Charmaine Yoest
Dr. Charmaine Yoest, President and CEO of Americans United for Life
The Senate Finance Committee has joined the four other committees with jurisdiction over health care reform in reporting out a bill that does not include explicit language excluding abortion funding and coverage. In fact, the Baucus bill explicitly includes abortion funding and coverage history has shown that unless legislation relating to health care reform includes language that expressly excludes abortion, courts and administrative agencies will interpret the legislation as including abortion. We urge the Democratic leadership in the Senate to ensure that the final Senate bill includes such language before the bill is brought to the Senate Floor.
Kristan Hawkins, Executive Director, Students for Life of America and HealthcareForGunner.com
I was disappointed to watch the the Baucus health care reform pass out of committee today. The vote highlights the disregard some leaders in Washington have for the most vulnerable among us. I am disgusted to think that these Senators think that it is okay to force all Americans, regardless of these stance on abortion, to pay for unlimited abortions in all 9 months of pregnancy. Further, I am frightened by the prospect of those with chronic diseases and those towards the end of the lives receiving less than top care because of rationing cost restraints. As a mother of a special-needs child, this vote is especially concerning as the current health care reform bill may be the mean life or death for my son. I and the thousands of pro-life students of America abhor this vote.
Marjorie Dannenfelser, President of the Susan B. Anthony List
No matter how many times the President and his allies repeat it, the Hyde Amendment will not protect the taxpayer from government-funded abortion on-demand in health care. The truth is, without an explicit exclusion, abortion will be covered, whether it is in a public plan or government co-op. Yet authentic abortion exclusion language has been voted down five times, three times in the House and twice in the Senate. If the President and Congress are sincere about not funding abortion on-demand in health care reform, they should add separate Hyde amendment language to health care legislation. The American pro-life majority is waiting.
David Bereit, National Director, 40 Days for Life
By passing a health care reform bill that mandates government funding of abortion coverage, the Senate Finance Committee has violated President Obama’s promise to the American people and thumbed its nose at the 71% of Americans who oppose government funding of abortion. Regrettably, abortion industry lobbyists have successfully hijacked the health care reform debate, convincing these bureaucrats to move one step closer to handing the abortion industry a multi-billion-dollar government subsidized bailout that could jeopardize the prospects of real health care reform for the American people.
Douglas Johnson
Douglas Johnson, Legislative Director, National Right to Life Committee
The Senate Finance Committee now becomes the fifth Democrat-controlled congressional committee to approve a bill that would expand federal support for elective abortion, after rejecting amendments that would protect the true principles of the Hyde Amendment. The Obama Administration continues to advance its pro-abortion policy agenda behind smokescreens of contrived language and outright misrepresentation, aided and abetted by mostly superficial and gullible coverage by the mainstream news media.
