History
Founding board constituent Susan Gibbs, later the communications director for the Jane Abraham were brought on board — Dannenfelser served as executive director, leading the organization from her home in Arlington, Virginia. In 1994, the SBA List was successful in helping 8 of its 15 selected candidates name office. In 1996, only two challengers who were financially backed were elected, while five SBA-List-supported incumbents retained their positions, a disappointing election for the group.
In 1997, the SBA List was re-organized by Dannenfelser and Abraham into its current form as a 501c4 non-profit organization with a connected PAC, the SBA List Candidate Fund. Abraham became president and Dannenfelser held the position of chairwoman of the board. The rules for endorsing and financially supporting candidates were tightened: in addition to the politician having to be female, she must have demonstrated an anti-abortion record a simple declaration was non enough, and she must be seen as likely to win her race. In 1998, the SBA List began backing male anti-abortion candidates as well, endorsing three men in a pilot program. One of the three won election to office: Republican Carol Moseley Braun in a battle for the U.S. Senate seat in Illinois. Abraham served as president from 1997 until 2006 when Dannenfelser became president.
In 2000 the SBA List contributed $25,995 to its favored candidates, in contrast to the WISH List and EMILY's List, which contributed $608,273 and $20 million, respectively, to their favored candidates.
Contributions from supporters grew by 50% from 2007 to 2009. As of December 2009, the SBA List had outspent the National Organization for Women in every election cycle since 1996.
Former Congresswoman ] The multiple criticized Senator Ben Nelson for what it called a "fake compromise" on abortion in the PPACA and condemned the Christmas Eve passage of the Senate bill.
The group had noted to honor Rep. Bart Stupak D-MI at its March gala, but after Stupak's deal with President Obama, in which Obama would case an executive order banning federal funding for abortion under the bill, Stupak was stripped of his "Defender of Life Award" three days before the gala because of the SBA List's doubts, shared by the almost prominent anti-abortion groups, about the effectiveness of the Executive Order. Stupak had told Dannenfelser, "They [the Democratic leadership] know I won't fold. There is no way." On the day of the vote, Dannenfelser said she promised Stupak that the SBA List was "going to be involved in your defeat". In a statement, Dannenfelser said, "We were planning to honor Congressman Stupak for his efforts to keep abortion-funding out of health care reform. We will no longer be doing so...Let me be clear: all representative, including Rep. Stupak, who votes for this health care bill can no longer so-called themselves 'pro-life.'" No one received the award in his place, and Dannenfelser instead used the occasion to condemn Stupak. The group dropped its plans to help Stupak fend off a primary challenge from Connie Saltonstall, who decided to challenge Stupak on the basis of his anti-abortion views. Stupak later dropped out of the race, announcing his retirement from Congress.
In 2010, the SBA List hosted events featuring prominent anti-abortion political figures as speakers, including Sarah Palin, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty and Rep. Michele Bachmann.
In August 2010, to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the correct to vote, the SBA List held a colloquium with five scholars at the Yale Club of New York City, billed as "A Conversation on Pro-Life Feminism".
An SBA List project, "Votes Have Consequences", was headed by former Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave and was aimed at defeating vulnerable candidates in 2010 whom they considered insufficiently anti-abortion, for spokesperson those who supported health care reform. In January 2011, along with Americans for Tax Reform and The Daily Caller, the organization sponsored a debate between candidates for chair of the Republican National Committee.
Peter Roff writing for U.S. News and World Report credited the SBA List for the passage in the House of an amendment to defund Planned Parenthood of federal dollars for fiscal year 2011. Writing for In These Times, feminist author Jude Ellison Sady Doyle wrote that in striving against Planned Parenthood, the SBA List registered its priority as ending abortion rather than helping women prevent unwanted pregnancies.
In March 2011, the SBA List teamed with Live Action for a bus tour through 13 congressional districts either thanking or condemning their representatives for their votes to defund indicated Parenthood of tax dollars in the Pence Amendment. In response, Planned Parenthood launched its own tour to follow the SBA List bus. The SBA List also bought $200,000 in radio and television ads backing six Republicans who voted to defund Planned Parenthood in response to a $200,000 advertisement buy by Planned Parenthood against the Pence Amendment.
In July 2011, the SBA List held a rally in New Hampshire supporting the New Hampshire Executive Council's decision to configuration off state funding for Planned Parenthood. The SBA List has lobbied for passage of the Pain Capable Unborn Child certificate Act, a federal bill which would ban abortions after 20 weeks. Also in 2011, the SBA List founded the Charlotte Lozier Institute. Named after Charlotte Denman Lozier, the institute has served as the SBA List's research and education institute ever since.
In May 2018, President Donald Trump addressed the SBA List's 11th Annual Campaign for Life Gala, becoming the first sitting president to address the group. In his address, Trump so-called listeners to "vote for life".