Wednesday
Jul222009
No Taxpayer Funding For Abortions, Says Bipartisan Group
Wednesday, July 22, 2009 at 12:38PM
By Sam Wechsler - Talk Radio News Service
America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 (H.R. 3200) must not include provisions for taxpayer-funded abortions, a bipartisan group of Congressmen led by Rep. Joe Pitts (R-Penn.) said Wednesday morning.
Right now, it's unclear whether or not such provisions are included in the proposed health care plan. “Failure to explicitly exclude abortions under this health plan will mean that they will be included. That, of course, is a de facto mandate to have them,” said Rep. John Fleming (R-La.).
Rep. Mary Fallin (R-Okla.) said she asked President Obama to clarify his position on whether taxpayer money would be used to provide abortion care, but said she has yet to hear from him. On Wednesday, she called upon him once more at the news conference to come forward and specify his intentions.
Fleming stated that 51 percent of Americans are against abortions, and 69 percent are against taxpayer-funded abortions. Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) complained that the proposed health care plan would do more to facilitate abortion than any government action since the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court case, despite the fact that the majority of Americans are against it.
Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) said that he expects at least 39 House Democrats to vote against the bill if it does not explicitly exclude abortion from being funded by taxpayer dollars.“We cannot support any health care reform proposal unless it explicitly excludes abortion from the scope of any government defined or subsidized health care plan,” said Stupak.
America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 (H.R. 3200) must not include provisions for taxpayer-funded abortions, a bipartisan group of Congressmen led by Rep. Joe Pitts (R-Penn.) said Wednesday morning.
Right now, it's unclear whether or not such provisions are included in the proposed health care plan. “Failure to explicitly exclude abortions under this health plan will mean that they will be included. That, of course, is a de facto mandate to have them,” said Rep. John Fleming (R-La.).
Rep. Mary Fallin (R-Okla.) said she asked President Obama to clarify his position on whether taxpayer money would be used to provide abortion care, but said she has yet to hear from him. On Wednesday, she called upon him once more at the news conference to come forward and specify his intentions.
Fleming stated that 51 percent of Americans are against abortions, and 69 percent are against taxpayer-funded abortions. Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) complained that the proposed health care plan would do more to facilitate abortion than any government action since the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court case, despite the fact that the majority of Americans are against it.
Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) said that he expects at least 39 House Democrats to vote against the bill if it does not explicitly exclude abortion from being funded by taxpayer dollars.“We cannot support any health care reform proposal unless it explicitly excludes abortion from the scope of any government defined or subsidized health care plan,” said Stupak.
House Republicans Bring Health Care Town Hall To D.C.
The 2009 Values Voter Summit put on by FRC Action held a town hall meeting in Washington, D.C. Friday Morning featuring a number of high profile Republicans, including Rep. Michelle Bachmann (R-Minn.), Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) and Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.).
Rep. Smith rallied against Obama-Care's supposed inclusion of federally funded abortions.
“Right now we are in a serious crisis, the culture of death being promoted by Barack Obama... is outrageous and it’s unconstitutional,” said Smith.
“Obama-Care represents the greatest threat since Roe vs. Wade itself,” Smith added.
Rep. Bachmann lamented that taxes will be raised now to cover services that will not be provided for another three to four years. She proposed that the American public should have access to what Bachmann described as, “whatever level of coverage you want, from whoever you want, anywhere you want."
Bachmann applauded a recent decision from the House to deny federal funding to ACORN, the scandal ridden community organizing association and called upon the President to make the final decision.
“The President has within his power to direct the Department of Housing and Urban development to stop federal grants for ACORN now, but has yet to act,” said Bachmann.