New Poll Shows Obama Dropping on Health Care as Abortion May be Included

National   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Jul 20, 2009   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

New Poll Shows Obama Dropping on Health Care as Abortion May be Included

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
July 20
, 2009

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — A new poll shows President Barack Obama is losing ground with the American people on his ability to handle the issue of health care reform. The poll results come on the same day a top Obama official refuses to say whether Americans will be forced to pay millions of dollars for abortions under current legislation.

A Washington Post poll shows Obama’ disapproval rating has climbed 11 percent in the last three months and his approval ratings are down ten points.

For the first time, the survey shows Obama’s ratings on health care under 50 percent. Now, 49 percent approve of the way he is handling health care while 46 percent disapprove.

Just 29 percent strongly approve of his health care performance while 35 percent strongly disapprove.

Obama’s health care numbers are down eight percent from April while his disapproval rating on the controversial issue is up 15 percent.

Another 44 percent of Americans now say they don’t trust Obama to handle health care and that number may rise after his budget chief said abortions may be included in the final package Obama signs.

The Washington Post poll follows one from Rasmussen last week showing 49 percent of Americans now at least somewhat oppose the health care reform plan proposed by President Obama and congressional Democrats while just 46% at least somewhat favor it.

Two weeks prior the plan had the support of 50 percent and 45 percent were opposed.

The “nays” also continue to have the edge in terms of intensity. While 22% strongly favor the Democrats’ health care reform plan, 38% strongly oppose it, up four points from the previous survey.

The big concern for pro-life advocates is that the final bill Congress may approve and Obama may sign would allow his administration to determine if abortions will be paid for at taxpayer expense or if insurance companies will be forced to cover them and pass the costs to the public.

Douglas Johnson, of NRLC, says the Tri-Committee health care bill a House committee is considering this week "contains provisions that will result in federally mandated coverage of abortion on demand in virtually all of America’s health plans."

Once abortion is established as a federal "essential benefit," the bill will also require "access" to elective abortion, which will require many issuers to establish and staff new abortion-providing sites, Johnson explains.

And state laws that limit abortions, such as waiting periods and parental notification requirements "may be nullified as conflicting with the purposes of the federal law," he explains.

Johnson is calling on every pro-life person to immediately call their members of the House and Senate and to oppose any health care bill that does not specifically exclude abortion funding and coverage. He says time is of the essence.

"The House Democratic leadership says that it intends to have these bills on the floor of the Senate and the House, respectively, during the last week in July, and President Obama is personally pushing hard for quick approval," he said.

"The pro-life movement needs to go to Condition-Red on these bills, which pose a grave and immediate threat to the pro-life cause," he added.

ACTION: Please call your members of the House and Senate immediately at 202-224-3121 and urge them to vote against any health care bill that doesn’t exclude abortion. You can find specific contact info at https://www.Senate.gov and https://www.House.gov or click here for NRLC’s action alert page.

Related web sites:
National Right to Life – https://www.nrlc.org

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