Republican congressman Fred Upton of Michigan is angling for the chairmanship of the Energy and Commerce Committee, and in so doing has taken to calling himself a “pro-lifer.” But Douglas Johnson of the National Right to Life Committee writes in a letter to the House Republican Steering Committee that “regrettably, this self-characterization in many respects cannot be squared with the record.”

“There is no committee of the House of Representatives that has policy and oversight jurisdiction over as many areas of concern to the pro-life movement as the House Committee on Energy and Commerce,” writes Johnson, who points out that “When the 112th Congress convenes, Mr. Upton’s career score (62%), on NRLC- scored floor votes, will be the sixth lowest of any member of the Republican Conference. Of even greater significance is the fact that most of the pro-life issues on which Mr. Upton has taken the wrong position are issues that fall squarely within the jurisdiction of the Energy and Commerce Committee.” The NRLC is backing Pennsylvania’s Joe Pitts for the top spot on the sub-committee on health.