Rep. Joe Barton, chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Mr. Whitfield is Rep. Ed Whitfield (KY-1) and chair of the the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. Ferguson sits on both committees.
UPDATE: For those who do not know the history of this, Ferguson made the following statement on May 24th at a hearing on embryonic stem cell research.
Mr. FERGUSON. Mr. Speaker, I thank both gentlemen for yielding me this time.The debate over embryonic stem cell research is important because there are no more important issues that we deal with in this Chamber than when we debate life and death.
Mr. Speaker, as I stand here in this Chamber today, I am a human being. I am a man, an adult man. Sometime before I was a man, I was a teenager. Before that I was a child. And sometime before I was a child, I was a toddler. And before I was a toddler, I was an infant. And sometime before I was an infant, I was a fetus. And sometime before I was a fetus, I was an embryo. I did not look like I do today, but it was me. That embryo was me.
At some point in our history, every single person here was also an embryo. The gentleman from Texas (Mr. DeLay), you were an embryo once. The other gentleman from Texas (Mr. Barton), the chairman of the committee; yes, sir, you too were an embryo once. The gentleman from Delaware, the sponsor of this bill, you were an embryo once. The gentlewoman from Colorado, you too were an embryo once. The gentleman from Michigan, you were an embryo once. Now, we did not look like we do today, but it did not mean it was not you.
A human embryo is a member of the human family. It has its own unique DNA. It is its own human entity. It is unique. It is irreplaceable, and it is a member of the species Homo sapiens. It is not just a bit of tissue. It is not just, as some have suggested, a couple of cells in a petri dish. It is human and it is alive. It might not look like you or me, but there was a time when you and I looked exactly like that embryo.
Today, we are debating embryonic stem cell research, a type of stem cell research in which a tiny member of the human family must die. That is not just my opinion; that is a scientific fact. The gentlewoman from Colorado would suggest that under this legislation Federal funds would not be used to destroy human life. That is simply false.
Those who conduct human embryonic stem cell research must destroy human life to do so. You cannot conduct embryonic stem cell research without destroying human life, and that is wrong. And it is certainly wrong to fund this unethical embryonic stem cell research using taxpayer money. And that is precisely what this legislation would do. It would use taxpayer money to fund research which destroys human life.
I urge a ``no'' vote.
