Crist Veto of Abortion-Ultrasound, Health Care Opt Out Draws Strong Condemnation
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
June 11, 2010
Tallahassee, FL (LifeNews.com) — State legislators, pro-life groups, and Governor Charlie Crist’s pro-life opponent in the Senate race are all outraged about today’s veto of a bill that would allow women to see an ultrasound of their unborn child before an abortion and would protect the state of Florida from paying for some abortion funding under the Obama health care law.
LifeNews.com reported on the veto and, since then, the reaction to his has been incredibly strong — with numerous statements condemning it.
“Once again, Charlie Crist has put politics ahead of principled policy-making. Not only would this commonsense measure have provided women with vital information as they make a critical decision, but now Governor Crist’s veto also clears the way for taxpayer funding of abortion in Florida," Republican Senate candidate Marco Rubio said.
"This veto will now make it harder for Florida to fight Obamacare, since the bill would have enabled our state to opt out of the abortion coverage mandate in the federal health care law," he added.
“Even those who agree with the outcome of the Governor’s decision should be alarmed that an issue as serious and deserving of sober deliberation as this one was treated in such a calculating, political manner. Florida deserves a U.S. senator who will think issues through and let principles, not the politics of the moment, guide their decisions. Not surprisingly, his latest decision is only the latest in a long litany of examples in which Charlie Crist has broken his word to Floridians," Rubio said.
Family Research Council president Tony Perkins added, "Governor Crist has once again broken trust with the voters of Florida by vetoing a commonsense bill that would ensure that women receive factual information before an abortion. Sadly, he vetoed legislation that would strengthen a woman’s right to know. Charlie Crist is willing to go to any extreme to please far Left special interest groups."
John Stemberger, President and General Counsel of the Florida Family Policy, said, "Governor Crist’s veto is profoundly disappointing and speaks volumes of this man’s duplicity and his lack of trustworthiness. He has lost all credibility as a public official and with this veto he demonstrates to Floridians that his representations on policy issues mean little to nothing. Even his often stated commitment as a populist for ‘the people’ is apparently meaningless as the majority of Floridians are pro-life and support the bill as evidenced by the overwhelming show of support."
He added: "He has now gone full circle from being pro-choice in his original US Senate bid, to being ‘pro-life’ in his bid for Governor and now he is clearly defined himself as pro-abortion once again."
Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser also chimed in, saying, “Today, Charlie Crist, reversed his previously pro-woman, pro-life stance. By vetoing a bill that gives a woman seeking an abortion the option to have an ultrasound, he denies them vital information needed to make the most educated decision possible."
"Every other medical field is moving toward giving patients more information before a procedure. This veto shows a lack of confidence in women’s ability to process the full range of information that is technologically available. It is not ‘mean-spirited’ to give a woman the most complete information in making an informed decision about something as serious as abortion," she added.
“Unfortunately Governor Crist’s betrayal goes beyond denying information to women and extends to entangling all Floridians in the act of subsidizing abortions with their tax dollars. By vetoing this legislation, Governor Crist is allowing Floridians’ tax dollars to subsidize insurance plans that pay for abortion as permitted in the new federal health care bill," she said.
"Charlie Crist is becoming easy to predict: disregarding principle, previous statements or public assurances, he will switch his positions to whatever he thinks will get him the most votes," said House Majority Leader Adam Hasner, R-Boca Raton. "He just can’t be trusted."
"We’re dealing with a governor who has no party affiliation, and so he’s governing via the latest poll numbers," said Rep. Anitere Flores, R-Miami, a leading advocate for the ultrasound requirement. "I wish he would have put policy above politics, but I don’t think that was the case."
Even Rep. Evan Jenne, D-Davie admitted: "I don’t think those people [pro-life voters] ever voted for Charlie Crist. The veto does play to the left-of-center crowd very, very well. This was a calculated decision."
Sign Up for Free Pro-Life News From LifeNews.com
Daily Pro-Life News Report Twice-Weekly Pro-Life
News Report Receive a free daily email report from LifeNews.com with the latest pro-life news stories on abortion, euthanasia and stem cell research. Sign up here. Receive a free twice-weekly email report with the latest pro-life news headlines on abortion, euthanasia and stem cell research. Sign up here.
