Pro-Life Groups Left Off Obama’s Health Care Summit List, Abortion Advocates OK

National   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Mar 5, 2009   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

Pro-Life Groups Left Off Obama’s Health Care Summit List, Abortion Advocates OK

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
March 5
, 2009

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — President Barack Obama has apparently shut out pro-life groups from attending today’s health care summit to dialogue on how health care reform should be implemented. However, the White House had no problem inviting Planned Parenthood and other groups that support abortion.

The summit is an attempt by the Obama administration to focus on reducing and containing costs as well as expanding coverage and Obama sees it as a starting point for tackling the overhaul of health care.

With pro-life advocates worried about the attempt to expand abortion by either making taxpayers fund abortions in a national health care plan or requiring insurance companies to pay for them, pro-life groups have a key interest in the outcome of the debate.

However, Obama appeared to shut them out of the discussion.

Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion business, made the invitation list as did groups that advocate abortion like the Human Rights Campaign, National Council of La Raza and others.

David Brody, a national correspondent for CBN News, notice the absence of pro-life groups.

"The White House is holding their big Health Care Summit in an attempt to begin the conversation about how to reform the healthcare system with the goal of bringing America some sort of universal health care system," Brody says. "There’s just one problem. Where are the pro-life leaning medical groups who may have a thing or two to say about reforming healthcare in this country?"

"The Obama administration wants this public debate over healthcare to be an honest dialogue in an attempt to come up with real solutions. Great idea," Brody added.

"But if the Obama White House is interested in hearing diverse opinions across a broad spectrum, why not reach out to these well established pro-life leaning medical groups and make it more balanced. One pro-life group?" he asked.

Brody confirmed the interest pro-life advocates have in the outcome of the national health care debate.

"When you talk healthcare "reproductive care" is an integral part of the conversation. That means topics like abortion and contraception are part of the discussion. You don’t think there will be a big controversy if President Obama’s healthcare plan covers abortions?" he said.

Brody said the invite list makes the Obama appear hypocritical.

"President Obama said today that in the health care discussion, he wanted every voice heard, every idea considered, and every option on the table. But are we really getting every voice, idea, and option from participants at the forum?" he concluded.

Ironically, Sister Carol Keehan, the president of the Catholic Health Association, received an invitation to the gathering. She came under fire for praising Obama’s pro-abortion picks.

Keehan was upset LifeNews.com exposed her support for the pro-abortion staff selections and nominees.

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