Bill Would Apply Hyde Amendment to Obama’s Pro-Abortion Health Care Law

National   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Apr 23, 2010   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

Bill Would Apply Hyde Amendment to Obama’s Pro-Abortion Health Care Law

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
April 23
, 2010

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — A new bill filed by pro-life members of Congress would apply the historic Hyde amendment language to the new health care bill President Barack Obama signed into law that calls for massive abortion funding.

The legislation would afford the same pro-life protections that were approved with bipartisan support in the House last year via the Stupak amendment that didn’t make the final bill.

Stupak, the author of the previous amendment, eventually joined with other pro-life Democrats in voting for the pro-abortion health care bill in exchange for an Obama executive order that pro-life groups say won’t truly ban abortion funding.

Congressman Todd Tiahrt, a Kansas Republican, filed the bill with Congressman Joe Pitts, a Pennsylvania Republican.

"Obamacare is the most pro-abortion piece of legislation ever passed by Congress," Tiahrt told LifeNews.com today.

"This is in stark contrast to the belief held by a majority of Americans who oppose federally-funded abortions — and it should be amended immediately to reflect the will of the American people," he said. "Obama’s fig-leaf executive order does nothing to change current law, and so we must take swift action to reverse this reckless decision by Democrats to devalue human life. With strong support on both sides of the aisle, it is my hope that we can reinstate the Hyde amendment without delay."

Specifically, the Protect Life Act amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) to prevent federal funding for abortion or abortion coverage through government exchanges, community health centers, or any other program funded or created by PPACA.

Additionally, the bill protects the right of conscience for healthcare professionals and ensures that private insurance companies are not forced to cover abortion.

Rep. Pitts said, "I’m proud to have strong support from both sides of the aisle. I never want protecting life to be a partisan issue."

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