Democratic House Health Care Bill Contains Massive Abortion Funding, Undermines Pro-Life Laws
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Additional analysis is verifying the first impressions from National Right to Life and the Family Research Council that the new House health care reform bill funds abortions. The new bill, HR 3962, is very similar to the House Energy and Commerce Committee version of the prior bill, HR 3200, as it replicates the Capps amendment that is billed as a ban on abortion funding but actually allows federal funding of abortions. Because HR 3962 contains the Capps amendment and not language similar to the Hyde amendment, which prohibits abortion funding under the HHS department programs, there is no true abortion funding ban in place. Meanwhile, Division D of H.R. 3962 reauthorizes the Indian Health Service program without a permanent ban on abortion funding. As a result, the current bill only restricts IHS abortion funding so long as the Hyde amendment is in effect and abortions in the health program for native Americans are paid for with taxpayer funds if the amendment is ever reversed. Americans United for Life president Charmaine Yoest confirmed the abortion funding is present. "Just as Americans United for Life had expected, the new House health care bill unveiled this morning includes the Capps Amendment language added during the Energy and Commerce Committee mark-up," she told LifeNews.com. "This bill will explicitly allow federal funding of abortion through the public option and permits federal subsidies to go to private insurance plans that cover abortion. The bill also ensures that at least one health insurance plan must cover abortion in every area of the country." Yoest urged pro-life advocates to contact members of Congress and demand that an amendment be added to the Pelosi bill to stop abortion funding or that the bill be defeated. "Now, more than ever, pro-life members of Congress must demand the opportunity to vote on the Stupak/Pitts Amendment to prohibit abortion funding. Explicit language must be added to this health care bill to prevent unprecedented federal funding of abortion," she said.

Pelosi Won't Allow Pro-Life Democrat's Amendment to Stop Abortion in Health Care
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The top pro-life Democrat in the House who has been working diligently to ensure the health care reform bill does not contain massive abortion funding says the latest version put forward by Speaker Nancy Pelosi offers no improvement because it still funds abortions. Rep. Bart Stupak, a Michigan Democrat, has long threatened to block the House's healthcare effort unless his party's leadership permits a vote on his amendment that would prevent taxpayer dollars from funding abortions -- a provision, he noted on Thursday, that is still absent from Democrats' recently unveiled bill. "[L]anguage in the bill still does not do enough to prevent federal funding from going to abortion services," Stupak said in a statement. "I am disappointed the Capps Amendment has remained intact in H.R. 3962, mandating abortion services for the first time in our nation’s history. I will continue to work with leadership to find satisfactory language on this issue." All eyes have been on Stupak since he announced he had the support of 39 other lawmakers and would scuttle attempts to bring healthcare reform to the House floor unless the Democratic leadership addressed his concerns. Pelosi, meanwhile, indicates she likely won't allow Stupak's amendment. Pelosi said Thursday that there's been plenty of time for amendments already, so neither her caucus nor members of the minority party should expect a chance to amend the health care bill when it gets to the House floor. "I've considered all of that input as our amendment process," Pelosi said on a conference call with bloggers, citing "probably 78 caucuses on this subject where we've listened to members [and] 2,000 town meeting on this subject." Pelosi said the are parliamentary moves -- like opposing the rules for debate -- that lawmakers who oppose abortion funding can use to defeat the bill because of its abortion funding. "I'd have to be talked into it," Pelosi said of allowing any amendments, let alone Stupak's. Stupak says there is no reason to deny an amendment since Congress has been banning taxpayer funding of abortions for decades. "This amendment is not about limiting choice when it comes to abortion services. There is nothing in the amendment that prevents those who choose to obtain abortion services from doing so," he said. "The Hyde language simply says taxpayer dollars should not be used to pay for those services."

Catholic Bishops Urge Continued Opposition to Pro-Abortion Health Care Reform Bills
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- On the day that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi unveiled the latest version of the House health care reform bill, the nation's Catholic bishops released a statement urging continued opposition to the legislation because of its abortion funding components. "The bishops have made it very clear that they strongly support genuine health care reform that protects the life and dignity of all, from the moment of conception until natural death – including unborn children," the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said in a statement. "And they keep reminding Congress that health care reform should be about saving lives, not destroying them. But is Congress listening?" The answer to the question appears to be no as pro-life groups are already indicating that the Pelosi bill contains massive abortion subsidies and allows abortion funding through the government option. "Congressional leaders are attempting to put together final bills for floor consideration, and votes could come as soon as early November. The bishops have asked each of us to contact our Representative and Senators immediately, urging them to fix these bills with pro-life amendments," the USCCB statement to LifeNews.com said. "The bishops have asked for our swift action in contacting our congressional members through e-mail, phone calls or faxed letters." The suggested message to lawmakers? “During floor debate on the health care reform bill, please support an amendment to incorporate longstanding policies against abortion funding and in favor of conscience rights. If these serious concerns are not addressed, the final bill should be opposed," the USCCB urges pro-life advocates to say. The message should add: “Please support the Stupak Amendment that addresses essential pro-life concerns on abortion funding and conscience rights in the health care reform bill. Help ensure that the Rule for the bill allows a vote on this amendment. If these serious concerns are not addressed, the final bill should be opposed.”

New House Health Care Reform Bill Removes Protective Language on Assisted Suicide
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The new House health care bill Speaker Nancy Pelosi unveiled on Thursday contains massive abortion funding but also presents concerns on the issue of assisted suicide. Section 240 of H.R. 3962 requires insurance companies to provide information related to “end-of-life planning” to individuals seeking enrollment in insurance offered on the health insurance exchange. Although the section has several provisions that say the materials provided shall not include assisted suicide, euthanasia and mercy killing, pro-life groups may be concerned because these terms are not defined, and broader protective language adopted in the Energy and Commerce Committee has been removed. Broader language was necessary because Oregon and Washington have laws permitting what is commonly thought of as assisted suicide, but those same state laws specifically say that what is done in their state is not assisted suicide. This creates a huge loophole that means H.R. 3962 will require the distribution of end of life materials that will likely include information about assisted suicide options in states such as Oregon and Washington.

Late-Term Abortion Practitioner LeRoy Carhart Joins Nancy Pelosi in Unveiling Health Care Bill
Wasington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Pro-life advocates are surprised by the appearance of an infamous late-term abortion practitioner along with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as she unveiled the latest version of the pro-abortion health care bill on Thursday. Nebraska-based abortion practitioner LeRoy Carhart, who is also known as the man who unsuccessfully challenged the national partial-birth abortion ban at the Supreme Court, was standing with Pelosi. Carhart was photographed by a representative for Concerned Women for America during a Pelosi rally in front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. this morning holding a sign promoting the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice in support of taxpayer funded abortion. "If there was any doubt that the Pelosi-Reid-Obama health care scheme would force taxpayers to fund abortions, there isn't anymore," Operation Rescue president Troy Newman told LifeNews.com. "If Pelosi's health care bill is passed, our tax dollars will go straight into Carhart's pockets to fund abortions, especially late-term abortions done on viable babies." Newman said Carhart's appearance is also ironic because of his history of botched abortions, one of which killed mentally disabled teenager Christin Gilbert, and lack of ethical health care practices. "Carhart is a hack that has sent many women to the hospital with life-threatening abortion injuries. He even killed young Christin Gilbert by horrifically botching her third-trimester abortion. If Pelosi has her way, even more women will have their lives placed at risk by Carhart with the taxpayer footing the bill," he said. Carhart is currently under investigation by the Nebraska Attorney General's office after three of his former employees came forward with sworn affidavits that told of illegal activity, unsafe conditions. All of the women said that they did not have any medical training or licensing, yet they were instructed to perform medical duties that they were not legally qualified to do, such as starting IVs, dispensing medication, and assisting with surgeries. They claimed that drugs often came up missing, and that there was a general uncleanness about the facility, including the discovery of dried blood on instruments that had been laid out for surgery. Some of the women claimed that they believed that Carhart was often chemically impaired while on duty, that he had poor personal hygiene, and that he rarely if ever washed his hands between patients. "This is the kind of thing we can expect from the Pelosi health care bill," said Newman. "It is unthinkable that this kind of quackery should be allowed, much less funded at taxpayer expense."

New York Pro-Life Congressional Candidate Doug Hoffman Moving Up in Latest Polls
Albany, NY (LifeNews.com) -- The latest polls show Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman has real shot at winning the special congressional election in New York state as he is now within one point of the lead, according to a new Daily Kos poll. The poll shows Democrat Bill Owens holding a tiny one-point lead over Hoffman, 33 to 32 percent, with pro-abortion Republican Dede Scozzafava lagging behind in third with 21 percent of the vote. It’s clear Hoffman is gaining momentum – in the Daily Kos survey of the race last week, Hoffman was still in third place, trailing Owens 35 to 23 percent (with Scozzafava at 30 percent). Both Owens and Scozzafava have lost ground since last week's survey, while Hoffman has been gaining steam. This poll is consistent with internal numbers that Democrats are seeing, which is why they’ve been targeting Hoffman with attack ads this week. Democrats have concluded that Hoffman, with his financial resources and support from the conservative base, is the candidate with the best chance of defeating Owens. Meanwhile, FRC Action PAC, the political action committee connected to the Family Research Council, has begun airing a radio ad in the twenty-third congressional district of New York supporting Hoffman. "The Republican Party picked Dede Scozzafava to represent North Country Values-but what are her values?" the ad asks. "She is pro-abortion. What were they thinking? Vote for a true Conservative leader who will best represent you, vote for Doug Hoffman on November 3rd."

Switzerland Officials Crack Down on Suicide Tourism, May Close Dignitas Assisted Suicide Clinic
Zurich, Switzerland (LifeNews.com) -- Switzerland announced plans this week to crack down on “suicide tourism”, signaling that it might close the Dignitas clinic that is responsible for killing hundreds of people via assisted suicide. The draft bills could set off a rush of people from Britain and elsewhere in Europe to travel to Switzerland to kill themselves before the changes take place. Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, the Justice Minister, said that two options would be presented to parliament. Either clinics such as Dignitas and Exit, which deals chiefly with Swiss patients, will have to accept much stricter regulation or they will be closed down. The tightening of the rules would require patients to present two medical opinions declaring their disease incurable, that death is expected within months and that they have made their decision of sound mind and fully aware of their options. “It won’t be possible in future for someone to cross the border and commit suicide a few days later with the help of an organization,” Widmer-Schlumpf said. She did not stipulate how long the waiting period should last because it would vary based on each individual case. But the assisted suicide clinics are financially dependent on large numbers of patients passing relatively quickly through the system and it has benefited from lax local laws. If the bill passes, the federal government would take over enforcement of the laws from regional authorities. Ludwig Minelli, the founder of Dignitas, criticized the proposals and claimed the government would be promoting suicide over assisted suicide. Minelli also says that the bills, if passed, would prompt other countries to look at legalizing assisted suicide as they have resisted knowing that residents can easily travel to Switzerland and other nations like the Netherlands where it is legal. Approximately 400 people turned to suicide centers in Switzerland in 2007 with 132 people coming from other nations and 199 of them from Britain.

Catholic Groups Call for Catholic Campaign for Human Development Boycott Over Abortion
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A coalition of Catholic organizations has formed to ask faithful Catholics to boycott this year's Catholic Campaign for Human Development collection, scheduled for Sunday, November 22 in many dioceses. They are calling for pro-life Catholics to place a specially-designed coupon in the collection basket instead of money that asks for more transparency in the CCHD giving process so they can know that their money is not going to groups that support abortion. The group has also launched a website dedicated to informing Catholics and tracking the progress of the campaign at www.reformcchdnow.com. Rob Gasper, president of Bellarmine Veritas Ministry, one of the groups calling for a reform of the CCHD, told LifeNews.com, "We just think that faithful Catholics in the pews should be able to trust that the money they give to the CCHD is going to reputable organizations that in no way work against the Church." Stephen Phelan, of Human Life International, said he group is also participating in the coalition. "We support without qualification our Catholic bishops," he said. "We are confident that many of them will support this call for greater transparency in the CCHD, and to a deep reform in the organization. In this campaign we are asking that the CCHD reconsider its philosophy and practices." Phelan said the groups are calling on the CCHD to follow Pope Benedict's pro-life call in his recent encyclical, Caritas in Veritate, when considering any group as a candidate to receive funds.

African Pro-Life Advocates Continue Opposing Maputo Protocol That Promotes Abortion
Nairobi, Kenya (LifeNews.com) -- African pro-life advocates continue to oppose the Maputo Protocol because it would promote abortion in nations where pregnant women and unborn children are protected. On October 24, the Synod for Africa concluded its working sessions by approving fifty-seven propositions, which the Synod Fathers have presented to Benedict XVI. One provision calls for opposing the Maputo Protocol,article 14 of which calls for allowing abortions in the cases of rape or incest or when the pregnancy threatens the health of the mother -- even though abortions present a wide range of medical and mental health problems for women. According to the Synod Fathers, this article is "in contradiction with human rights and the right to life. It trivializes the seriousness of the crime of abortion and devalues the role of childbearing." Article 14 has made the Protocol a thorn in the side of the Catholic Church since its ratification. Pope Benedict XVI has called it "an attempt to trivialize abortion surreptitiously." And, as John L. Allen, Jr. explains, "pro-life leaders often charge that even though the protocol is a document of the African Union, its provisions on reproductive rights were crafted under pressure from Western governments and NGOs – tied, some critics assert, to implied threats about a loss of development aid." The number of Catholics in Africa continues to rise, especially compared to the United States and Europe. In 2009, the number of Catholics in Africa was estimated at 158 million, and that has only increased the traditional pro-life cultural opposition to abortion in many African nations.

Missouri Planned Parenthood Sues State Over Two Abortion, Pro-Life Ballot Proposals
Jefferson City, MO (LifeNews.com) -- Planned Parenthood sued the state of Missouri on Wednesday to object to the language in two proposed ballot initiatives that target abortion and funding for bioethics practices like human cloning and embryonic stem cell research. The lawsuits, filed in Cole County Circuit Court, seek to stop the approval of language for a ballot initiative that would allow the legislature to limit funding to any organization that supported abortion or the anti-life bioethics practices and another proposal that would create a new definition of when life begins, saying unborn children receive personhood at the point of conception. The first initiative, called the Missouri Taxpayer Protection Amendment, is submitted by a pro-life group named Missouri Roundtable For Life. Both proposals need signatures from enough state residents to be able to get the amendments on the 2010 ballot. The second petition, filed by Gregory Thompson, would change the constitutional definition of “person” to be “from the beginning of biological development.” The personhood amendment would likely challenge Roe v. Wade and make abortion and bioethics practices like human cloning and embryonic stem cell research illegal. It would almost certainly be challenged by abortion advocates in court. Thompson is a former school superintendent who was the Constitution Party’s nominee for governor in 2008. Other pro-life advocates are opposing personhood amendments because they will likely be shot down in court and could result in strengthening Roe and making it harder to overturn someday. They also note that Missouri taxpayers could be stuck with paying for Planned Parenthood's legal bills if the personhood measure is defeated in court. The personhood amendment is similar to ones that have been filed in other states. Thus far, only voters in Colorado have voted on an amendment and they rejected it by a 3-1 margin.

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