Congress has more pro-life Democrats; may raise wages, aid immigrants

Published: 2006-11-13

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The 110th Congress that goes to work in January will include more pro-life Democrats whose party's majority in both the House and Senate also is likely to bring efforts to raise the minimum wage, roll back tax cuts for the richest Americans and take a broader approach to immigration reform. Six new members of the House and one new senator who oppose legal abortion were elected Nov. 7 as part of a Democratic surge that put the party in control of both houses of Congress for the first time in 12 years. Pennsylvania voters chose Democratic state Treasurer Bob Casey Jr. to replace Republican Sen. Rick Santorum. Both are Catholics who oppose legal abortion. Democrats for Life of America counted six new House members as pro-life: Heath Shuler of North Carolina, a Baptist; Joe Donnelly and Brad Ellsworth, both of Indiana; Charlie Wilson of Ohio; and Chris Carney and Jason Altmire, both of Pennsylvania. The last five are listed by various sources as Catholics. Congressional Quarterly tallied 25 Catholics in the upcoming Senate, and 126 in the House. There are currently 24 Catholic senators and 131 Catholic House members. Two Buddhists and a Muslim elected to the House will be the first members of those faiths in Congress.

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