The following statements are available for media usage:
Marjorie Dannenfelser
President, Susan B. Anthony List
“Today’s bill is does not address the concerns of pro-life Americans, but Speaker Pelosi should know that we will not weaken in the last leg of the race. We’re targeting Members to ensure they stand strong against this and any other effort to subsizidize abortion with federal dollars. Public opinion is on the side of Life — Americans don’t want their government paying for abortions, in health care or anywhere else.”
David Stevens, M.D.
CEO of the 16,000-member Christian Medical Association
“As polling has shown, an impressive 45 percent of physicians say they actually are ready to quit medicine if current healthcare legislation passes. Add to that data what a national survey of faith-based physicians found: That 95 percent are ready to leave medicine if a weakening of conscience protections would force them to violate their conscientiously held convictions. Protecting conscience rights and stopping abortion mandates are crucial to any healthcare reform passage. Lawmakers must realize that threatening or minimizing conscience protections holds the potential to create a catastrophic shortage of healthcare access, especially for poor patients.”
David Bereit
Executive Director, 40 Days for Life
“Despite President Obama’s insistence before a joint session of Congress that health care reform would not include taxpayer funding of abortion, Speaker Pelosi and fellow abortion proponents in the House of Representatives rejected the will of the overwhelming majority of Americans today by introducing a massive health care reform bill that will indeed mandate government funding of abortion coverage through the “public option.
“The 71% of Americans who oppose government funding of abortion deserve a full House vote on the bipartisan amendment that will explicitly exclude abortion from health care reform. Otherwise, within days, America will experience the largest expansion of abortion since Roe v. Wade – resulting in the deaths of millions more innocent unborn children.”
Kristan Hawkins
Executive Director, Students for Life of America
“Students for life of America is disappointed to see the House healthcare plan being presented as a compromise bill. For months, prolifers across the United States have asked that abortions not be paid for with tax dollars in the new plan. However, this new bill reflects the allegiance the democratic leaders in the house have for the billion dollar abortion industry. It should be a sad day for all Americans.”
Dr. Charmaine Yoest
President and CEO, Americans United for Life
“Health care reform, including any public option, must include explicit language prohibiting abortion coverage and funding otherwise American tax payers will be forced to pay for abortions with their tax dollars. The inclusion of abortion coverage and funding by Congress would be at odds with 71% of Americans who oppose taxpayer-funded abortions. The Capps Amendment, added to the House health overhaul bill in the Energy and Commerce Committee mark-up, explicitly allows abortion coverage and funding.”
Douglas Johnson
Legislative Director, National Right to Life Committee
“Speaker Pelosi’s bill will establish a ‘public plan’ and authorize that federal government program to pay for elective abortions. The abortions will be paid for with federal funds, which are the only kind of funds a federal agency can spend. It is a hoax to claim that a federal program would pay for abortions with ‘private’ funds. Any lawmaker who votes for a closed rule on this bill is voting to establish a nationwide federal agency program that will pay for abortion on demand with federal funds.”
Peggy Hartshorn
President, Heartbeat International
“A government that pays for aborting babies loses sight of the importance of providing alternatives to abortion. If Congress does not explicitly exclude abortion from the health care reform legislation, then Americans will be forced to pay for more than 300,000 additional deaths through abortion each year. Abortion is an assault on the dignity of the human person and attacks the mother-child relationship. Federal funding of abortion will mean a death sentence for more American babies and that more women will suffer the effects of abortion related trauma.”
Karen Malec
Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer
“Government funding for elective abortions will mean more cases of breast cancer for mothers and more premature babies with cerebral palsy, mental retardation, and other serious maladies, all of which are costly for taxpayers and policyholders. Medical texts reveal that increased childbearing, starting at an early age, and increased duration of breastfeeding protect women from breast cancer. Scientists agree, therefore, that the woman who has a baby has a lower breast cancer risk than does the woman who has an abortion. In addition, eight medical groups acknowledge that abortion further raises risk by leaving the breasts with more cancers to start.”
Bradley Mattes
Executive Director, Life Issues Institute
“Life Issues Institute opposes HR 3200. In its current form it facilitates and funds abortion-on-demand; promotes rationing health care to our most vulnerable citizens; and forces medical professionals to participate in abortion or other procedures and activities they may find morally reprehensible. We urge all members of Congress to oppose this bill.”
Today marks the beginning of Catholic Schools Week nationwide and to help celebrate, the St. Michael Society is giving its readers the opportunity to share what they love most about Catholic schools.
It makes perfect sense. If the government is in charge of health care – lowering costs, rationing care, deciding what needs immediate treatment – then it seems reasonable that eventually they may have to pay you a visit to make sure you are keeping your home in a way that maximizes good health.
