With Senator Brown taking away the Democrat super majority in Senate, most were certain health care talks were dead in session. The President, intent on fulfilling a campaign promise, has redrawn the health care bill, pulling from both the House and Senate bills and seeking common ground. And a passable bill.
Regrettably, it’s clear Catholics cannot support it.
President Obama’s healthcare proposal released Monday preserves the abortion funding provisions adopted by the Senate just before Christmas. These provisions force taxpayers to fund insurance companies that cover abortion, while also expanding mechanisms whereby taxpayers could be forced to directly fund abortion itself.
“As the Catholic Bishops stated in December, the Senate healthcare bill, which the White House proposal mirrors on abortion, is ‘deficient’ and ‘should not move forward.’ By leaving the abortion funding language intact, the President has left Catholics with no choice but to oppose his healthcare bill.
“The President’s decision to tie abortion funding to healthcare reform is not only unpopular with voters, with some polls showing over 60% of Americans oppose taxpayer funds for abortion, the unconscionable provisions may very well spell doom for any attempt to pass meaningful healthcare reform this year.
“American Catholics remain deeply disappointed by the White House refusal to compromise, despite several pledges to protect taxpayer dollars from funding the abortion.”
“We will continue to work with pro-life members of Congress urging them to stand strong and oppose any proposal that forces taxpayers to assist in the funding of the abortion industry.”
Signed Brian Burch, President of CatholicVoteAction.
Several key representatives in the House and Senate should know this, and if they don’t, their faithful constituents need to inform them.