Pro-Life Groups Representing 30 Million: Do Health Care Right, Keep Abortion Out
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
October 12, 2009
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — A coalition of pro-life groups representing more than 30 million people have released a collective statement encouraging Congressional leaders to do health care reform the right way. They say common ground can be found on promoting better and more available health care without promoting abortion and rationing.
The groups include numerous pro-life and faith-based organizations who want to be on record voicing their opposition to any health care bills that fund abortion, violate the conscience rights of medical professionals, or rations health care for seniors.
Mathew Staver, a pro-life attorney with Liberty Counsel, represents the coalition of groups, which includes LifeNews.com, the pro-life news service.
"We believe social justice includes healthcare reform that lowers the cost, increases quality, and expands choice at the greatest convenience, without moving private health decisions from the doctor’s office to Washington bureaucrats," he told LifeNews.com today.
"Individual liberties trump government-imposed obligations. We believe that individuals, communities, and doctors in the free market make better health decisions than government mandates. We believe in incentives, not coercion," he added.
Concerning abortion funding, Staver said President Obama has said, "Under our plan no federal dollars will be used to fund abortions, and federal conscience laws will remain in place."
But he noted that dozens of amendments to do that have ben defeated by Democrats in both the House and Senate.
"Congress has voted 30 times against amendments that would ban abortion funding. Every proposed bill funds abortion, including the so-called Baucus bill from the Senate Finance Committee. This is unacceptable. We will not support any bill that funds abortion," he explained.
Staver said the groups affirm that health care is necessary for the elderly and shouldn’t be cut off to make sure more people have access to health insurance.
"Life, no matter how young, is not expendable and, no matter how ill or aged, is not to be weighed on a cost-benefit scale," he said. "We oppose government policies pressuring people to forgo or limit treatment because of age or illness. We oppose rationed healthcare due to age, illness or based on a government agency’s determination of ‘quality’ or ‘value’ of life."
Staver talked about the kind of provisions pro-life groups would not oppose.
"We support health insurance that is affordable and portable. We support legal reform to stop frivolous lawsuits that drive up healthcare costs, while affording the injured appropriate compensation," he said. "We support portability, allowing people to take their healthcare with them so it is not tied to employment. We support options to purchase health insurance across state lines."
"We support competition; coverage of pre-existing conditions; wellness care and prevention incentives; tax relief that provides a dollar- for-dollar deduction for every dollar spent on premiums or other medical or prescription costs," he added.
Staver said the groups believe "it is time to start over with a truly nonpartisan approach to healthcare."
The organizations that signed on to the statement Staver enunciated include the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, American Association of Christian Counselors, American Family Association, Americans for Prosperity, Liberty Counsel, Concerned Women for America, Family Research Council Action, and Eagle Forum.
The Conservative Action Project, BOND, Catholic Online, the Southern Baptist Convention, American Values, LEARN, Wallbuilders, Traditional Values Coalition, and Vision America are some of the others.
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