Pro-Abortion, Pro-Life Groups Take Opposite Sides on Senate Health Care Bill
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
March 3, 2010
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — Now that President Barack Obama and his Democratic allies in Congress will attempt to railroad the pro-abortion health care bill through Congress, key pro-abortion and pro-life groups are on opposite sides of the debate in terms of whether the House should adopt the Senate bill.
Family Research Council President Tony Perkins told LifeNews.com the Senate bill clearly warrants opposition from pro-life lawmakers because it funds abortions.
"In Section 1303 it allows tax credit subsidies for plans that include abortion and leaves the abortion surcharge in place," he explained. "It maintains the proposal to create a multi-state plan that includes abortion in Sec. 1334."
"Even worse, it would increase the Senate bill funding from $7 billion to $11 billion for community health centers in Sec. 10503 without any abortion funding restrictions. If this bill becomes law, this Congress will oversee the largest ever expansion of abortion on demand at taxpayer expense," he continued.
"No one who claims to be remotely pro-life can vote for this legislation. This legislation would be the greatest expansion of abortion we have ever seen in this country, all paid for and subsidized by the American taxpayer," Perkins said.
But those are good reasons for NARAL president Nancy Keenan to urge House members to support the bill.
In a statement LifeNews.com obtained, she commended Obama for "his leadership on this issue" and pledged to "continue to work with the president, our allies in Congress, and other progressive partners in" passing the pro-abortion Senate bill.
She said NARAL "activists are taking action to support our congressional allies" and "contacting members of the House who supported anti-choice provisions in the past and are urging them to change their position."
Charmaine Yoest, the president of Americans United for Life, told LifeNews.com that Obama’s insistence on pushing the pro-abortion health care bill shows his promise to Americans not to promote abortion funding was halfhearted.
“This announcement marks the President’s latest attempt to mislead the public on abortion," she said.
"Last September, he promised taxpayers that no public funds would go to pay for abortion. He has since pushed strongly for the pro-abortion Senate health care bill, released his own health care proposal, and announced today’s revised proposal – all three plans are a radical move to establish taxpayer-funded abortion," she continued.
"In the confusion of the health care debate, one thing is clear – the President is firmly committed to advancing taxpayer-funded abortion while continuing to claim otherwise," Yoest added.
LifeNews.com also heard from leaders of several other pro-life groups this afternoon who also said they will be working overtime to contact pro-life advocates and urge them to get in touch with elected officials to urge them to oppose the Senate health care bill.
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