More Democrats Stand against Abortion Funding

Judie Brown of the American Life League warmly praised the 'heroic efforts' of the pro-life Democrats.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (LifeSiteNews.com) - More pro-life Democrats are bucking heavy pressure from both Obama and the Democratic National Committee this week by stating their opposition to a nationalized healthcare plan that would open the door to taxpayer-funded abortion.

While Obama's healthcare plans are continuing to be criticized by fiscally conservative Democrats concerned about the plan's staggering price tag, others are also confronting House leadership on the lack of pro-life protections in H.R. 3200, which has been labeled by several pro-life groups as "FOCA by stealth." The bill threatens not only to mandate abortion coverage, which would be paid for by taxpayers, but also, like the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA), to dismantle common-sense abortion regulations and doctors' conscience rights.

Five House Democrats sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi this week, urging the inclusion of language "that makes clear that no insurance company will be required to pay for an abortion except in extraordinary circumstances," reports Politico.

"Nor will [insurance companies] be prohibited from paying for an abortion," wrote the Democrats, "so long as health insurance plans ... pay for those services with funds that are separate and distinct from any federal subsidies."

The group is also calling foul on the bill's potential to strike down common-sense abortion regulations as impediments to "essential care."

"We believe that health reform legislation should not preempt constitutionally permissible state laws that establish pre-requisites that a patient must satisfy before obtaining an abortion, such as parental consent and waiting period laws," says the letter.

The letter was authored by Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan and signed by Dale E. Kildee (D-MI), James R. Langevin (D-RI), Artur Davis (D-AL), and Kendrick B. Meek (D-FL).

Last month, twenty pro-life Democrats (PA Rep. Michael Doyle added his name to the original nineteen) issued a similar letter to Speaker Pelosi, calling for assurance that abortion would not be included in any of the government's healthcare benefits package.

Bart Stupak (D-MI), who signed the original Pelosi letter, will hold a press conference today with Joe Pitts (R-PA) in protest of the plan's abortion mandate.

Judie Brown of the American Life League warmly praised the "heroic efforts" of the pro-life Democrats.

Despite the immense pressure the Obama administration is putting on both Democrats and Republicans, said Brown, "it is notable that there are Democrats and Republicans in the House of Representatives that simply refuse to accept the Obama mandate for abortion-on-demand at taxpayer expense, and we applaud their efforts."

While proponents of the bill say that abortion funding fears are unfounded, as abortion is not mentioned in the bill, pro-life leaders and lawmakers note that the legislation leaves the new healthcare's essential package a blank slate. Defining its contents will fall to an advisory committee appointed by President Obama and the strongly pro-abortion Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), Kathleen Sebelius, and answerable to the HHS.

Several amendments introduced to explicitly exclude abortion coverage, as well as amendments offered by Republican Sen. Tom Coburn to protect the conscience right of doctors objecting to abortion, have been rejected in both House and Senate committees.

Adding to the nearly nonstop pressure from President Obama and Speaker Pelosi to push the bill through before the August recess, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) has begun running television ads across the country aimed at persuading Democrats to give up opposition to the president's healthcare plan.

However, if the dissenting Democrats stand strong, the strong-arm tactics of the White House and the DNC may end up turning in their favor, says Heritage Foundation Fellow Ernest Istook.

"Some Democrats are winning favorable hometown headlines for standing up against their own party's juggernaut," says Istook.

"If they cave, the political fall-out may be worse than if they'd remained silent. Everybody remembers the student who stood in front of the tank in Tiananmen Square. Nobody knows those who broke and ran."

Capitol Hill switchboard: 202.224.3121

To contact your representative in the House click here.

To contact members of the Senate click here.

To express support for pro-life Democrats' stand against H.R. 3200:

Tim Ryan, OH 17th District
1421 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
phone: 202-225-5261
fax: 202-225-3719
email form: http://timryan.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=129

Dale E. Kildee, MI 5th District
2107 Rayburn Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
phone: (202) 225-3611
fax: (202) 225-6393
email form: http://www.house.gov/kildee/contact_form.shtml

James R. Langevin, RI 2nd District
109 Cannon House Office Building
Washington D.C. 20515
phone: (202) 225-2735
fax: (202) 225-5976
email form: http://langevin.house.gov/comments.shtml

Artur Davis, AL 7th District
208 Cannon H.O.B.
Washington, D.C. 20515
phone: (202) 225-2665
fax: (202) 226-9567
email form: http://arturdavis.house.gov/index.cfm?p=ContactCongressmanDavis

Kendrick B. Meek, FL 17th District
(note: Rep. Meeks requests to hear only from 17th District residents)
1039 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
phone: 202-225-4506
fax: 202-226-0777
email form: http://kendrickmeek.house.gov/contact1.shtml

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