As recently as Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid promised there would be no abortion coverage in his health care bill. Now that the bill has been introduced, pro-life groups are finding it contains language that would allow coverage through the "public option" and federal subsidies that would cover abortion on demand.
It's the same play on words Democratic leadership has been employing throughout the health care debate: using terms like "subsidies" and "premiums" to cover the use of federal money to fund abortion services.
Colin Hanna, president of Let Freedom Ring, said the idea that abortion could even be considered "health care" is offensive.
"There are poll after poll after poll indicating that opposition to federal funding of abortion is even stronger than opposition to abortion," he said. "It unnecessarily polarizes and politicizes the health care debate on an issue that just doesn't deserve to be among the topics discussed."
Pro-family groups are also alarmed that the bill has no language that would prevent school-based health clinics from referring for abortions or making arrangements to help minors avoid parental involvement laws by crossing state lines to get an abortion.
Bryan Kemper, founder and president of Stand True Ministries, a pro-life group aimed at youth, said Americans should be outraged.
"Every American citizen should be getting involved and talking to their senators, talking to their congressmen," he said, "and pleading with them and demanding that we do not use taxpayer money to pay for the killing of innocent children."
TAKE ACTION
Urgent! Contact your 2 U.S. senators and ask them to vote NO on cloture when they convene this Saturday. Voting no on cloture will prevent Senator Reid's pro-abortion health care bill from coming to the floor for a vote.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Read Focus on the Family's letter to the Senate opposing the health care reform proposal.
