Barack Obama Statement: Reduce Abortions by Honoring Pro-Abortion Decision

National   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Jan 22, 2009   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

Barack Obama Statement: Reduce Abortions by Honoring Pro-Abortion Decision

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
January 22
, 2009

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — President Barack Obama used the occasion of the thirty-sixth anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision to issue a contradictory statement. The new president called for reducing abortions but honored the radical decision that ushered in an era of 50 million abortions and virtually no limits.

Obama praised the Supreme Court for issuing what has been one of the most condemned rulings in its history.

"[T]his decision not only protects women’s health and reproductive freedom, but stands for a broader principle: That government should not intrude on our most private family matters,” Obama said in a statement.

And he reaffirmed his official position supporting abortion.

“I remain committed to protecting a woman’s right to choose," he said.

The president also issued a call for an expansion of access to birth control and contraception, even though studies and actual abortion data have shown they do nothing to reduce the numbers of abortions.

"While this is a sensitive and often divisive issue, no matter what our views, we are united in our determination to prevent unintended pregnancies, reduce the need for abortion, and support women and families in the choices they make," he said. "To accomplish these goals, we must work to find common ground to expand access to affordable contraception, accurate health information, and preventative services."

But that common ground appears to be geared more towards putting money in the pockets of the abortion industry.

The bill to "expand access" as Obama calls for is the Prevention First Act that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid filed earlier this month.

The bill would prohibit health insurance plans from excluding coverage for birth control drugs and devices.

It would also require the federal Health Department to provide information on the morning after pill to all health care providers. Hospitals that receive any federal funds would be forced to give out the drug, which can sometimes cause an abortion, to women who have been raped.

But it is the bailout of the abortion industry that most concerns Tony Perkins, the president of the Family Research Council.

"Reid sent a very clear message about what pro-lifers can expect from the next two years by introducing [the bill]," Perkins told LifeNews.com. "The Prevention First Act would direct hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to the abortion industry, a business that already receives over $286 million each year from federal taxpayers."

Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion business and the likely recipient of the bulk of the funding, praised the introduction of the bill in a press release.

ACTION: Contact members of the Senate at https://www.senate.gov and urge strong opposition to the Prevention First Act.

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