Protesters want bishops to pressure Senator Casey

Anti-abortion activists are planning protests outside Catholic cathedrals in Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey in coming days. The group is working to block federal funding of abortion in the health overhaul bill. WHYY spoke with protesters outside of the Cathedral of Saint Patrick in Harrisburg.

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About 15 people held up hand-lettered signs and quietly recited the Lord's Prayer. The Cathedral tour is organized by the group Insurrecta Nex, which wants to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Cumberland County resident Suzanne Doller wants Catholic bishops to deny communion to Senator Bob Casey, the Democrat from Pennsylvania.

Doller: We really haven't been able to trust him to be sincere about any pro-life legislation. He claims to be pro-life so we really need to put some pressure on him and make sure that he comes through.

This week Casey co-sponsored an amendment to the health reform bill that would limit the use of public dollars for abortion, but the protesters also want the Senator's pledge to reject the entire health bill if it fails to restrict federal funding of abortion. A Casey spokeswoman says the Senator won't draw a "line in the sand" over any one issue.