House Wrong To Deny Abortion Coverage In Health Care Bill
Under the laws of the United States, given the 1973 Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade, abortion is a legal medical procedure. For better or worse, regardless of one’s views, it is the law of the land. As such, I am troubled by the lack of appreciation for that fact among some members of the House of Representatives that pushed for an exclusion of abortion services in the health care bill that will soon be voted on. There is no reason that a legal procedure be not paid for when women seek one out. For Democrats to turn their backs on women in this fashion in 2009 is truly quite distasteful. While medically necessary abortions will still be covered, the action of those Democrats who carry water for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops should be ashamed. What does a bishop know about a women’s vagina?
Several anti-abortion Democrats will offer the amendment, including Rep. Brad Ellsworth, D-Indiana, and Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Michigan, who are scoring a major victory in convincing Democratic leaders to allow this vote.
It is also a big win for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which used its power, especially with conservative Democrats in swing congressional districts, to help force Democratic leaders to permit a vote that most of them oppose.
“We didn’t have a choice,” said a Democratic leadership source. “We didn’t have the votes” on health care without agreeing to this.
Planned Parenthood decried the amendment, saying it would result in the elimination of abortion coverage currently offered by most private health insurance plans.
“This amendment would violate the spirit of health-care reform, which is meant to guarantee quality, affordable health-care coverage for all by creating a two-tiered system that would punish women, particularly those with low and modest incomes,” the group said in a statement.
“Women won’t stand for legislation that takes away their current benefits and leaves them worse off after health-care reform than they are today.”
The Democratic sources said people would be able to purchase riders with their own money for insurance that includes abortion coverage.
“I find this amendment very, very uncomfortable,” said Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Massachusetts.
“I foresee for poor women in America, a return to the dark ages,” said Rep Alcee Hastings, D-Florida.
RSS - Posts
This is amazing! We all know the history of the Catholic Bishops Conference and the horrors they allowed to be inflicted on children. So how can these Bishops speak with any moral authority? The Catholic Bishops protected and enabled pedophiles and child abusers..no one should treat them with any respect!
I am also pro choice but do not think the gov’t should pay for abortions (except for in cases of medical emergency or rape). The bill would have never passed in the house if it had been left in.
Government funds should not be used to terminate an innocent life except when the mother’s own life is at risk.
I am pro-choice and against government funded abortion. While the mother may choose to terminate an unborn child in the first trimester, I don’t believe the government should fund it.