Boehner: GOP “Won’t Compromise” on Pro-Abortion Health Care

National   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Oct 28, 2010   |   11:00AM   |   Washington, DC

House Republican leader John Boehner, the pro-lifer who could replace pro-abortion Speaker Nancy Pelosi if Tuesday’s elections produce the landslide most predict, says Republicans won’t compromise.

When it comes to the abortion-funding health care “reform” measure Pelosi passed and President Barack Obama signed, Boehner said yesterday that the GOP won’t back down on doing everything possible to combat it.

“This is not a time for compromise, and I can tell you that we will not compromise on our principles,” Boehner said during an appearance on the radio show of pro-life broadcaster Sean Hannity.

Boehner also responded to recent comments from new Hampshire Sen. Judd Gregg that the GOP should not focus on trying to repeal the pro-abortion health care law.

“I love Judd Gregg, but maybe he doesn’t get it,” Boehner said. “We’re going to do everything — and I mean everything we can do — to kill it, stop it, slow it down, whatever we can.”

Boehner opened the door to working with Obama, but said that it would have to be on Republican-pronounced terms.

“To the extent the president wants to work with us, in terms of our goals, we’d welcome his involvement,” he said.

Boehner’s comments retain the GOP commitment to the “Pledge to America” document the party released in September, promising to work to stop taxpayer funding of abortions and to repeal ObamaCare.

In the Pledge document, Republicans say they “will immediately take action to repeal” ObamaCare and will “offer a plan to repeal and replace the government takeover of health care with common-sense solutions focused on lowering costs and protecting American jobs.”

“We will permanently end taxpayer funding of abortion and codify the Hyde Amendment,” the Pledge to America continued.

“We will establish a government-wide prohibition on taxpayer funding of abortion and subsidies for insurance coverage that includes abortion, this includes enacting into law what is known as the Hyde Amendment. We will also enact into law conscience protections for health care providers, including doctors, nurses, and hospitals,” the document said.

The National Right to Life Committee commended the Republican leadership for introducing a plan of action that contains the promotion of pro-life principles.

“We welcome the Republican leadership’s commitment to repeal and replace the Obama health care law, which is a top priority for the pro-life movement because that law, when fully implemented, would result in the rationing of lifesaving medical treatments, and an array of federal subsidies for abortion as well,” NRLC legislative director Douglas Johnson told LifeNews.com.

“In addition, a permanent government-wide prohibition on federal funding of abortion is long overdue, and we applaud the inclusion of that legislation in this action plan,” he said.

The legislation the Pledge to America refers to is the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act (H.R. 5939), an NRLC-backed bill introduced by Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) on July 29, which already has 175 co-sponsors.