bump
The abortion provision and all other provisions can be eliminated if people impress upon their politicians any version of federal health care is unconstitutional since Article 1 Section 8 does not specifically grant Congress the power to regulate health care.
Forget stopping an amendment, stop the frickin’ bill altogether.
Stupak has said more than once that if the Hyde language is not adopted to the House bill, he has the pro-life votes to defeat it, and if whatever is sent from the Senate does not include the Hyde language, if indeed the Senate uses that nuclear option, no amendment allowed on the return, simply an up-or-down vote, he and the pro-life contingency in the House will kill it.
They have the votes to do so, whether or not they will stand on principle, I leave it to be seen.
It's really that critical.
ping
As always, I want to thank you for reaching out to me and sharing your thoughts and concerns on the very important issue of life. As you know, the new health care proposal came out last week and I wanted to provide you with an update on the life issues within the current proposal. I can tell you one thing: the bill takes the wrong approach.
With regard to pro-life issues, the new bill, H.R. 3962, is very similar to the prior bill, H.R. 3200 as it was amended in the Energy and Commerce Committee. Although I am still reviewing the legislation thoroughly, I thought you may be interested in the following important provisions:
Abortion Funding: H.R. 3962 replicates the Capps amendment (an amendment that stated the U.S. Treasury will be permitted to issue checks to abortion clinics to reimburse for abortion on demand for the first time in decades), which passed in the Energy and Commerce Committee. Therefore, it remains true that the bill clearly does not incorporate the Hyde amendment, and instead it accomplishes the opposite of the Hyde amendment. While Hyde prohibits funding for abortion through government programs, the newly created public option will be authorized to pay for abortions. Similarly, while the Hyde amendment prohibits funding for coverage that includes abortion, H.R. 3962 establishes an accounting gimmick to justify subsidizing private plans that cover abortion. This is a very serious problem with the legislation, and I hope to join my pro-life colleagues in an effort to remove this terrible provision.
School Based Health Clinics: A new provision prohibits use of school-based health clinic grants for abortion and defines school based health clinics as clinics that do not perform abortion. However, there is no language regarding abortion referral or facilitating an abortion at another location.
Indian Health: Finally, Division D of H.R. 3962 reauthorizes the Indian Health Service (IHS) without a permanent ban on abortion funding. The Senate passed a ban on abortion funding (Vitter Amendment) in the last Congress, but the House did not consider the bill - reportedly at least in part due to concern that an abortion funding ban might be successfully attached in the House. The language in H.R. 3962 links Indian Health Service (IHS) funding for abortion to the Health and Human Services Appropriations bill for the given year. This arrangement replicates what is currently in law, but does not reflect the Vitter amendment. Therefore, the current bill will only restrict IHS abortion funding if the Hyde amendment is in effect. Once again, you can see how the government is using a backdoor gimmick in order to find a way to have taxpayer dollars go toward funding abortion. I find this extremely dangerous and despicable.
You can be sure I'll continue to oppose these provisions and keep you up to date as the bill moves through debate. Thanks again for contacting me, as I appreciate hearing from you. Please let me know whenever I can be of assistance.
Cecile Richards is on the White House visitors log that was recently released. Lots of meetings over the past year at the White House. What did everyone expect? This is their agenda.
The problem is - even if an amendment could be tacked on - the bill as a whole is the biggest pile of crap yet put forward. It makes the original HB3200 look good. This bill is a far larger power grab, will systematically destroy our health care system, and it is capped currently by the mandate to fund abortions.
An amendment is not what we need. We need the whole concept of the government controlling health care to be thrown away.
Further, we need to flush 95% of congress along with it.
She asked whomever can make it to drive to Wash., DC and meet with her on the west steps of the Capitol to protest on Thursday, 11/5, at 12 Noon. (Remember OUR house call visit to the local offices of our rep and senators offices downtown at 11:00AM on that same date!)