House Passes Repeal of Abortion-Funding Obamacare

 

(from The Heritage Foundation)

The House of Representatives voted 245-189 Wednesday afternoon to repeal the abortion-funding Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).

Obamacare represents a historic departure from the federal government’s traditional stance on abortion funding and provides new avenues to promote elective abortion. Since 1976 the Hyde Amendment, which forbids taxpayer funding of abortion except in cases of rape, incest, or threat to the mother’s life. When negotiations to include the full Hyde Amendment language in the PPACA failed, President Obama signed an Executive Order prohibiting federal funding of abortion. Unless Congress acts to make the application permanent, however, this order is subject to reversal by either executive decision or judicial intervention.

 

PPACA includes at least three problematic provisions with respect to the federal role in subsidizing elective abortion. The law:

1. Facilitates massive federal subsidies for private health care plans that are offered through health insurance exchanges and will cover elective abortions.
2. Leaves the decision whether certain appropriated funds not covered by the Hyde Amendment will be used to subsidize elective abortions to the discretion of the Secretary of HHS.
3. Appropriates money not covered by the Hyde Amendment for community health centers, the grants from which could also be used to fund abortions.

As a result of the defects in PPACA, a federal tax credit will be made available to assist in the purchase of private health plans that cover abortion. Additionally, the limited and loose conscience protections outlined in the law, combined with inadequate guidance on conscience rights, may leave pro-life medical professionals with no protection to live by their personal beliefs.

The battle to ensure permanent restrictions on federal abortion funding witnessed a major step forward yesterday as House Speaker John Boehner and a bipartisan coalition of pro-life legislators introduced the "No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act." The act would streamline restrictions on abortion-funding by compiling the numerous annual pro-life riders into one permanent piece of legislation, eliminating the annual risk to these provisions on federal funding of abortion. The bill would also better define conscience protections for pro-life medical professionals. Rep. Joe Pitts, Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, also introduced the "Protect Life Act," that would apply Hyde amendment language to the PPACA, prohibiting the use of federal funds for abortions.  

Don't Forget About the Govt.'s Health Care Takeover!

Today, much of the public debate nationwide has, unfortunately, shifted from the coming takeover of private health care in the U.S. to the Gulf oil spill to the Arizona border battles to, most recently, the mosque under consideration in NYC and President Obama's recent comments.

But, citizens, we must not forget the health care disaster, which is quickly speeding towards us! Taxes and premiums are already increasing.

Bill O'Reilly on The O'Reilly Factor just this week mentioned the huge increase in his health insurance premium (insurance companies, apparently, are dramatically hiking premiums in anticipation of future expenses under Obamacare).

And, see this link to a health care story in the UK. Large scale rationing of health care is now being secretly enforced by the British government to save money. Will this happen in the U.S.? We must make sure it doesn't.

What good is health care for everybody if you can't get the health care you need when you need it? Don't forget about the government's health care takeover!

Oklahoma Voters to Vote on Obamacare

Lawmakers voted yesterday to give Oklahomans an opportunity to change the state constitution to opt out of a federal health care mandate requiring them to purchase expensive health care policies.


Senate Joint Resolution 59, by state Sen. Dan Newberry and state Rep. Mike Thompson, will appear on the Nov. 2 ballot and, if approved, would prohibit any penalty for failure to purchase insurance and allow doctors to continue to accept direct payment.

SJR 59 is based on American Legislative Exchange Council’s model Freedom of Choice in Health Care Act. The measure has already been enacted in statute form by the Virginia, Idaho, and Arizona legislatures, and constitutional amendments will appear on the Arizona and Florida ballots. Statutory measures have also passed one chamber in Missouri and Tennessee, and active citizen initiatives are underway in Colorado, Michigan, and Mississippi.

Update on HJR 1054

The Oklahoma House of Representatives just overrode Gov. Henry's veto on HJR 1054. Now, the Senate will try to do the same.

Will Oklahomans Escape Obamacare?

Now that Gov. Brad Henry has vetoed HJR 1054, by Rep. Charles Key, and barring a veto override in the state House and state Senate, the only remaining legislative option available to Oklahoma's citizens is for the state House of Representatives to pass SJR 59 by Sen. Dan Newberry within the next 10 days.

SJR 59 is a constitutional amendment, which would allow Oklahomans to vote on whether or not they wish to opt out of the new federal health care system advocated by President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats. If approved by the state House, SJR 59 would bypass the Oklahoma Governor's office and go directly to the ballot.

Rep. John Dingell Explains ‘Control of the People’

83-year-old Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.) perhaps explained more than he intended about the intent of the political Progressives in Congress during a radio interview following the passage of the Obama health care bill.

Coburn Sends Warning to Earmark Seeking House Members

According to Code Red, 16 House members remain undecided on how they will vote on the health care takeover bill (as of Friday night, 10:52 p.m.).

U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Muskogee) sent House members a stern message yesterday, warning them they will be exposed if they switch their vote from no to yes in exchange for earmarks.

Lawsuit Ready to Challenge Constitutionality of Health Care Passage Process

Today, it's unclear whether the U.S. House of Representatives will pass the health care takeover bill. Democratic leaders don't yet have the votes, apparently, to takeover one-sixth of the U.S. economy. Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) and his allies remain committed to vote against the bill due to its inclusion of public financing of abortion.

Of course, reports are circulating that Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) will rely on the so-called Slaughter Rule to "deem the bill to have passed in the House" without actually voting on the Senate version of the bill. This moves the bill forward and allows House members from actually having to go on record for this unpopular bill.

If that happens in violation of the U.S. Constitution, Article 1, Section 7, then constitutional challenges will surely be offered in court. In fact, Landmark Legal Foundation President Mark Levine (also a well-known talk radio host) has already drafted a legal Complaint, which can be viewed by clicking here.

The House vote (or maneuver) can be expected by Saturday. All members of the Oklahoma delegation are committed to vote against the bill.

If this socialistic health care plan passes, a recent survey found that up to 46 percent of doctors nationwide may leave the practice of medicine, thus setting the stage for future doctor shortages and medical rationing, just as the opponents have predicted.

Abortion in the Obama Health Care Bill

It's a huge bill, as we all know. Who can read it?

Thankfully, Chuck Donovan, formerly of Family Research Council, now with The Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C., has done an excellent analysis of how President Barack Obama's newest health care reform bill WILL definitely pay for more federal funding of abortions.

Click here to read his excellent analysis.

Let's pray that pro-life Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) and his House colleagues are successful in stopping this immoral, Progressive bill, which will, over time, end up bankrupting the country and denying medical treatment and care for untold numbers of Americans, including the unborn.

Perkins Says President's ‘New’ HC Proposal Funds Abortion

Today, in a 20 minute speech, President Barack Obama introduced the most recent health care reform proposal and called on Congressional leaders Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Harry Reid to schedule a final vote in the next few weeks.

In response, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins released the following statement:

This new White House health care statement completely undermines President Obama's claim last week dismissing charges that the Senate bill would fund abortion as mere 'talking points.' President Obama's legislation not only maintains the Senate abortion funding provisions; it would make them worse by increasing federal funding for community health centers that could be used directly to kill unborn babies.

Ignoring the only bi-partisan provision that passed, the Stupak amendment that prevents abortion funding, the President's bill to amend the Senate bill leaves several abortion provisions in place. In Section 1303 it allows tax credit subsidies for plans that include abortion and leaves the abortion surcharge in place. It maintains the proposal to create a multi-state plan that includes abortion in Sec. 1334. Even worse, it would increase the Senate bill funding from $7 billion to $11 billion for community health centers in Sec. 10503 without any abortion funding restrictions.

"If this bill becomes law," Perkins says, "this Congress will oversee the largest ever expansion of abortion on demand at taxpayer expense."

Coffee Discusses Senate Efforts to Reject Health Care Mandates

Yesterday, Senate President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee (R-Oklahoma City), left, held a state Capitol news conference, during which he discussed three recent Senate votes which are designed to safeguard Oklahomans from being forced to participate in whatever federal health care program might be enacted. One measure would allow a statewide vote on so-called Obamacare.

Click here to read journalist Patrick B. McGuigan's report filed at CapitolBeatOK

Big Brother Marches Forward in America

In light of the federal government's ongoing efforts to force a nationwide transition to electronic records for all students in the public schools (assisted in Oklahoma by Education Secretary Kathy Taylor's Race to the Top grant application) and for all American citizens (via President Obama's health care reform proposal) this quote from former Jimmy Carter adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski in his 1970 essay, Between Two Ages: America's Role in the Technetronic Era, literally jumped of the page:

"It will soon be possible to assert almost continuous control over every citizen and to maintain up-to-date files containing even the most personal details about health and personal behavior of every citizen, in addition to the more customary data. These files will be subject to instantaneous retrival by the authorities. Power will gravitate into the hands of those who control information."

President Obama's Newest Health Care Proposal

The White House today released its newest health care reform proposal.

The President's proposal mentions taxes at least 35 times, includes new fees for users of brand-name drugs, and continues the move toward a new electronic government database for all our medical information — something that, coincidentally, is now happening to public school students in the realm of K-12 education, as was discussed yesterday by Education Secretary Arne Duncan, at a meeting of the nation's governors.

You can read a PDF summary of the health care prepared by the White House by clicking here and looking for Key Documents February 22, 2010.

A health care reform meeting is scheduled for this Thursday, Feb. 25. President Barack Obama will be attempting to sell Democrats and Republicans on his newest health care reform proposal, which, if approved, still puts America on the path toward a takeover of one-sixth of the economy.

It remains to be seen whether good faith negotiating between Congressional leaders and the White House will be encouraged this Thursday or whether this new meeting is just an opportunity for the President to use Alinsky-style tactics to take proponents of real, free-market based health care reforms to task for their unwillingness to agree to Mr. Obama's newest proposal.

Health Care "Reform" Violates Equal Treatment

Yesterday, in a 15-hour negotiating session at the White House, labor unions got what they had wanted: exemption from taxation on their so-called "Cadillac" health insurance plans. This is an outrage. As citizens, we are supposed to be treated equally by government; the Constitution guarantees equal protection of the laws; and under the rule of law, Lady Justice wears a blindfold to avoid partiality, etc.

Yet, in this current round of health care reform, we are seeing special treatment for labor unions, special treatment for states like Nebraska (courtesy of Sen. Ben Nelson) and Louisiana (courtesy of Sen. Mary Landrieu), the corrupt buying of legislators' votes with taxpayers' money, a broken promise from the President that negotiations would be conducted out in the open on C-SPAN, etc. The American people are increasingly angry, and rightfully — indeed, righteously — so.

Sen. Tom Coburn said yesterday in Oklahoma City he believes the bill will cost $2.3 trillion, provide essentially no savings for taxpayers (spurring a later complete takeover of health care by government), and lead to the rationing and denial of medical treatment and care by bureaucrats to millions of Americans. The 2,000 plus page bill has been craftily designed so the very significant tax increases (yes, a violation of yet another campaign promise) occur in the first several years before the health care program actually kicks in in 2014, when the expenses begin.

Americans can stop this violation of our liberties, but it will take concerted effort by millions of citizens nationwide to do so. May God bless citizens' efforts to regain our freedom from the oppression of our nation's leaders, who daily, by their actions, violate their oath of office.