BDF Blog: Healthcare in the Service of Life

 Healthcare is a key life issue, and BDF lawyers are reading the bills and informing citizens of their content.  This blog is for the purpose of public education, and not to urge the passage or defeat of any particular legislation. We encourage your comments!

The BDF main website has a detailed overview of ABORTION and END OF LIFE issues that enables you to READ THE BILLS FOR YOURSELF.

La. Obamacare “Abortion Insurance Opt-Out” Heads to Senate Floor

Committee Testimony submitted by BDF Senior Counsel Dorinda C. Bordlee; La. Senate Health and Welfare Committee, 5/26/2010

Note: H.B. 1247 by Rep. Frank Hoffman passed by a vote of 5-2 and will be heard this week on the Senate floor before it heads to Governor Jindal’s desk.

House Bill 1247 by Representative Frank Hoffman is a common-sense, common-ground bill that simply takes advantage of an express provision found in the recently enacted federal health care overhaul bill.  HB 1247 addresses health plans that cover elective abortion in the so-called “Exchanges” that will be created in each State under the federal bill called “The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.”

 “Exchanges” will basically be Expedia-like markets where consumers can compare various health insurance plans before buying.

Contrary to current federal policy, the new Obama healthcare law will allow citizens by the year 2014 to use tax-subsidies in the state Exchanges to purchase insurance plans that cover elective abortion.

However – and this is the important part – Section 1303 of the new federal health care law expressly gives Louisiana and all other states the power to opt-out of allowing health plans in the Exchange to cover elective abortion. The law provides as follows:

 ‘‘SEC. 1303. ‘‘(a) STATE OPT-OUT OF ABORTION COVERAGE.— ‘‘(1) A State may elect to prohibit abortion coverage in qualified health plans offered through an Exchange in such State if such State enacts a law to provide for such prohibition.

 In April of this year, Tennessee and Arizona became the first states to enact this “Abortion Opt-out” law.  Bills have also been recently passed and sent to the Governors of Missouri, Mississippi, Florida and Oklahoma. 

 Louisiana must pass HB 1247 if the state wants to take advantage of the option to prohibit tax-subsidized abortion through health plans in the Louisiana Exchange.

 Abortion is about taking human lives, not saving them.  That’s why abortion is not healthcare.  And that is why overwhelming majorities in Louisiana and across the nation oppose the use of scarce tax dollars to fund other people’s elective abortions.

 ______________________________
Dorinda C. Bordlee
Vice President, Senior Counsel
Bioethics Defense Fund
Human Rights from Beginning to End
www.BDFund.org

dbordlee@bdfund.org
(504) 231-7234

La. Abortion Insurance Opt-out goes to House Floor

 On April 22, 2010, the Louisiana House of Representatives will consider passage of the Abortion Insurance Opt-out bill, La. H.B. 1247 by Rep. Frank Hoffman (R-Monroe). The following policy points are designed to assist legislators in understanding this important bill that is designed to limit the harm of Obamacare’s liberalization of abortion funding policy. 

As a co-drafter of this bill (which can be read here), Bioethics Defense Fund included the following provision to recognize that Obamacare may be repealed or invalidated in the pending court challenges:

“Nothing in this Act shall be construed or implied to recognize any independent right to abortion under the constitution or laws of this state, nor shall it be construed or implied to recognize the constitutional validity of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010.”

Abortion Insurance Opt-out: Policy Points

La. H.B. 1247 does two things:

 1.      Takes the option in the new national health reform law to prohibit elective abortion coverage in health plans included in the future Louisiana “Exchange;” 

 2.     Prohibits all Louisiana health insurance issuers from covering elective abortion to provide for consistent regulation of health plans inside and outside of the Exchange.

 The Obama health insurance legislation is entitled “The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.”  Section 1303 of the legislation clearly gives Louisiana the power to opt-out of abortion coverage in the state exchange:

 ‘‘SEC. 1303. SPECIAL RULES.

‘‘(a) STATE OPT-OUT OF ABORTION COVERAGE.— ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—A State may elect to prohibit abortion coverage in qualified health plans offered through an Exchange in such State if such State enacts a law to provide for such prohibition.

 ‘‘(2) TERMINATION OF OPT OUT.—A State may repeal a law described in paragraph (1) and provide for the offering of such services through the Exchange.

 OBJECTIONS AND ANSWERS:  These objections were raised in the La. House Insurance Committee, where the bill passed by a vote of 8-1 on April 14, 2010

• Objection:  We should not pass HB 1247 and leave the status quo in the insurance industry.

 Answer:  If we do not pass HB 1247, there will be a change in the status quo regarding tax-subsidized abortion in the soon-to-be-established La. Exchange.  The Hyde Amendment currently forbids the use of federal funds for any part of a health benefits package that covers elective abortions.  Unlike Hyde, the new Obama health legislation allows citizens to use tax subsidies in the state Exchanges to purchase insurance plans that cover elective abortion. Louisiana must pass HB 1247 to take advantage of the option to prohibit all health benefits plans in the Louisiana Exchange from providing tax-subsidized abortion.

  

• Objection:  HB 1247 illegitimately interferes with business.

Answer:  First, the Louisiana Association of Health Plans has informed the author that they are remaining neutral on this legislation. 

Further, HB 1247 is not about business, it is about the moral issue established in Louisiana law regarding the sanctity of human life.  Since 1973, Louisiana has treated abortion differently than other issues because it takes the life of a living human being.  Because of this, Louisiana already regulates other private businesses with respect to abortion, such as hospitals and abortion facilities.

Further, Section 1(c)(2) the bill clearly states that the prohibition of elective abortion coverage will be applied at the renewal of a contract.  It will therefore not immediately alter any current contracts.

Finally, Louisiana is completely within its power to enact HB 1247.  The McCarran-Ferguson Act of 1945 (15 U.S.C. §§ 1011-1015) gave states the power to regulate the insurance industry, and since then 5 other states (Idaho, Kentucky, Missouri, North Dakota, and Oklahoma) have taken the opportunity to prohibit the insurance coverage of elective abortion within their state.

• Objection: HB 1247 has an exception to prevent the death of the mother; what about providing insurance to abort a child with abnormalities that make the child likely to die during or soon after childbirth?

 Answer:  We certainly feel great sympathy for those undergoing this situation.  However, the psychological stress of carrying a child with fatal abnormalities will not be lessened by an insurance company paying for the woman to abort that child. 

 The 5 States that already ban elective abortion coverage do not pay for aborting children thought to have fatal abnormalities.  Insurance will cover childbirth, and if the unborn child dies in the course of the delivery or shortly thereafter, that is not considered an elective abortion – therefore the usual medical expenses of the childbirth would be covered by insurance.

In addition, because the determination of whether a child will survive outside the womb is not always a black or white issue, a statutory exception for cases of fetal abnormality would have to be written in such a broad manner  that it would open loopholes for almost all abortions to be funded by insurance.

---

[i] “Long-Term Physical & Psychological Health Consequences of Induced Abortion: Review of the Evidence,” by J.M. Thorp, Jr., MD, K.E. Hartmann, MD, PhD, and E.M. Shadigian, MD. OB/GYN Survey 58(1): 67-79, 2003.

 The study can be reviewed at www.BDFund.org/abortionhurtswomen.asp, last checked April 19, 2010. This meta-analysis reviewed over 60 international studies and included more than one million women.

State Response: Banning Abortion Coverage

Abortion isn’t healthcare.  That’s why Bioethics Defense Fund is assisting states in prohibiting health insurance issuers from covering elective abortion both in the newly created Obamacare Exchanges, and in all policies.  The following is a fact sheet created by Bioethics Defense Fund for a pending Louisiana bill:

 ________

La. H.B. 1247 by Rep. Frank Hoffman does two things:

(1) prohibits Louisiana health insurance issuers from covering elective abortion, defined to mean an abortion for any reason other than to save the life of the mother, and

(2) provides that health plans offered through the newly created State Exchanges shall not provide elective abortion coverage.

 Abortion is about destroying lives, not saving them.  That’s why elective abortion isn’t health care and has no place in health insurance policies or health reform legislation.

 In addition to intentionally taking the life of a healthy human being in the womb, studies show that abortion carries significant risks of causing physical and psychological harm to women. 

• Unfortunately, the health insurance reform bill signed by President Obama on March 23, 2010 is the most expansive abortion-funding legislation ever to be passed by Congress.

The Obama health insurance legislation is entitled “The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” (“the Obama Act”).  It enables both: (1) direct funding of abortion at federally regulated Community Health Centers (CHCs); and (2) federal subsidies of health insurance plans that include elective abortion coverage, provided that enrollees also pay an abortion surcharge into a segregated fund.

• La. H.B. 1247 does not and cannot address the above two streams of federal funding.  Rather, H.B. 1247 is in response to the following “Nelson compromise language” included in the Obama Act:

 ‘‘SEC. 1303. SPECIAL RULES.
‘‘(a) STATE OPT-OUT OF ABORTION COVERAGE.—

 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—A State may elect to prohibit abortion coverage in qualified health plans offered through an Exchange in such State if such State enacts a law to provide for such prohibition.

 ‘‘(2) TERMINATION OF OPT OUT.—A State may repeal a law described in paragraph (1) and provide for the offering of such services through the Exchange.

Conclusion:  In addition to taking advantage of this option to prohibit elective abortion coverage in health plans offered through the state Exchange, H.B. 1247 follows the model in effect in seven states by prohibiting all health insurance issuers from covering elective abortion: Idaho, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin.

• BDF is also assisting policy makers with other customized approaches, including Arizona, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma and New York.

Wash Post Column: Exposing the public-funding of abortion scam

Kathleen Parker, a syndicated Washington Post columnist,  has a nice, clean explanation of how the health care bill will lead to federally-funded abortions, and she quotes Bioethics Defense Fund:

Federally funded abortions are in our future

By Kathleen Parker
Washington Post, Sunday, March 28, 2010; A11
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/26/AR2010032603066_pf.html

• Also of interest, is Yuval Levin’s NRO post debunking Mr. Stupak’s claim that the Obama Executive Order is equivalent to the Bush Executive Order on non-embryonic stem cells. 

Abortion Funding: What’s Next?

March 29, 2009.  It is tragic that Congressman Stupak’s betrayed his pro-life principles. He enabled a meaningless Executive Order to continue the deception that Obamacare maintains the status quo on abortion funding.

While Congressman Stupak may be able to deceive himself, he won’t be able to hide behind Hyde for long. 

Kathleen Parker, a syndicated Washington Post columnist, has a nice, clean explanation of how the health care bill will lead to federally-funded abortions. . . and she quotes Bioethics Defense Fund:

  Federally funded abortions are in our future
  By Kathleen Parker, Sunday, March 28, 2010; A11

  What’s Next?   Many of you are asking us the obvious question: What’s next?    In addition to promoting life-affirming laws in the States such as the Ultrasound Before Abortion Act, here’s what Bioethics Defense Fund is doing right now in response to the passage of Obama healthcare reform:

   ·         BDF is offering research and consultation to State Attorneys General regarding the Court Challenge to the constitutionality of Obamacare.

  ·         BDF  is assisting legislatures right now with model language to enable States to prohibit abortion coverage in health insurance plans included in the mandated State Health Insurance Exchanges. Request BDF model language by contacting info@bdfund.org.  

·         BDF is engaging the media to help the public understand the need to block the future public funding of abortion at community health centers, as explained in this syndicated column by Washington Post’s Kathleen Parker.

  ·        BDF is developing legal and policy strategies to educate lawmakers who desire to make Hyde-like language a permanent and comprehensive part of federal law, so that it is no longer subject to phony Executive Orders (as we explain here at NRO).

  ·         BDF is continuing to provide user-friendly public education via media outlets and our Obamacare blog, www.YourHealthcare411.com.

The Executive Order Sham

March 21, 2010. 11:02 pm ET.  Bioethics Defense Fund lawyers have carefully analyzed the text of the Executive Order to be signed by President Obama as a companion to the Senate health bill just passed by a vote of 219-212.  See how your Representatives voted here.  The bill now heads to the President’s desk for signature, and it will be the law of the land immediately.  BDF senior counsel Dorinda Bordlee issued the following statement:

“The language of the Executive Order reveals that it was a meaningless sham designed to induce the Stupak Democrats to vote ‘yes’ on the Senate bill that provides federal subsidies and direct funding of abortion. The Obama administration knows full well that statutory law overrides executive orders. The President acting alone cannot “extend” the Hyde Amendment policy to new programs as the Executive Order vaguely purports to do – only the Congress can do that.  A court challenge (i.e. by Planned Parenthood) would immediately invalidate the null promises of the Executive Order.  Bioethics Defense Fund is deeply disappointed that the Stupak Democrats allowed empty words and an obvious political ploy to trump the sanctity of life principle that they claimed to defend.”

Of special interest is the decision of a leading pro-life woman’s group to strip Congressman Stupak of an award:

“This Wednesday night is our third annual Campaign for Life Gala, where we were planning to honor Congressman Stupak for his efforts to keep abortion-funding out of health care reform,” SBA List president Marjorie Dannenfelser told LifeNews.com.

“We will no longer be doing so. By accepting this deal from the most pro-abortion President in American history, Stupak has not only failed to stand strong for unborn children, but also for his constituents and pro-life voters across the country,” she said.

Even the nation’s largest abortion provider — Planned Parenthood — is claiming “VICTORY” because they “were able to keep the Stupak abortion ban out of the final legislation and President Obama did not include the Stupak language in his Executive Order.”

• WHAT DOES THE EXECUTIVE ORDER SAY?: Read BDF’s NRO post to see our quick legal analysis of the 2 reasons why the Executive Order is not worth the paper on which it is written:

http://healthcare.nationalreview.com/post/?q=N2QwNTRiNzY0M2JlYTIxOTNkNTEzMzFhYTIyYWNlZjc=

Pelosi to Abortion Opponents: No Deal

As reported in Fox News:

March 20, 2010.  12:50 pm. 

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Saturday that she will not cut a deal with a group of anti-abortion Democrats to include tighter restrictions on abortion funding in the final health care bill, suggesting that she believes she has enough votes to pass the legislation without them. 

Pelosi told Fox News that there will be no vote on a separate bill adding abortion restrictions championed by Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich. to the final legislation. 

Read the full article at Fox News.

No “Fix-it” for Public Abortion Funding in House Reconciliation Bill

Yesterday afternoon, the House Reconciliation Bill was posted.  The reconciliation text is designed to make changes the Senate-passed health care bill, H.R. 3590, after H.R. 3590 is signed into law.  (Click here for the explanation of how this “fix-it” bill would not go into effect until after the President signed the current Senate bill into law).  As expected the “fix-it” text does not contain the Stupak amendment that protects against federal funding for abortion coverage.  It also does not contain language to ensure that none of the authorities granted by the bill are used to mandate abortion coverage, nor does it contain the Hyde-Weldon conscience protection provision.

The House leadership is allowing only 72 hours for the House and the public to review the 153 pages of the House Reconciliation Bill.  Leaders report that they will attempt to pass the bill in the House on Sunday afternoon or Monday morning.

• The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops have issued informative resources explaining large scale funding of abortion in the current Senate bill.
• Here’s one analyst’s opinion in National Review Online of the latest vote count.

Obama’s Cousin on Rationing; Stupak Standing; And Waxman Admits Abortion-funding

This week is allegedly the last stand for the Obama administration’s push to enact a healthcare reform bill consistently opposed by a majority of American voters. 

Last week revealed two profiles in courage (by the President’s cousin, and Rep. Stupak), and a rare moment of honesty where Chairman Waxman admitted, “but we want to pay for abortions.”  Read on. . .

OBAMA’S COUSIN – THE GOOD DOCTOR – ON RATIONING RISKS:

The health care reform debate has been low on voices from the medical community.  This week, an influential medical voice emerged from the ranks of President Obama’s own family.  Dr. Milton R. Wolf, a practicing diagnostic radiologist with sub-specialized emphasis in oncology, is the president’s second cousin.  In the Washington Times, Dr. Wolf explained how provisions in Obamacare serve to incentive rationing of care for Medicare patients:

As one example, consider the implications of Obamacare’s financial penalty aimed at your doctor if he seeks the expert care he has determined you need. If your doctor is in the top 10 percent of primary care physicians who refer patients to specialists most frequently – no matter how valid the reasons – he will face a 5 percent penalty on all their Medicare reimbursements for the entire year. This scheme is specifically designed to deny you the chance to see a specialist. Each year, the insidious nature of that arbitrary 10 percent rule will make things even worse as 100 percent of doctors try to stay off that list. Many doctors will try to avoid the sickest patients, and others will simply refuse to accept Medicare. Already, 42 percent of doctors have chosen that route, and it will get worse. Your mother’s shiny government-issued Medicare health card is meaningless without doctors who will accept it.

 

Dr. Wolf appeared today on Fox & Friends, speaking out of concern for the the well-being of patients.

STUPAK STANDING STRONG AGAINST ABORTION-FUNDING:

Despite speculation early this week regarding a compromise, Rep. Bart Stupak is still standing strong against using healthcare reform as a vehicle for public funding of abortion.  In a frank interview with the Weekly Standard , Rep. Stupak said, “Everyone’s going around saying there’s a compromise—there’s no such thing.”  He further assured us in Weekly Standard that he won’t fall for the bait and switch strategy (which BDF previously outlined in 3 points):

Stupak affirmed that he will not settle for an agreement to pass the bill now and fix the bill’s problems on abortion later: “If they say ‘we’ll give you a letter saying we’ll take care of this later,’ that’s not acceptable because later never comes.”

As the New York Times reports, Rep. Stupak is not alone:  “Representative Dan Lipinski, Democrat of Illinois, warned party leaders on Tuesday that he would vote against major health care legislation if it does not include tight restrictions on the use of federal money for insurance coverage of abortions.”  Rep. Lipinski’s statement said,

Protecting the sanctity of life is a matter of principle for me and tens of millions of Americans. In addition, an overwhelming majority of Americans oppose the use of tax dollars to pay for abortion. Therefore, if a health care bill that fails to prevent federal funding of abortion is brought to the floor of the House, I will vote against it.

NO ONE CAN SAY “YOU LIE” TO CHAIRMAN WAXMAN:

And in a rare moment of honesty, we learn that Chairman Waxman openly admited to Rep. Stupak that “we want to pay for abortions.”  Listen for yourself:

Perhaps the President, Speaker Pelosi, and Senator Reid could learn something from Mr. Waxman about truth in advertising.

Cartoon used with permission by the artist, John Francis Borra.

3 Things You Should Know about Obamacare ‘Inside Baseball’

By Dorinda C. Bordlee, Bioethics Defense Fund Vice President and Senior Counsel.

As Yogi Berra famously said, “It’s like Déjà vu all over again.” While the country awaited President Obama’s promised “new” health care reform proposal, we were instead treated to a speech on Wednesday revealing that his much-anticipated Plan B is simply a re-commitment to Plan A — with A still standing for Abortion at your expense. I’m not going to bore you again with  5 ways the Obama-backed Senate bill promotes public-funding of elective abortions.

Instead, let’s launch from another Yogi Berra line – “It ain’t over till it’s over.” As a matter of public education, the following is a brief summary of exactly how the President hopes to get one over on the American people, and what you should know:

• Point 1: Focus on the House. At the current time, everyone is distracted by the decision of the Administration and leadership to go the reconciliation route in the Senate. But it is important to understand that reconciliation in the Senate doesn’t even come into play until after the House passes the Senate bill exactly as it is right now, and after the President signs the pro-abortion mega-bill into law. Yes, into law. Now proceed to Point 2.  
   
• Point 2: Show me the language. The President and his leadership claim that they will craft language that will “incorporate Republican ideas” and “fix” the Cornhusker deal through language that would later be added through Reconciliation (50 + 1) in the Senate – again, after the Senate bill has passed the House as-is and is signed into law by the President. But the President has not produced any actual legislative language to show us exactly how he would “fix” things. Language is  purportedly being drafted over the next couple of weeks, but no one – not even House Democrats who would have to trust the President and Harry Reid to “fix” the bill after they pass it – have seen any language. It is therefore entirely possible that if Speaker Pelosi jams the Senate bill through the House, it will all be over with the President’s signature. In other words, if the Senate decides to follow their own rules and not use the budget process of reconciliation to pass substantive health care policy, then we would still have the current Senate version of Obamacare as the law of the land. I kid you not.
   
• Point 3: Beware of the Public Option. Don’t forget that there is an active move afoot in the Senate to pass the Pelosicare public option bill that narrowly passed the House in November after she was forced to allow Congressman Stupak and a bipartisan coalition to remove public abortion funding (leaving a host of other pro-life problems in the bill such as incentivized end-of-life rationing). MSNBC reports that 34 Senators have publicly indicated their support for the House public option bill via reconciliation. Therefore, if the House bill were to pass the Senate with the 50 + 1 reconciliation scheme, then it too could head to the President’s desk. And then, well, you guessed it. It’s over.

But at this point it’s far from over. Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine claims that “The American people elected this president to get results. They don’t care about the inside baseball.” Really? Perhaps Mr. Kaine should review a few polls showing the historic engagement of the American people on both sides of this issue. While Bioethics Defense Fund neither endorses nor opposes any particular legislation, it is our mission as a public-interest group to educate citizens about said inside baseball.  Because contrary to Mr. Kaine’s opinion, we know that you do care. And that you just might want to stay in the game.

— Dorinda C. Bordlee can be contacted at dbordlee@bdfund.org.

CNSNews: Bishops correct Pelosi’s abortion deception

At the Blair House summit, Speaker Pelosi said that neither the House or Senate bill provides public funding of abortion.  The following article outlines the USCCB’s correction of Speaker Pelosi, and includes USCCB spokesperson Richard Doerflinger’s explanation of the 2 ways the Obama-backed Senate bill creates public funding of abortion on demand:

U.S. Catholic Bishops Conference Contradicts Pelosi’s Claim That Senate Health Bill Doesn’t Fund Abortion
CNSNews, Monday, March 01, 2010
By Edwin Mora

Full article here: http://cnsnews.com/news/article/62025

Abortion in Obamacare means it can’t pass the House

Cantor: Pelosi Can’t Pass a Reconciled Bill 

 [ by Robert Costa]

 While the press focuses on the Senate, Rep. Eric Cantor (R.,Va.) says that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) will not be able to muster the votes needed to pass a Senate reconciliation bill in the House. In a new memo, he details how the vote count for Pelosi just isn’t there, thanks to vacancies (3), pro-life walks (at least 12), possible spite from retiring members (e.g. Marion Berry), and potential switches from members whose Democratic senator does so first:

 See the full post here, including a list of possible votes that will switch from yes to no:

  http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=YjgxNDEzMWFhMzg0OTNhZmZiNjNkYmM3YzMwNzg1MWE=

5 Ways Obamacare Funds and Promotes Abortion

by Dorinda Bordlee, Senior Counsel of Bioethics Defense Fund, based on a post published on National Review Online’s “Critical Condition“:

President Obama’s  proposal to revive and ‘build off of’ the 2,000-plus page Senate bill should be dubbed ‘Hydra Healthcare’ because every time one of the many heads of this pro-abortion mega-bill gets lopped off, two more seem to grow back. 

The President’s decision not to include Stupak amendment-type language in his proposal means that the current abortion-funding scheme remains in the Senate bill.   Democrat Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI), who lead a bipartisan coalition against abortion funding in the House bill, has called the President’s “new” proposal “unacceptable.” 

The bill passed by the U.S. Senate on Christmas Eve of 2009 (H.R. 3590) contained multiple, far-reaching pro-abortion provisions.  Here is a quick glance at four of the problems in the Obama-backed Senate bill that the President’s proposal leaves untouched:

— Abortion tax:  The Senate bill requires each American purchasing a health plan in the Exchange to make a separate payment to the insurer every month, solely to pay for other people’s abortions. 

— Subsidizing abortion plans: the Senate’s language on tax credits allows subsidies for health plans that cover elective abortions, against the policy of the Hyde amendment and other longstanding federal laws.

— Healthcare Rights of Conscience: The Stupak codification of the Hyde/Weldon conscience protection provision is not included, meaning that pro-life health care workers would not have the full protection of the law against discrimination or dismissal.

— School-based Health Clinics and Abortion Referrals:  The Senate bill says that abortions cannot be “performed” in school-based health clinics, but there is no language to prevent school clinics from referring our teens for abortion or even helping minors make arrangements to go across state lines to avoid parental-involvement laws.

But there is one abortion provision in the current Senate bill that the President did propose to amend, and it’s this:

  — Increased Direct Funding of Abortion in Community Health Centers:  While the current Senate bill authorizes and appropriates $7 billion for services at “community health centers” (which would include Planned Parenthood clinics), the President’s new proposal increases that appropriation to $11 billion.  A clear explanation of why the Hyde amendment does not prevent direct use of these billions of dollars for elective abortions is provided by Douglas Johnson of NRLC.

 The voice of Ronald Reagan seems to echo from beyond . . . “There you go again.”

Note:  The Obama administration has not released actual legislative language for his proposals that are designed to “supplement” the current Senate bill.  The above analysis is based on the current text of the Senate bill that the President is attempting to revive, and the summaries of his proposals provided on the White House website.

This information is provided by Bioethics Defense Fund for purposes of public education, and not for the passage or defeat of any particular legislation.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Dorinda C. Bordlee
Vice President, Senior Counsel
Bioethics Defense Fund
Human Rights from Beginning to End
dbordlee@bdfund.org

 (504) 231-7234

Of Scott Brown, Angels and the End of the Health Care Mega-Bills

January 22, 2010

By Dorinda Bordlee

“We know the race is not to the swift nor the battle to the strong. Do you not think an angel rides in the whirlwind and directs this storm?”

So wrote Virginia politician John Page to his friend Thomas Jefferson, reflecting on the Revolution shortly after the Declaration of Independence had been published.

These words reflect the authentic hope that rises up within us when Grace manifests itself through human action that is bold and inspired, yet completely unexpected. This centuries-old phrase still rings true, especially as our nation experiences this week of ironies – a game-changing Senate election that pulled the rug out from under proponents of pro-abortion Obamacare followed by the 37th anniversary of Roe v. Wade.

On January 19, 2010, the voice of the people rang out with deafening clarity. It came in the form of a historic election of a pickup driving Republican in the liberal state of Massachusetts. With his promise to be the 41st filibuster vote, the election of Senator-elect Scott Brown seems to have miraculously pulled us back from the brink of a government-controlled health care take-over that would have incentivized rationing for seniors, funded elective abortion, and jeopardized healthcare rights of conscience. The allies for life must stay alert and continue to defend against this agenda, but a cataclysmic disaster seems to have been averted, at least for now.

Read the full piece about Scott Brown and the astounding victories of the Culture for Life in our piece posted by The Westchester Institute.

Historic MA election signals the beginning of the end of pro-abortion Obamacare

New York Times: Planned Parenthood issued a statement decrying the results in Massachusetts and urging Democrats to prevail in passing health care legislation. Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, said: “The Planned Parenthood Action Fund is deeply disappointed by tonight’s results in the election to fill the seat of the late Senator Edward Kennedy, whose passion for ensuring access to health care, including reproductive health care, was unmatched. While we respect the choice of the people of Massachusetts, the fight for affordable, quality health care coverage for all, including women’s reproductive health, is bigger than any one election. We must rededicate our commitment to Senator Kennedy’s goal.”

BDF response:  At least Planned Parenthood is candid about abortion funding in the Senate health care bill.  Senator-elect Scott Brown’s historic election makes it virtually impossible for either version of the current bills to get through the Senate.  The attention now turns to the House.  When asked whether the House could pass the Senate bill in order to get it to the President’s desk, pro-life Democrat Rep. Bart Stupak replied today “I don’t think it could get a hundred votes.”  For the record, that’s less than half of the votes needed to pass a bill on the floor of the House of Representatives.

Politico: Stupak says Obamacare loses 10 to 12 Dems in House with Senate abortion language

Politico.  January 14, 2010

Stupak: Abortion loses 10-12 House members

Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) said he expects about 10 to 12 antiabortion Democrats will vote against the health care bill if it contains the Senate’s abortion language — and that House leaders are counting on switching enough “no” votes to avoid the subject entirely. “They’re saying we can ignore the abortion language provided we can get enough votes, people who voted no and will switch their votes,” Stupak said. “If they get enough, they don’t even have to talk to me—they can roll us on the issue.” About 40 anti-abortion House Democrats supported the health care bill because it included the Stupak amendment. — Kasie Hunt

Is this the future of American health care?

January 13, 2010.  Reid and Pelosi join the President in a closed door meeting at the White House today. We are therefore unable to analyze the substance of the bill in progress. But a picture speaks a thousand words about the current state of the Senate bill . . .

Used with permission by the artist, John Francis Borra.

Abortion issue will delay final bill; White House pressures Stupak to keep quiet on abortion

As we celebrate the birth of the Christ Child, it is important to remember that this is far from over.  The Christmas Eve Senate passage of the Reid Senate bill does not mean that Congressional consideration of health reform is complete. According to Politico on 12/23/2009:

“The White House privately anticipates health care talks to slip into February — past President Barack Obama’s first State of the Union address — and then plans to make a “very hard pivot” to a new jobs bill, according to senior administration officials.

Obama has been told that disputes over abortion and the tight schedule are highly likely to delay a final deal, a blow to the president, who had hoped to trumpet a health care victory in his big speech to the nation.”

The House is in recess until January 12, 2010 and the Senate has recessed until late January.  However, during the recess, Democratic House and Senate leaders will begin negotiating final legislation that would likely be considered through a House-Senate conference.  A final product would have to be sent back to both the House and Senate for final approval via an up or down vote – with no amendments. 

In an interview with CNS News, Democrat Congressman Bart Stupak revealed that the White House is pressuring him to keep quiet about abortion subsidies in the Senate Bill:

“We’re getting a lot of pressure not to say anything, to try to compromise this principle or belief,” Stupak said. “[T]hat’s just not us. We’re not going to do that. Members who voted for the Stupak language in the House – especially the Democrats, 64 Democrats that voted for it – feel very strongly about it. It’s been part of who we are, part of our make up. It’s the principle belief that we have. We are not just going to abandon it in the name of health care.”

In this video, Secretary of Health and Human Services Sebelius explains that EVERYONE in the newly created insurance exchanges under the Senate bill would have to write a separate abortion check.  She was referring to the following Senate abortion provisions, as reported by the Washington Times:

On Page 41 (lines 5-8) of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s manager amendment, the proposed rules mandate that everyone buying insurance through new exchanges or through the new government-run plan must pay a monthly abortion premium to be used for elective abortion services. This fee applies “without regard to the enrollee’s age, sex or family status.” That means that people who have no possibility of wanting an abortion themselves will pay for others to have them. On Page 43 (lines 1-7), insurance companies will be required to assess the cost of elective abortion coverage, and on Page 43 (lines 20-22) they are mandated to charge a minimum of at least $1 per enrollee per month to cover abortion.

In addition to his CNS interview quoted above, Congressman Stupak issued a December 19 statement explaining:

While I appreciate the efforts of all the parties involved, especially Senator Ben Nelson, the Senate abortion language is not acceptable. . . . A review of the Senate language indicates a dramatic shift in federal policy that would allow the federal government to subsidize insurance policies with abortion coverage.

Where are the Senate abortion provisions?

Tuesday, December 22, 2009
EDITORIAL: Government’s abortion mandate

THE WASHINGTON TIMES

So much for Sen. Ben Nelson’s “line in the sand” against government funding for abortion.

“I don’t ordinarily draw a line in the sand, but I have drawn a line in the sand,” the Nebraska Democrat said on Dec. 4, promising he wouldn’t vote for government health care if it paid for abortion. Mr. Nelson’s principles barely lasted two weeks. By Saturday, he announced that he would provide the 60th vote needed to pass government care. The man’s word is meaningless.

Mr. Nelson’s capitulation was not over whether to ban abortion outright. The senator sold his soul to give government the power to force millions of taxpayers to pay for a procedure they view to be murder. Activists in favor of abortion “choice” don’t respect that those who oppose abortion want to be free to choose what their money should be used to support – especially when major moral issues about life and death are involved.

The current prohibition on government funding for abortion made exceptions for when a woman’s life purportedly was in danger or when the pregnancy purportedly was a result of rape or incest. If passed, the new law will charge an “abortion premium” tax on all Americans that forces everyone to fund abortions. The only escape will be if individual states pass opt-out provisions to the program, which will be difficult to implement.

On Page 41 (lines 5-8) of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s manager amendment, the proposed rules mandate that everyone buying insurance through new exchanges or through the new government-run plan must pay a monthly abortion premium to be used for elective abortion services. This fee applies “without regard to the enrollee’s age, sex or family status.” That means that people who have no possibility of wanting an abortion themselves will pay for others to have them. On Page 43 (lines 1-7), insurance companies will be required to assess the cost of elective abortion coverage, and on Page 43 (lines 20-22) they are mandated to charge a minimum of at least $1 per enrollee per month to cover abortion.

Rep. Bart Stupak, the Michigan Democrat who led a House revolt against abortion funding, calls the Senate language “a dramatic shift in federal policy.” The type of amendment approved by Mr. Nelson was voted down in the House.

Many Americans wanted to believe Mr. Nelson was a decent man of his word, but the senator caved in when his vote could have made a difference for the lives of the unborn. A politician can’t get any more despicable than that.

http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/dec/22/governments-abortion-mandate/

Nelson mocks pro-life rally condemning his pro-abortion funding vote

On Monday, December 21, 2009, the U.S. Senate held a vote in the 1 a.m. hour.  Senator Reid was successful in gaining the 60 votes needed to close debate on his health bill that subsidizes elective abortion after convincing Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE) to abandon his pro-life values.

• Read the December 21, 2009 article by LifeNews’ Steve Ertelt recounting the pro-life rally of over 2000 Nebraskan citizens protesting Senator Ben Nelson’s participation in allowing subsidized abortion in the Senate health bill — and his comment that the rally was “almost laughable.”

 

• EPPC’s health-care experts James C. Capretta and Yuval Levin have been providing timely and comprehensive critiques of the ever-changing versions of ObamaCare that are muddling through Congress.  On this last weekend’s activity in the Senate, read their joint essay for the Weekly Standard, “He’s No Stupak: Ben Nelson caves on taxpayer funding of abortion.”

What’s Next?  If the Senate passes its bill, there will then likely be a House-Senate Conference to negotiate the differences between the House and Senate language.  The House and Senate would then have to approve modifications made in the conference by an up or down vote — with no opportunities for amendments.  In a December 19 statement Pro-life Caucus Co-chair Bart Stupak (D-MI) said, “While I and many other pro-life Democratic House members wish to see health care coverage for all Americans, the proposed Senate language is unacceptable.”  Stupak explained that “[a]review of the Senate language indicates a dramatic shift in federal policy that would allow the federal government to subsidize insurance policies with abortion coverage.