For many months now, Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) has worked to position his approach to health reform as less strident and more reasonable than the radical and imposing, big government approach many of his liberal Democrat colleagues have proposed.  Indeed, Senator Baucus has been consistent in his opposition to the government option, stating health care will not pass if it is included.  Senator Baucus’ opposition to the public option has resulted in media coverage positioning him as a more centrist and reasoned player in the health reform debate.     

Earlier this week, the public option went down to defeat in the Senate Finance Committee, Chaired by Baucus,  not once, but twice.  Oh, but by the way, Senator Schumer says the far left Democrats have only to begun to fight for the public option — which is no option at all — it will lead to huge deficits, rationing of health care and bring immense bureaucratic power to the federal government, where accountants and economists will  make medical decisions not doctors and health care professionals. 

But we digress.  We should not be fooled again by this idea that anything short of the public option is “centrist” or “a reasonable compromise.”  In fact, we only have to look to yesterday’s Senate Finance Committee vote on Amendments that would have taken abortion and assisted suicide out of health care.  In fact, what is a reasonable question to ask is why abortion and assisted suicide are even being discussed in the debate surrounding health reform.  It is amazing how far we have come when politicians can suggest the taking of life is somehow part of health care.  And, to top it off, the Committee also rejected Amendments which would have prevented pro-life doctors and medical professionals from being forced by the federal government to provide abortion services. 

A report from today’s Washington Times http://bit.ly/upWc3 accurately captures what the Senate Finance Committee rejected:

Two abortion-related proposals from Sen. Orrin G. Hatch, Utah Republican, would have restricted public or private health plans that include abortion coverage and would have strengthened protections for health care providers from discrimination if they refuse to provide an abortion.

Because the government may be facilitating private and possibly public insurance coverage through a government health care exchange, opponents of abortion have raised concern that taxpayers would be funding abortions. They hoped to make permanent the so-called Hyde Amendment, which bans federal funding of abortions but must be renewed annually.

A second proposal would have banned any local government, agency or health plan from discriminating against health care providers who refuse to provide abortions. It also would have directed the Office for Civil Rights of the Department of Health and Human Services to collect and investigate discrimination complaints.

The failure of these votes clearly demonstrates that Mr. Baucus’ bill is no “centrist” bill and is certainly no “reasonable compromise.”  In countless polls, the American people do not support government funding of abortion.  Nor does the public support federal mandates forcing doctors to provide abortion services.  The Baucus bill is emerging as simply another radically far left, big government attempt to dole out tax dollars to the abortion industry and impose abortion on demand paid for by the federal government, meaning the American taxpayer.  This move is essentially a  pay back to an abortion industry that has overhwhelming funded many of the liberal politicians leading the charge for “health reform.”   Indeed, much of what the radically pro-abortion and unpopular so called Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA), which President Obama promised to the abortion industry http://bit.ly/CKSRz he would sign as one of his first acts as President, has been tucked into “health reform.”

We shall no longer mince words in this debate.  What emerged yesterday in the Senate Finance Committee was an underhanded attack on Catholic teaching and Judeo-Christian values.  In rejecting these reasonable Amendments, the Baucus bill seeks to diminish freedom and enhance the taking of innocent human life by funding abortion on demand, condoning euthanasia and forcing Catholic doctors and hospitals to be faced with either providing abortion services, shut down, change careers or risk law suits.  Not so good for access to health care advocates when Catholic hospitals represent 12 plus percent of all US hospitals providing health care to hundreds of millions of Americans. 

Not much “centrist” or ”compromising” about it.  Let’s call the this for what it is — an anti-Catholic, anti-freedom bill which discriminates against the unborn, the elderly and Catholic, prolife doctors.  The bill that is tracking its way to the Senate floor for a vote next week, is anathema to Catholicism and to the nation’s Judeo-Christian values.

Finally, SMS gives a shout out to Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND) for his courage and support of the Hatch Amendments yesterday.  Senator Conrad’s votes represent many Democrats in the Senate and House that feel abortion funding and forcing doctors to provide abortions have no place in the health care reform debate.  We encourage Catholics and prolifers to call Senator Conrad and thank him for his support of the Hatch Amendments.  Phone: (202) 224-2043

Some key facts:

Mores Americans are prolife:

http://www.gallup.com/poll/118399/More-Americans-Pro-Life-Than-Pro-Choice-First-Time.aspx

Americans want abortion fuding out of any health care plan:

http://bit.ly/1aJkdr