Debate over health care reform and funding abortion continues, and today we expected votes on amendments in the Financial Services Committee to keep abortion coverage out of Senator Max Baucus’ (D-Mont.) health care bill, but the vote was delayed until next week. While the President said that under his plan the government would not fund abortions, the Baucus bill explicitly includes abortion and would subsidize health plans that cover all elective abortions. Such subsidies for plans covering abortion goes well beyond the status quo of preventing federal funds either from paying for abortion or subsidizing plans that cover abortion, as under current laws governing Medicaid, the Federal Employee Health Benefits Plan and the State Children’s Health Insurance Plan. The Capps amendment inserted government funding of abortion into the House bill, and now the Baucus bill would add abortion as well.
If government-subsidized abortion is to be excluded, and conscience protections for health providers who object to abortion are to be maintained, then Senators on the Finance Committee should simply adopt Senator Orrin Hatch’s (R-Utah) amendments. His amendments would prevent funding for abortion consistent with the Hyde Amendment without precluding women from purchasing abortion policies that are separate from any government subsidized plan. Women wanting abortion insurance coverage would have a choice to purchase it, a choice supposedly essential for all women.
We oppose abortion, but in this health care debate, this amendment would ensure that the government, as under current law, does not endorse abortion. Senator Hatch’s other amendment would simply protect current conscience laws when it comes to preventing the government from discriminating against health plans and providers who object to abortion. If President Obama does not intend for his proposed health care reform to expand government-funded abortion then he should get on the phone with Sen. Baucus and Senator Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and make sure they support these Hatch amendments unequivocally. Senator Orrin Hatch is calling their bluff.
Abortion is not Health Care, But Genocide
Reports today have the predominantly African American Church of God in Christ, with an estimated 6 million members, set to endorse the President’s health care plan. The endorsement is to be carefully worded, to ensure that President Obama stays true to his promise that abortion will not be government funded--a condition that every single version of health care reform pushed by leading Democrats in the House and Senate fails to fulfill.
The issue of abortion is of utmost importance in the African-American community for it is this community that has been targeted by Planned Parenthood and their ilk. Since Roe v. Wade on January 22, 1973 over 13 million African-Americans children have been killed. The targeting of pro-abortion forces is highlighted when you consider that African-Americans make up only 13.5 percent of the population, yet Planned Parenthood’s Guttmacher Institute reports that of the approximately 1.21 million abortions that are performed annually in the United States, 37 percent are performed on African-American women and their unborn children. Preliminary data currently being compiled on all abortion facilities in the U.S. shows that over 20 states have abortion facilities in areas where the African-American population is 50 percent or higher. In fact in 10 states and in Washington, D.C. abortuaries are located exclusively in minority areas. If the current versions of the President’s health care overhaul pass those numbers are sure to increase.
The Quality of Life
President Obama and Democratic Leadership should take heed of a new poll put out by Rasmussen Reports that has a large majority of Americans not wanting government funded abortion covered by any health care overhaul. Since the debate began, the President and his allies on the Hill have tried to sneak it in, hoping no one would notice. First the argument was “it’s not mentioned in the bill,” then it was “it’s covered by the Hyde Amendment.” After FRC Action and our allies proved those claims false, abortion advocates responded with cleverly written language like the Capps Amendment that uses elaborate funding schemes to force taxpayers to subsidize abortion. Of all things you can say about the current leadership in Washington, they certainly keep you on your toes trying to sift the truth from the mud. The newest poll has 48 percent of Americans who believe there should be specific restrictions, 32 percent who want the bill to be neutral on abortion and only 13 percent who think taxpayers should be forced to pay for the horrific procedure. For the 32 percent who prefer neutrality in the legislation, they need to understand that legislative and court history surrounding Medicaid has shown us that to achieve neutrality in abortion you need to specifically exclude abortion coverage, otherwise taxpayers will be forced to foot the bill. So Mr. President, 80 percent of Americans do not want the bill to promote abortion, when will you get serious and support legislation that truly prohibits abortion?
