Conservatives Prepare for Next Round in Health Care Battle
Jennifer Riley, Christian Post
Christian conservatives were quick to oppose the new House health care bill, which they say includes federal funds for elective abortion and mandates providing information about physician-assisted suicide in some states.
“Speaker Pelosi might as well rename her bill the ‘Government Funded Abortions for America Act,’” Family Research Council President Tony Perkins said as he lambasted the new proposal.
The 1,990-page health care bill, unveiled Thursday, removes the Hyde Amendment, which bans federal funding for abortion except in the cases of rape, incest, or danger to the physical health of the mother.
According to FRC, the bill – which would cost about $1 trillion over ten years – also subsidizes health plans that cover all elective abortions.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was also criticized for removing a provision that prevents medical professionals from offering information on physician-assisted suicide when giving patients end-of-life options.
“From womb to tomb, this legislation would use funds garnered from taxpayers to fund abortions and encourage seniors to end their lives early in states such as Oregon and Washington (where physician-assisted suicide already occurs),” Perkins said.
Likewise, Focus on the Family and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops have spoken out against health care reform that includes abortion coverage after the release of the House bill.
“The bishops want health care reform, but they recoil at any expansion of abortion,” said Helen Osman, USCCB secretary for communications, in a statement Friday. “Most Americans don’t want to pay for other people’s abortions via health care either. This impasse on the road to reform of health care can be broken if Congress writes in language that assures that the Hyde Amendment law continues to guide U.S. federal spending policy.”
But pro-life groups are encouraged by a group of Democrats, led by Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), who vow to oppose health care reform that would allow federal funding for abortion.
http://www.bibleprophecyupdate.com/?p=948The heretics never think about anything but sex.