Abortion and Senate Health Care Bill

Wisconsin Right to Life reacts to Harry Reid's health care bill.

Wisconsin Right to Life is joining with its parent organization, the National Right to Life Committee, in condemning Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's unacceptable language that would result in coverage of abortion on demand in two big new federal government programs.

"Not surprisingly, Reid is doing the bidding of the Obama White House and the radical pro-abortion movement who are demanding the funding of abortion through federal programs," said Susan Armacost, Legislative Director of Wisconsin Right to Life. "They do so in spite of the substantial majority of Americans who believe that abortion should be excluded from government-funded and government-sponsored health programs."

The Reid language closely mirrors pro-abortion funding language offered by Rep. Lois Capps and originally contained in the House bill. Capps has a 100% pro-abortion voting record. National Right to Life and Wisconsin Right to Life strongly opposed the Capps language which was deleted by the House by a vote of 240-194 on November 7, as 64 Democrats (one fourth of all House Democrats), along with 176 Republicans, voted to replace it with the Stupak-Pitts Amendment.

Douglas Johnson, Legislative Director of the National Right to Life Committee explained, "The Stupak-Pitts Amendment would prevent federal subsidies for abortion by applying the principles of longstanding federal laws such as the Hyde Amendment to the new programs created by the health care legislation. Those principles prohibit both direct funding of abortion procedures, and subsidies for plans that cover elective abortions, in existing federal programs such as Medicaid, the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, and the military."

In describing the Reid language, Johnson said, "The Reid bill establishes a big new federal health insurance program, the public option (although now referred to in Reid's bill as the 'community health insurance option.' The bill authorizes (on page 118) the federal Secretary of Health and Human Services to require coverage of any and all abortions throughout the public option program. This would be federal government funding of abortion, no matter how hard they try to disguise it."
"In addition, the bill creates new tax-supported subsidies to purchase private health plans that will cover abortion on demand," said Johnson.

"The National Right to Life Committee, Wisconsin Right to Life and the other NRCL state affiliates will continue to fight for the Stupak-Pitts Amendment and oppose attempts by the White House and Democratic congressional leaders to ignore the will of the people by foisting upon them new federal government programs that will fund coverage of elective abortion," said Armacost.

Here's the statement from the National Right to Life Committee:

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nv.) has rejected the bipartisan Stupak-Pitts Amendment and has substituted completely unacceptable language that would result in coverage of abortion on demand in two big new federal government programs.

Reid seeks to cover elective abortions in two big new federal health programs, but tries to conceal that unpopular reality with layers of contrived definitions and hollow bookkeeping requirements.

Rep. Lois Capps (D-Ca.), who has a 100% pro-abortion voting record, said in a press release following release of the Reid language: "It appears that their approach closely mirrors my language which was originally included in the House bill." The Capps language referred to was opposed by NRLC and other pro-life organizations and was deleted by the House by a vote of 240-194 on November 7, as 64 Democrats (one fourth of all House Democrats), along with 176 Republicans, voted to replace it with the Stupak-Pitts Amendment.

The Stupak-Pitts Amendment would prevent federal subsidies for abortion by applying the principles of longstanding federal laws such as the Hyde Amendment to the new programs created by the health care legislation. Those principles prohibit both direct funding of abortion procedures, and subsidies for plans that cover elective abortions, in existing federal programs such as Medicaid, the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, and the military.

Regrettably but predictably, Reid rejected the bipartisan Stupak-Pitts language. Instead, Reid has sought to please the militant minority that demands funding of abortion through federal programs, even though substantial majorities of Americans believe that abortion should be excluded from government-funded and government-sponsored health programs.

The Reid bill establishes a big new federal health insurance program, the public option (although now referred to in Reid's bill as the "community health insurance option"). The bill authorizes (on page 118) the federal Secretary of Health and Human Services to require coverage of any and all abortions throughout the public option program. This would be federal government funding of abortion, no matter how hard they try to disguise it.

In addition, the bill creates new tax-supported subsidies to purchase private health plans that will cover abortion on demand.

National Right to Life will continue to fight for the Stupak-Pitts Amendment, and to oppose the stubborn attempts of congressional Democratic leaders to establish new federal government programs that will fund coverage of elective abortions.

Did anyone really think that the radical pro-abortion Democrats would offer a health care bill that doesn't promote the Culture of Death?

The Stupak-Pitts Amendment was just window-dressing.

Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi are advocates for the slaughter of innocent human life.

We have never had a more extreme pro-abortion president. Obama doesn't want to sign a bill that would omit something as important to him as allowing for the killing of the unborn.
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From LifeNews:

House Republican Leader John Boehner says the new health care bill Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid unveiled yesterday contains a monthly abortion premium that taxpayers will be forced to pay. His analysis follows that of pro-life groups that say the bill contains massive abortion funding.

"Just like the original 2,032-page, government-run health care plan from Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s massive, 2,074-page bill would levy a new 'abortion premium' fee on Americans in the government-run plan," he notes.

Beginning on line 7, p. 118, section 1303 under “Voluntary Choice of Coverage of Abortion Services” the Health and Human Services Secretary is given the authority to determine when abortion is allowed under the government-run health plan.

Reid's plan also requires that at least one insurance plan offered in the Exchange covers abortions (line 13, p. 120).

"What is even more alarming is that a monthly abortion premium will be charged of all enrollees in the government-run health plan," Boehner says.

He says the premium is mentioned on line 11, page 122, section 1303, under “Actuarial Value of Optional Service Coverage.”

"The premium will be paid into a U.S. Treasury account – and these federal funds will be used to pay for the abortion services," he explained.

Under the bill, Americans will be required to pay at least $1 a month to cover the cost of abortions.

"Section 1303(a)(2)(C) describes the process in which the Health Benefits Commissioner is to assess the monthly premiums that will be used to pay for elective abortions under the government-run health plan and for those who are given an affordability credit to purchase insurance coverage that includes abortion through the Exchange. The Commissioner must charge at a minimum $1 per enrollee per month," Boehner said today.