DeMint Urges Supercommittee To Take On Welfare Spending

By Lisa Kellman

Republican Senators revealed during a press conference Wednesday a new area to cut spending and lower the federal deficit: Welfare.

“What we need to do is to redirect these programs in a way that encourages states to promote self sufficiency, put caps on spending and to make sure what we’re doing is helping those in need,” said Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) who authored the “Welfare Reform Act of 2011.”

This bill would require the President’s budget submission to declare all welfare expenditures, mandate work requirements to the food stamp program, give states that decrease poverty and enhance their self-sufficiency $300 million, and place an “aggregate spending cap” on all expense to return to its 2008 levels.

“The best way to kill these programs and every other federal program out there is to do nothing, allow them to continue to operate on autopilot just as our interest payments gradually cripple our ability to fund everything,” stated Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah).

DeMint noted that the Supercommittee has considered cutting Medicare and Medicaid, but have yet to look at welfare.

“They’re not considering modernizing and looking at the real spending that’s coming from these 77 welfare programs.  It makes no sense,” declared DeMint.

According to the South Carolina lawmaker, this new program would help the poor and develop their skills while saving America $2.4 trillion in 10 years.

To avoid concerns that it would hurt the poor during the recession, the bill would be enacted when unemployment falls below 7.5% or by 2015, whichever comes first.

Dems Call Cuts To Taxpayer-Funded Abortions 'Undemocratic'

By Anna Cameron

House Democrats voiced their fierce opposition to the “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act” Wednesday, a piece of legislation introduced by House Republicans that would cut off taxpayer-funded abortions.

“We have witnessed in the past few weeks an uprising in Egypt, in Tunisia, and all over the world, where people are [fighting] for democracy. We in the United states are the epitome of democracy, and yet what are we trying to do here?” questioned Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.). “We are trying to take away the rights of women. That is the most undemocratic move that I can think of.”

The “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act” seeks to expand upon the Hyde amendment by also prohibiting indirect funding that has the potential to impact abortion services. The bill denies tax credits and subsidies to any individual or business that purchases insurance covering full reproductive health services, even when abortion is paid for with personal funds. In addition, it would change the definition of rape for purposes of exemption, as well as the exemption age for incest.

“The idea that we would decide, in a piece of legislation, that women who have insurance, who are working, who may never use the rider for an abortion, will not be able to pay for one, even with their own money, Slaughter said. “Obviously the intent there is to drive away the ability of insurance companies to provide those riders, [but] we will not stand for it.”

House Democrats chastised Republicans for pushing insignificant and unrelated legislation like H.R.3 rather than working to lower unemployment and boost the economy.

“Instead of working together in a bipartisan way to find jobs for Americans, …two of the first three bills [Republicans] have introduced have been bills designed to divide us,” said DeGetter. “[Republican bills] have been extreme measures that have been designed to take away citizen’s rights to get full health care coverage.”

Pro-Choice Religious Leaders Denounce Stupak Amendment

By Leah Valencia, University of New Mexico- Talk Radio News Service


Leaders of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice urged U.S. Senators Monday to remove language from the final health care reform bill that restricts federal funding for abortion.

“Health care reform that attacks the rights of more than half of the population by subjecting some of their most basic and intimate decisions to a large and powerful church’s governing body is not reform at all,” said Barry Lynn, Executive Director for Americans United for Separation of Church and State, during a morning press conference hosted by the National Press Club.

While the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, an organization with members from a variety of religious backgrounds, advocated women's reproductive rights, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops pushed House leaders to amend their bill to prohibit abortion coverage.

The Stupak-Pitts amendment, included in the House bill, restricts abortion coverage in a government-run insurance plan as well as in private plans funded by government subsidies.

“How surprising and appalling to see that a provision designed to curtail women’s right to abortion was slipped into the health care bill at the behest of a powerful religious group, a provision that reflects the doctrine of that group,” Lynn said.

President Barack Obama has remarked that he does not believe health care reform should change the “status quo” in regards to abortion. However, many moderate Senate Democrats say they will urge firm restrictions on abortion funding in the final health care bill.

Obama has not commented as to whether he will sign a bill with language that prohibits abortion funding.

Pro-Life Caucus Claims Major Victory Over Stupak Amendment

By Travis Martinez, University of New Mexico-Talk Radio News Service

The Pro-life caucus touted the adoption of the Stupak-Pitts amendment in the Affordable Health Care for America legislation as a significant victory late Saturday evening.

“I can’t say enough for my colleagues on both the Democratic and Republican side… this is a great victory for people across this nation,” said Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI).

The amendment was adopted with a bi-partisan vote of 240-194.

The Stupak Amendment prohibits the use of federal funding for abortion under the public health insurance option and prohibits the use of federal affordability credits to purchase a health insurance policy that covers abortion.

Senate Finance Committee Rejects Amendment For Tighter Abortion Regulations

The Senate Finance Committee voted no today to an amendment introduced by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) which states that “federal tax payer dollars will not be used to pay for subsidized abortions or the new plans and programs created in this bill.”

The amendment failed by a 10-13 vote.

Prior to the introduction of the amendment, the America’s Healthy Future Act stated “federal funds continue to be prohibited from being used to pay for abortions unless the pregnancy is due to rape, incest or the life of the mother is in danger.”

In its current state, the bill requires insurance companies to segregate private money, which comes from premiums, and federal money to ensure public funds are not being used to pay for abortions.

Sen. Hatch’s amendment also stated that women would have the choice to purchase a separate policy that includes abortion coverage.

Prior to the Committee’s vote, Chairman Baucus said, “Basically this is a health care bill, this is not an abortion bill. We are not changing current law.”