Tag Archives: subsidiarity

Abortion a Stumbling Block for Healthcare Reform?

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No one fooled by Capps Amendment…Rep. Bart Stupak holding his ground…Dems working on 2nd phony amendment…

Whenever the liberal Dems are pressed on whether or not abortion is funded by government dollars through healthcare, they often point back to the Capps Amendment in the House bill, which they say makes sure gov dollars aren’t spent on elective abortions. Of course, unless they are Nancy Pelosi, who doublespeaks when asked about it this summer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOMDyvVJad0.  

Fortunately for the majority of Americans who don’t want the government to fund abortions through healthcare, Congressman Bart Stupak, a Democrat from Michigan, is holding his ground against President Obama and Nancy Pelosi. Stupak is pushing for an explicit exclusion of abortion to be written into healthcare legislation – and if he doesn’t get it, he says he’s got 40 votes against healthcare reform, something that Pelosi just can’t afford.

US News & World Report has a great Q&A with Stupak on his recent phone call with President Obama on abortion funding in healthcare. The gist is that Stupak is holding his ground and refuses to concede that the Capps Amendment prohibits gov money from paying for abortion.

So what to do now?

Well, Rep. Henry Waxman, the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and who has a pro-choice voting record even Nancy Pelosi would be envious of, wants to come up with a “compromise” with some of the more moderate members of Stupak’s coalition (read: former-pro-lifer-but-still-portrayed-as-pro-lifer Rep. Tim Ryan). He wants to strip away Stupak’s support bit by bit till he has the votes needed to pass a phony compromise, claim victory and hand the bill over to Pelosi. Rep. Diana DeGette, a Colorado Democrat, admitted as much.

Doug Johnson, the legislative director at National Right to Life, blows up the rhetoric once again:

 ”Pelosi and Waxman are working on cosmetic changes to the Capps Amendment, which they will then try to peddle as an even-more-generous ‘compromise’ by the pro-abortion side (but which in reality will put the federal government into the elective abortion business in both the public plan and the premium subsidy program).”

Johnson also says that even if the House members adopt the new Waxman language, it doesn’t alleviate the concern of abortion funding found in the public option. In fact, the government option “problem is very important and separate and distinct from the premium-subsidy problem.”

TIME Magazine, the independent FactCheck.org and the Associated Press, among others, have all confirmed that abortion will be paid for using government dollars with the current healthcare plan.

For more info on the Capps Amendment and other talking points, see www.StopTheAbortionMandate.com.

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BEYOND ABORTION: Another Reason for Catholics to Oppose Government-Run Health Care

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For good reason, most of the concern about the health care proposals coming out of congress is directed toward the attempts to hide provisions for taxpayer funded abortions in the language of the bill. This, and also the fear of assisted suicide provisions and the alleged possibility of “death panels,” certainly needs to receive the most attention right now.

However, Catholics must not be lulled into thinking that these are the only reasons to oppose a government-run plan. Even if by some miracle the Senate Finance Committee adopts all of the amendments to fix language that leaves the possibility of publically funded abortion, there is still the issue of subsidiarity, and how a forced government option can, in principle, still run contrary to Church teaching. Unfortunately, many Catholics have no idea what subsidiarity is, and why it needs to be at the forefront of the current health care debate.

It is a fundamental principle of social philosophy, fixed and unchangeable, that one should not withdraw from individuals and commit to the community what they [individuals] can accomplish by their own enterprise and industry.” – Pope Pius XI, Quadragesimo Anno

Though the term is probably foreign to most, the concept is common sense. In basic terms, subsidiarity holds that even though it may sometimes be necessary for higher levels of government to assume responsibilities previously held by lower levels, this comes with great risk to individual freedom and dignity, and can expose a society to greater corruption and tyranny. Therefore, a government-run “anything” should only be considered as an absolute last resort.

For an excellent primer on the concept of subsidiarity and how a Catholic should respond to the current health care debate, I highly recommend reading the joint letter composed by Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann and Bishop Robert W. Finn (found here).  After you read it, email it to your senator.  Tell them that you expect that any health care bill be formed using sound moral reasoning and based on the principles of subsidiarity.

Several other bishops and Catholic organizations have produced similar statements to help educate Catholics on these issues. Please check back often as we will try to highlight several of these as the debate continues in congress.  

Patrick Looby, Fredericksburg, VA

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