The House of Representatives passes Obamacare by a vote of 219-212. Pro-life Republicans tried to get the fixer bill recommitted for more discussion (in committee) about taxpayer-funding of abortion. Rep. Joseph Pitts (R. Penn) called the health care bill the most pro-abortion bill Congress has ever considered. Unfortunately, Rep. Bart Stupak said that the pro-life thing to do is to pass health care reform. He charged Republicans with `politicizing` life rather than `prioritization`of life. He is being unnecessarily partisan and more than a little intellectually dishonest.
The recommit vote was defeated and now a vote on the reconciliation language will take place before midnight. It will pass and then the Senate will discuss and vote on a bill midweek, where presumably it will pass.
Americans United for Life says the Executive Order won`t prevent taxpayer funding of abortion. One of four substantive points AUL raises: “while the executive order addresses the insurance exchanges, it utterly fails to apply Hyde to them. “ Sneaky that Obama White House is. Even if their criticisms were proven overblown, there is the small matter of Executive Orders not being permanent law.
National Right to Life Committee also issued a statement today about why the Stupak deal with the White House is insufficient to address pro-life concerns:
In response to today’s announcement regarding an agreement between Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mi.) and President Obama on the pending health care bill (H.R. 3590), the following statement was issued by the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the federation of right-to-life organizations in the 50 states:
The National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) remains strongly opposed to the Senate-passed health bill (H.R. 3590). A lawmaker who votes for this bill is voting to require federal agencies to subsidize and administer health plans that will pay for elective abortion, and voting to undermine longstanding pro-life policies in other ways as well. Pro-life citizens nationwide know that this is a pro-abortion bill. Pro-life citizens know, and they will be reminded again and again, which lawmakers deserve their gratitude for voting against this pro-abortion legislation.
The executive order promised by President Obama was issued for political effect. It changes nothing. It does not correct any of the serious pro-abortion provisions in the bill. The president cannot amend a bill by issuing an order, and the federal courts will enforce what the law says.
To elaborate: The order does not truly correct any of the seven objectionable pro-abortion provisions described in NRLC’s March 19 letter to the House of Representatives.
