Pro-life Dems vow health care reform failure

By Greg Goodsell
3/12/2010
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

Some say bill doesn't halt state-funded abortions

Six pro-life Democrats say that President Obama's health care reform is a dead issue. They say that six more no votes could scuttle the bill altogether, and they intend to join other lawmakers in their opposition to the bill.

Rep. Dan Lipinski of Illinois says he will change his vote to a no if he is asked to pass the Senate bill. 'Protecting the sanctity of life is a matter of principle,' he says.

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LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) � Leading the pack is Rep. Bart Stupak of Michigan. Stupak's anti-abortion amendment to the House version of the proposed health care reform legislation is what enabled the bill to pass in December of last year.

In addition, Rep. Dan Lipinski of Illinois says he will change his vote to a no if he is asked to pass the Senate bill. "Protecting the sanctity of life is a matter of principle," Lipinski says.

The remaining four representatives who say they will vote no if the Senate language remains are Reps. Joe Donnelly of Indiana, Kathy Dahlkemper of Pennsylvania, Steve Driehaus of Ohio and Marion Berry of Arkansas.

"From my reading of it, it does permit federal funding for abortion related services, in the Senate bill as it stands today, and so that is a fatal flaw in my opinion," Donnelly told the Rochester Sentinel this week.

In an interview with Fox News, Stupak reiterated that "unless the language changes, there's at least 12 Democrats who have said they could not vote for health care unless we keep the current law, which says no public funding for abortion."

A ban on tax-funded abortion has remained in effect for more than 30 years. Critics say that the Senate bill is a big change, requiring women to have a separate private insurance policy if they want abortion coverage. The bill contains no explicit ban on tax-funded abortion as the House bill does.

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Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions For February 2012
General Intention: Access to Water.
That all peoples may have access to water and other resources needed for daily life.
Missionary Intention: Health Workers.
That the Lord may sustain the efforts of health workers assisting the sick and elderly in the world's poorest regions.

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