Posted on 03/01/2010 4:21:08 PM PST by Mrs. Don-o
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) insisted on Friday that the Senate health care bill does not allow tax-funding of abortion, and added that she had spoken with “Catholic bishops” about the issue. However, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops told CNSNews.com that anyone who had spoken to the bishops about the legislation should know that it does fund abortion and that the bishops oppose the bill.
At a press conference on Friday, Pelosi was asked whether Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), who opposes President Obama’s health proposal which uses the Senate bill as its foundation, was wrong in stating that the legislation would allow tax dollars to fund abortion and whether this would be a problem for those trying to advance the bill.
Pelosi, a Catholic, said, “Let me say it this way, there’s three, three--I don’t want to say principles--but three standards that we are using as we go forward, and I talked to the Catholic bishops about this and people on all sides of the choice issue.
“Law prevents federal funding, and federal law prevents federal funding of abortion,” said Pelosi. “There is no federal funding of abortion in this bill. There’ll be no expansion or diminution of a woman’s right to choose and that does not happen in this bill, and we’re determined that we are going to pass health care reform.
“This bill that passed the Senate does not have federal funding of abortion,” said Pelosi.
After Pelosi's press conference, Richard Doerflinger, associate director of the Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), told CNSNews.com that “anyone” who has talked with them knows that the Senate bill, which forms the basis for the president’s proposal, allows taxpayer money to be used to pay for health plans that cover abortion.
“We do not know how anyone who has spoken to the bishops could conclude that the Senate health care bill does not fund abortions,” Doerflinger told CNSNews.com in an e-mail statement.
“As the bishops have said in their letters to Congress, abortion problems in the Senate bill are so serious that, despite our strong support for expanding access to health care, we will have to oppose the bill unless they are resolved,” said Doerflinger.
Inquiries to Speaker Pelosi’s office by CNSNews.com about the USCCB’s statement were not returned before this story was posted.
The USCCB has explained in detail, and in several letters, how the Senate health care bill allows for taxpayer money to go to health care plans that cover abortion.
Doerflinger told CNSNews.com: “While the Senate bill includes some language limiting the direct use of tax credits to subsidize abortion coverage, it still violates longstanding federal precedent on abortion funding in two ways.”
”First, the Senate’s abortion language limits only the use of tax credits for abortion in qualified health plans, not other funding in the bill,” he said.
“For example, the bill authorizes and appropriates $7 billion for services at community health centers (increased to $11 billion in the President’s new proposal),” said Doerflinger. “The Hyde amendment does not prevent direct use of these billions of dollars for elective abortions (because the funds are not provided through the appropriations bill governed by Hyde), nor does any provision in the Senate bill.”
“Second, the Senate’s language on tax credits still allows subsidies for overall health plans that cover elective abortions, against the policy of the Hyde amendment and other longstanding federal laws,” said Doerflinger.
“The bill requires each American purchasing such a plan to make a separate payment to the insurer every month, solely to pay for other people’s abortions,” he said. “This is an enormous imposition on the consciences of the millions of Americans who oppose abortion.”
Douglas Johnson, the legislative director for the National Right to Life Committee, also reacted to Pelosi's claim that the Senate health bill does not fund abortion. “She has just repeated the same deceptive claptrap,” Johnson told CNSNews.com.
“She is back to the old denial and deception approach, but she has no credibility on this issue and her claims were repudiated by one-quarter of her own caucus last Nov. 7th ,” Johnson said.
Nov. 7th refers to the day that the House passed its version of health care reform with only one Republican in support and one-quarter of Democrats in opposition, which culminated in a 220 to 215 vote. Before narrowly approving the bill, the House voted by a larger margin to approve an amendment sponsored by Rep. Bart Stupak (D.-Mich.) that prohibited any federal funding of any health care plan under the bill that covered abortion.
Michelle Begnoche, a spokeswoman for Rep. Stupak (D-Mich.), told CNSNews.com in an e-mail that Stupak was not available for comment but that “he has made clear that the Senate language is a departure from current law and is unacceptable.”
The Senate rejected language by Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) that mirrored the pro-life Stupak amendment in the House legislation.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a 13-page document explaining why the Senate bill allows tax dollars to funded abortion.
“Of the two bills, only the House bill conforms to current law on abortion funding,” reads the document. They credit that to Stupak’s amendment.
“Thus under the Senate bill, notwithstanding ‘the segregation of funds’ provision, federal subsidies will be used to help expand access nationwide to abortion coverage,” reads the document.
When she goes to meet her Maker, He will turn to her and say, “Deparet from me. I never knew you.” Too late then, Nan.
To a very great degree the hierarchy is the problem.
We are all best off with independent congregations with only as many members as it is possible for the average person to get to know.
Much like her lie regarding the water boarding tactics used in a few instances she lies with eyes wide open. Then hides when she is called out on the lie.
To the U.S. Catholic Bishops,
As “health care reform” enters the final stage of debate, I urge you to soberly regard the blood of the 50 million unborn Americans who have suffered and died under Roe v. Wade and tremble before the holiness of God as their blood cries out from the ground for Him to avenge them.
Language in the current “reform” contains language providing Federal funds for abortion, which would make all Catholics accomplices to the abortion holocaust via their tax dollars.
This is an abomination that cannot be countenanced by the Church.
Furthermore, as presently written (in nearly over 1,500 pages of obscure bureaucratic language), the bill presently under consideration would effect neither a “reform” of healthcare in America, nor a “reform” of the health insurance industry.
President Obama’s contentions notwithstanding, the present bill accomplishes NONE of what he claims to desire. His speeches continue to reference legislative goals that are not reflected in any version of healthcare reform that has come before either the House or the Senate. The plan to which the President repeatedly refers is embodied in no legislation anywhere. It simply DOES NOT exist. If you want what the President claims to want, then you must oppose the bill passed by the Senate on Christmas Eve 2009, because the current bull does NOT contain language enacting what the President says he wants.
Primary among the President’s claims is that “his plan” (wherever in the universe it may be), does NOT provide Federal funding for abortion. Well, his as-yet-nonexistent plan might not, but the current legislation DOES. On that point, alone, the Church must speak against it in complete unanimity.
As Ambassadors of Jesus Christ — his voice in this Earth — you cannot both claim true Christian faith and support this present bill. Please bring the full weight of the conference to bear in opposition to this fake “reform”.
This is top notch! Please continue to multiply tis and send it ‘round to clergy, congresscritters -—heck, everyone in the Universe.
Do you have Fax capabilities? Would you lik me to send you a Fax list of all the Catholic Biships in the United States? (Personal Message Me!)
No FAX here. Got prayer, though. Seems to work better.
RECOMMENDED READING
“Rees Howells, Intercessor” by Norman Grubb
http://wesley.nnu.edu/wesleyctr/books/2401-2500/HDM2474.PDF
From your post: She is just flat out lying now.
Absolutely, because it isn't necessary for a legal procedure to have legislation allowing federal funding -- the bill, if they are going to use the Senate-passed language, does not bar or ban federal funding of abortion procedure, what passed there was some accounting gimmick, typical political language.
To extend the title, Pelosi lies, babies die, those with a conscience cry.
I have been pointing out to relatives for years, money is fungible. There is no *dollar designated* to abortion or from it, if it is provided to keep alive an institution like PP, then it is provided to perform the killing of the innocent in the womb.
I use the example of the Red Cross donation with them, you may write "Earthquake relief" in the memo line on your check, you may intend your money to go the benefit of certain victims of disaster, but in the end, there is no real separation, it all goes to help those in distress, need. (Forgive the kindness analogy to something as heinous as abortion).
The Hyde language dealt with appropriations, actual spending, it wasn't perfect but it was a close as we who object to paying for murder could get with the monsters on both sides of the aisle who support this *choice* baloney.
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