Tag Archives: health care

Call Your Representative: No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act

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Government prohibition on taxpayer funding for abortion was recently introduced in the House by Representatives Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Dan Lipinski (D-IL).  So far over 175 Members of Congress have agreed to cosponsor the Smith/Lipinski bill titled the “ No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act” (HR 5939).   Read the text of the bill here.
 
It is important for pro-lifers to urge all  Members of Congress to cosponsor the legislation with the goal of demonstrating that there is enough support to pass the bill.  Call your Representative today at (202) 224-3121.

Priority calls: 

Republicans: Biggert, Bilbray, Bono Mack, Capito, Castle, Dent, Djou, Dreier, Flake, Frelinghuysen, Hastings, Heller, Kirk, Lance, Mack, C., Nunes, Putnam, Reichert, Rohrabacher, Rooney, Royce, Young, B., Young, D.,

Democrats: Baca, Barrow, Berry, Bishop, Boccieri, Cardoza, Chandler, Cooper, Costa, Cuellar, Davis (AL), Doyle, Etheridge, Gordon, Hill, Holden, Kaptur, Kildee, Langevin, Lynch, Matheson, Melancon, Michaud, Mollohan, Neal, Obey, Perriello, Pomeroy, Reyes, Rodriguez, Ryan (OH), Salazar, Shuler, Skelton, Snyder, Space, Spratt, Stupak, Tanner, Teague

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So Called Ban on Abortion Funding – Anti-Catholic History – Faith vs Works

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I thought there is no public funding of abortion?

I wonder what Sister Carol Keehan, Bart Stupak and all the so-called Catholic health organizations think about U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi receiving an award from abortion giant Planned Parenthood in recognition of her efforts in ensuring that the abortion funding ban was not inserted in ObamaCare. Never mind, I don’t want to know.

History and Catholicsim:

I’m not looking to re-fight the Thirty Years War or defend all the actions of Mary I of England, but this interesting article should remind all Catholics that most of the history books we read are written by people that at their core are anti-catholic. If you like to read a good history of the Catholic Church to recommend Harry Crocker’s book:

Faith vs Works?  I choose Christ.

The New Oxford Review has a wonderful piece by Stephen Rombouts. He takes on the debate between faith versus works and talks about having a “truly personal relationship with Jesus” through the Eucharist.

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Bart Stupak’s Betrayal

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For the Editors of St Michael Society, the shock over Bart Stupak’s betrayal this weekend has begun to turn into anger and grief. Its one thing to cave to pressures and intimidation but Stupak’s speech on the House floor sheds new light on the man. This was not a man who changed his vote because he was worn down by attacks. Bart Stupak’s speech on the House floor revealed a man, who in the end, decided to put the Democratic Party ahead the life of the unborn, the lives of women who will suffer from abortion, obedience to the bishops and sadly his faith. We need to pray for him and we must work to undo the damage he has done.

Here are the writings of respected voices on the topic:

Kathryn Jean Lopez:  

Unfortunately, if Bart Stupak truly wanted to ensure that human dignity was respected in this legislation, he wouldn’t have surrendered. But surrender he did — and then some, declaring the Democratic party the protectors of the unborn on the House floor last night.

The Democratic party is nothing of the sort — which is another reason no one who wanted to defeat the taxpayer funding of abortion in Obamacare should have expected a Stupak-led victory in this Washington environment. It’s the party that will never offend the abortion industry. It’s the party that owns partial-birth abortion.

William McGurn

By caving at the last hour, he discredited all who stood with him. (What does it say about Ohio’s Marcy Kaptur and Pennsylvania’s Chris Carney that they had already agreed to vote yes even before the fig leaf of the executive order had come through?) In addition to undermining an encouraging partnership with pro-lifers across the congressional aisle, Mr. Stupak signaled that, in the end, you can’t count on pro-life Democrats.

Susan B. Anthony List

Let me be clear: any representative, including Rep. Stupak, who votes for this healthcare bill can no longer call themselves ‘pro-life.’ The Susan B. Anthony List Candidate Fund will not endorse, or support in any capacity, any Member of Congress who votes for this bill in any future election. Now through Election Day 2010, these representatives will learn that votes have consequences. The SBA List Candidate Fund will work tirelessly to help defeat Members who support this legislation and make sure their constituents know exactly how they voted.

CWA

…in the 11th hour, he caved. He succumbed to the pressures of the most pro-abortion Administration in history just because they said they would write on a piece of paper that the federal government won’t fund abortion. It’s not even a law the President wrote. It’s not worth the Post-It note he wrote it on.

 Shame on you Bart Stupak. Shame on all the other Members who walked the plank with you. You all sold out and scorned millions of voters who trusted you and believed in you. 

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Catholic or Lobbyist First

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You have undoubtly heard the sad news of so called Catholic organizations supporting the current healthcare bill that funds abortions.  Kansas City, Kansas Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann has done great work the expose the true motives of these organizations.  He is also urging his flock to contact key members of Congress this week asking them to vote ‘no’ on the pro-abortion Senate Health Care Reform bill.  His advice is sound for all of us.

You can read the Archbishop’s letter here. Here are the key contact numbers for interested Catholics:

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More Polling in Key Districts Show Majorities Oppose Gov-Funded Abortion, Healthcare Reform

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Whip counts are changing every five minutes it seems. For those of you not bogged down in Washington lingo, a whip count is the number of Members of Congress who are voting for/against a certain bill. In this case, the whip count on the healthcare bill is all anyone is talking about, as they should be. Pelosi needs 216 votes and counts are anywhere from 190 up to 204 for the bill.

Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121

Not only is this healthcare bill a complete disaster for the US economy if it passes but it will force all taxpayers for fund abortion on demand.

 “We will do what is necessary to pass this healthcare bill” – Speaker Nancy Pelosi, March 16, 2010

 And the Democrats are trying to do just that with the possibility of the “Slaughter Solution”, which would, in essence, “deem” the Senate bill passed by the House without an actual vote. No joke.

 Anyway, don’t stop contacting your Member of Congress, especially if you live in any of the districts below – it’s believed that these Members are on the fence. Specific polling was done in these districts and its clear that people oppose government funding of abortion and that it would be political suicide for elected officials to vote for the healthcare reform bill.

Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121

Here’s the polling summary from the Susan B. Anthony List:

AR-04 Mike Ross

72% oppose using tax dollars to pay for abortions (68% strongly oppose)
84% oppose taxpayer funding of abortions as part of healthcare reform (73% strongly oppose)
73% agree that abortion and abortion funding have no place in healthcare legislation (61% strongly agree)
65% would be less likely to vote to re-elect Congressman Ross if he votes for healthcare legislation that includes federal government funding of abortion (53% would be much less likely)

FL-02 Allen Boyd

73% oppose using tax dollars to pay for abortions (60% strongly oppose)
75% oppose taxpayer funding of abortions as part of healthcare reform (61% strongly oppose)
63% agree that abortion and abortion funding have no place in healthcare legislation (52% strongly agree)
60% would be less likely to vote to re-elect Congressman Boyd if he votes for healthcare legislation that includes federal government funding of abortion (44% would be much less likely)

GA-12 John Barrow

78% oppose using tax dollars to pay for abortions (59% strongly oppose)
76% oppose taxpayer funding of abortions as part of healthcare reform (58% strongly oppose)
64% agree that abortion and abortion funding have no place in healthcare legislation (53% strongly agree)
53% would be less likely to vote to re-elect Congressman Barrow if he votes for healthcare legislation that includes federal government funding of abortion (38% would be much less likely)

IN-02 Joe Donnelly

80% oppose using tax dollars to pay for abortions (66% strongly oppose)
78% oppose taxpayer funding of abortions as part of healthcare reform (66% strongly oppose)
70% agree that abortion and abortion funding have no place in healthcare legislation (58% strongly agree)
60% would be less likely to vote to re-elect Congressman Donnelly if he votes for healthcare legislation that includes federal government funding of abortion (47% would be much less likely)

IN-08 Brad Ellsworth

80% oppose using tax dollars to pay for abortions (69% strongly oppose)
81% oppose taxpayer funding of abortions as part of healthcare reform (71% strongly oppose)
72% agree that abortion and abortion funding have no place in healthcare legislation (60% strongly agree)
65% would be less likely to vote to re-elect Congressman Ellsworth if he votes for healthcare legislation that includes federal government funding of abortion (53% would be much less likely)

IN-09 Baron Hill

77% oppose using tax dollars to pay for abortions (67% strongly oppose)
75% oppose taxpayer funding of abortions as part of healthcare reform (66% strongly oppose)
72% agree that abortion and abortion funding have no place in healthcare legislation (61% strongly agree)
61% would be less likely to vote to re-elect Congressman Hill if he votes for healthcare legislation that includes federal government funding of abortion (51% would be much less likely)

MA-02 Richard Neal

63% oppose using tax dollars to pay for abortions (46% strongly oppose)
62% oppose taxpayer funding of abortions as part of healthcare reform (48% strongly oppose)
56% agree that abortion and abortion funding have no place in healthcare legislation (43% strongly agree)
47% would be less likely to vote to re-elect Congressman Neal if he votes for healthcare legislation that includes federal government funding of abortion (31% would be much less likely)

 MI-05 Dale Kildee

75% oppose using tax dollars to pay for abortions (57% strongly oppose)
75% oppose taxpayer funding of abortions as part of healthcare reform (57% strongly oppose)
65% agree that abortion and abortion funding have no place in healthcare legislation (53% strongly agree)
56% would be less likely to vote to re-elect Congressman Kildee if he votes for healthcare legislation that includes federal government funding of abortion (37% would be much less likely)

MN-08 Jim Oberstar

73% oppose using tax dollars to pay for abortions (61% strongly oppose)
74% oppose taxpayer funding of abortions as part of healthcare reform (60% strongly oppose)
68% agree that abortion and abortion funding have no place in healthcare legislation (54% strongly agree)
56% would be less likely to vote to re-elect Congressman Oberstar if he votes for healthcare legislation that includes federal government funding of abortion (36% would be much less likely)

 ND-AL Earl Pomeroy

80% oppose using tax dollars to pay for abortions (62% strongly oppose)
79% oppose taxpayer funding of abortions as part of healthcare reform (62% strongly oppose)
73% agree that abortion and abortion funding have no place in healthcare legislation (58% strongly agree)
57% would be less likely to vote to re-elect Congressman Pomeroy if he votes for healthcare legislation that includes federal government funding of abortion (42% would be much less likely)

 OH-01 Steve Driehaus

73% oppose using tax dollars to pay for abortions (61% strongly oppose)
72% oppose taxpayer funding of abortions as part of healthcare reform (62% strongly oppose)
64% agree that abortion and abortion funding have no place in healthcare legislation (52% strongly agree)
55% would be less likely to vote to re-elect Congressman Driehaus if he votes for healthcare legislation that includes federal government funding of abortion (45% would be much less likely)

 OH-06 Charlie Wilson

80% oppose using tax dollars to pay for abortions (65% strongly oppose)
79% oppose taxpayer funding of abortions as part of healthcare reform (66% strongly oppose)
74% agree that abortion and abortion funding have no place in healthcare legislation (61% strongly agree)
64% would be less likely to vote to re-elect Congressman Wilson if he votes for healthcare legislation that includes federal government funding of abortion (51% would be much less likely)

 OH-09 Marcy Kaptur

67% oppose using tax dollars to pay for abortions (52% strongly oppose)
66% oppose taxpayer funding of abortions as part of healthcare reform (52% strongly oppose)
61% agree that abortion and abortion funding have no place in healthcare legislation (45% strongly agree)
47% would be less likely to vote to re-elect Congresswoman Kaptur if he votes for healthcare legislation that includes federal government funding of abortion (38% would be much less likely)

OH-16 John Boccieri

80% oppose using tax dollars to pay for abortions (67% strongly oppose)
79% oppose taxpayer funding of abortions as part of healthcare reform (67% strongly oppose)
71% agree that abortion and abortion funding have no place in healthcare legislation (60% strongly agree)
62% would be less likely to vote to re-elect Congressman Boccieri if he votes for healthcare legislation that includes federal government funding of abortion (50% would be much less likely)

 PA-03 Kathy Dahlkemper

79% oppose using tax dollars to pay for abortions (64% strongly oppose)
78% oppose taxpayer funding of abortions as part of healthcare reform (64% strongly oppose)
69% agree that abortion and abortion funding have no place in healthcare legislation (58% strongly agree)
65% would be less likely to vote to re-elect Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper if he votes for healthcare legislation that includes federal government funding of abortion (50% would be much less likely)

PA-04 Jason Altmire

76% oppose using tax dollars to pay for abortions (61% strongly oppose)
74% oppose taxpayer funding of abortions as part of healthcare reform (63% strongly oppose)
64% agree that abortion and abortion funding have no place in healthcare legislation (54% strongly agree)
58% would be less likely to vote to re-elect Congressman Altmire if he votes for healthcare legislation that includes federal government funding of abortion (46% would be much less likely)

 PA-11 Paul Kanjorski

71% oppose using tax dollars to pay for abortions (55% strongly oppose)
68% oppose taxpayer funding of abortions as part of healthcare reform (55% strongly oppose)
62% agree that abortion and abortion funding have no place in healthcare legislation (46% strongly agree)
53% would be less likely to vote to re-elect Congressman Kanjorski if he votes for healthcare legislation that includes federal government funding of abortion (39% would be much less likely)

 PA-14 Mike Doyle

65% oppose using tax dollars to pay for abortions (46% strongly oppose)
63% oppose taxpayer funding of abortions as part of healthcare reform (48% strongly oppose)
52% agree that abortion and abortion funding have no place in healthcare legislation (40% strongly agree)
44% would be less likely to vote to re-elect Congressman Doyle if he votes for healthcare legislation that includes federal government funding of abortion (27% would be much less likely)

 RI-02 James Langevin

80% oppose using tax dollars to pay for abortions (66% strongly oppose)
78% oppose taxpayer funding of abortions as part of healthcare reform (66% strongly oppose)
53% agree that abortion and abortion funding have no place in healthcare legislation (38% strongly agree)
45% would be less likely to vote to re-elect Congressman Langevin if he votes for healthcare legislation that includes federal government funding of abortion (34% would be much less likely)

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From the Breviary – 3/15/10

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Yesterday, those of us in the Diocese of Arlington were asked to keep a day of prayer and fasting by Bishop Loverde to ask God’s protection and guidance for those who are crafting health care legislation.  I imagine that it is no accident that the petitions for Evening Prayer in the Divine Office for yesterday started off with these:

Glory to God the Father, who has promised through his Son to grant what is asked by those who pray together. With confidence in this promise, let us pray:
– Lord, save the people you have redeemed.

Lord, you gave the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai, and brought it to perfection in your Anointed One,
may all recognize the Law written in their hearts, and keep it faithfully as a covenant.
– Lord, save the people you have redeemed.

Give those in authority a true concern for their brothers and sisters entrusted to their care,
and inspire the hearts of the people to support their leaders.
– Lord, save the people you have redeemed.

It may be a good idea to keep these petitions close to you in the coming days and pray them everyday as we grow closer to a vote on this legislation.  We cannot know what God will allow to happen, but we do know that it is our job to pray for the best.

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Culture of Death Knocks on Congress’ Door, Catholics Called to Action – Day of Prayer and Fast

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Last week was a crazy and confusing week given the latest twists and turns emanating from the final days of the health care battle.  Pro-government run health care forces are doing all they can to play parliamentary games to try and pass pro-abortion, pro-euthanasia, government imposed health care on the American people, despite the peoples’ fairly obvious objection — over and over again. 

SMS has covered the health care debate ad nauseum.  This is because of the tremendous life-altering impact health care “reform,” as proposed by pro-abortion/euthanasia forces in Washington, mainly President Obama and his allies in Congress, Speaker Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, will have on the American people and our culture.  Obama, Pelosi and Reid are trying to pull out every trick in the book to force the American public, the taxpayer, to fund elective abortion on demand and sign up for policies that lead to rationing of care, as well as force doctors to perform abortions and engage practices that ration care. 

A new study out by the New England Journal of Medicine says that almost 1/3 of Doctors say they would leave the health profession if the Obama Democrats version of health care passes.  Yet we see little of this in the national media.

The USCCB issued a Call to Action that will appeared in many bulletins on Sunday urging Catholics to call their Represenatives and Senators and once again  make our voices heard in defense of the sanctity of life, from conception to natural death.  It also declares that a conscience protections clause must be in the final bill, protecting the rights of doctors, nurses and other pro-life medical professionals who refuse to engage in life ending practices or counseling on abortion or euthanasia.

You can read the Call to Action and bulletin insert here.

Additionally, SMS is asking our supporters to pass the word in joining Bishop Paul Loverde, Bishop of the Diocese of Arlington, VA in his call for Monday, March 15th to be a national day of prayer and fast to protect the sanctity of life in any health care legislation that comes from Congress. 

Learn more about the fast here.

Make no mistake, the health care bill that will be voted on this week will include taxpayer funding for abortion, will lead to rationing of health care and is devoid of sufficient protections for pro-life doctors, nurses and medical professionals.  The culture of death is knocking on Congress’ door.  Given that no life-protecting measures are in the bill to be voted on next week, SMS urges our supporters to call their Representatives and Senators and tell them to vote NO! 

Call your Congressman at 202-225-3121

Call your Senator at 202-224-3121

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Sebelius Doubletalk; Stupak Not Backing Down

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Headlines like this don’t get old -“Could Issue of Abortion Derail Health Care Bill?”

And neither does Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI), a pro-life Catholic Democrat who, over and over again has said he (and many of his colleagues) will not vote for any bill that funds abortion with government dollars.

President Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Planned Parenthood, et al must be fuming. President Obama completely ignored Minority Leader John Boehner’s concern about this during last week’s healthcare summit and Nancy Pelosi is back to her talking points that the bill doesn’t change the status quo on abortion funding.

On Good Morning America this morning, Dept. of Health & Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius (remember her? – she and the late late-term abortionist George Tiller were very close) said that the bill doesn’t change the status quo on abortion.

However, on Dec. 22, 2009 Sebelius specifically said that the Senate bill is an “accounting procedure” and that everyone would pay into the abortion fund:

SEBELIUS: “That would be an accounting procedure, but everybody in the exchange would do the same thing, whether you’re male or female, whether you’re 75 or 25, you would all set aside a portion of your premium that would go into a fund, and it would not be earmarked for anything, it would be a separate account that everyone in the exchange would pay.”

Stupak followed Sebelius this morning on Good Morning America and said he and his pro-life colleagues cannot vote for a bill that contains language that funds abortion. But then he took it even farther:

STEPHANOPOULOS: “Let me be clear here.  If the president doesn’t change the language, if your language is not accepted, you and your 11 colleagues who voted yes the last time will vote no this time. Does that mean you’re prepared to take responsibility for bringing down this whole bill?”

STUPAK: “Yes, we’re prepared to take responsibility. I mean, I’ve been catching it ever since last fall.  Let’s face it, I want to see health care. But we’re not going to bypass some principles and beliefs that we feel strongly about.”

See the whole GMA segment here: http://bit.ly/aDJoOk

As readers of this blog know, the Senate bill, which is the one Obama’s new bill mirrors, absolutely and without a doubt funds abortion with government money. There is even an “abortion fee” levied through that bill that goes to the abortion fund Sebelius was talking about. We don’t know how Pelosi, Obama and their allies say that it doesn’t fund abortion.

Obama has made it clear he wants Congress to use the tricky procedure of reconciliation to pass/ram through his unpopular healthcare reform (he’s been playing close attention to recent elections as you can tell). The power lies in the House -the bill HAS to pass the House of Representatives before it can go to Obama for his signature and then to the Senate for a majority vote.

You know what you have to do. This is it. The endgame has arrived – don’t let up in contacting your elected officials and tell them you’re not fooled by Obama’s rhetoric. You know abortion funding is in the bill and you don’t want it.

And pray for Rep. Stupak and his allies. No doubt he has the weight of the most powerful people in the world upon his shoulders and they want him to cave to their demands.

—————————————————————————————————

Report from LifeNews:

Richard Doerflinger, the associate director of the pro-life office of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops put Pelosi’s myth to bed.

“We do not know how anyone who has spoken to the bishops could conclude that the Senate health care bill does not fund abortions. As the bishops have said in their letters to Congress, abortion problems in the Senate bill are so serious that, despite our strong support for expanding access to health care, we will have to oppose the bill unless they are resolved,” he said.

“While the Senate bill includes some language limiting the direct use of tax credits to subsidize abortion coverage, it still violates longstanding federal precedent on abortion funding in two ways,” Doerflinger explained.

“First, the Senate’s abortion language limits only use of tax credits for abortion in qualified health plans, not other funding in the bill. For example, the bill authorizes and appropriates $7 billion for services at community health centers (increased to $11 billion in the President’s new proposal). The Hyde amendment does not prevent direct use of these billions of dollars for elective abortions (because the funds are not provided through the appropriations bill governed by Hyde); nor does any provision in the Senate bill,” the pro-life Catholic leader said.

“Second, the Senate’s language on tax credits still allows subsidies for overall health plans that cover elective abortions, against the policy of the Hyde amendment and other longstanding federal laws. The bill requires each American purchasing such a plan to make a separate payment to the insurer every month, solely to pay for other people’s abortions. This is an enormous imposition on the consciences of the millions of Americans who oppose abortion,” Doerflinger concluded in his statement.

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Big Week in Healthcare Coming Up

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A lot will be happening on healthcare next week. Not satisfied that the American people have soundly rejected their healthcare plans, that includes government-funding of abortion, President Obama, Harry Reid & Nancy Pelosi are back to pushing their own agenda hard.

President Obama is meeting with GOP leaders next Thursday, Feb. 25th, which will be aired live, to talk about coming up with a bi-partisan healthcare plan. But before that he will be releasing his own reconciliation healthcare bill and posting it online either late this weekend or Monday morning. The President wants this bill to be the starting point of negotiations during the GOP healthcare meeting.

Has Obama mentioned abortion? Of course he hasn’t. But here’s the thing. Abortion HAS to be addressed somehow in the healthcare bill. If there is no specific exclusion of abortion written into the bill, like the Stupak Amendment did, then you and I will be funding abortion through healthcare. Period.

Obama knows it. Pelosi knows it. Reid knows it. And Americans know it too. We’ve written on several national polls showing that Americans overwhelmingly disapprove of government-funding of abortion.

Thanks to the heroic efforts of Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI), Nancy Pelosi is going to have a heck of a hard time passing a healthcare bill in the House that doesn’t include his amendment.

Be vigilant. Read the new bill. And contact your legislators. Like we have said, healthcare reform isn’t over yet. Obama and his allies are desperate for a healthcare bill and they are desperate to pay back all the support they have received from the abortion industry. And from the looks for it, they will do anything whatsoever to get it.

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