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Health Care Debacle Doesn't Have to Kill Pro-Life Measures

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WASHINGTON--Some Americans were appalled and others were breathing a sigh of relief when the House of Representatives failed to come up with a deal to repeal and replace Obamacare last week. But one group particularly upset were the pro-lifers who realized many of the abortion-supporting parts of Obamacare would live on.

Especially galling is that the new bill was aiming to move $422 million that now goes to Planned Parenthood, America's abortion giant, to health care centers that offer a full range of primary health care. Planned Parenthood in the past has claimed it does, too, but actually doesn't.

As Mallory Quiqley, communications director at the pro-life Susan B. Anthony List, put it, "The bill that the House was considering last week included a provision to re-direct Planned Parenthood's taxpayer funding to community health centers that outnumber them more than 20-to-one nationwide."

She added, "It also included all the proper Hyde Amendment protections to stop taxpayer dollars going to health care plans that would pay for abortion directly."

But all is not lost. Congress right now is working on something called budget reconciliation. A simple majority can pass what's proposed and it's an easier way to deal with more controversial spending or tax measures.

"We still have an opportunity here to use budget reconciliation legislation to re-direct Planned Parenthood taxpayer funding," Quiqley pointed out. "We want to see this done before the spring break, which is coming up in two short weeks."

Marjorie Dannenfelser, Susan B. Anthony List president, added, "We urge all Republicans, including leadership, House Freedom Caucus and the Tuesday Group to unify behind this plan, which would be a win for women's health."

With pro-life voters having overwhelmingly supported Republican candidates in this last election, they expect to see the now dominant GOP in Washington deal with these issues.

As Quiqley put it, "It's very important that the pro-life House and the pro-life White House figure out a way to get this done. Americans do not want their taxpayer dollars going to the nation's largest abortion business, doing more than 323,000 abortions a year."

Dannenfelser added, "Congress has the votes to get it done. There are no excuses for inaction."

Not all efforts to wipe out the abortion-backing parts of Obamacare have to go through Congress. The White House and Health & Human Services can use executive orders, regulations and administrative procedures to make pro-life changes.

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About The Author

Paul
Strand

Como corresponsal del buró de noticias de CBN en Washington DC, Paul Strand ha cubierto una variedad de temas políticos y sociales, con énfasis en defensa, justicia y el Congreso. Strand comenzó su labor en CBN News en 1985 como editor de asignaciones nocturnas en Washington, DC. Después de un año, trabajó con CBN Radio News por tres años, volviendo a la sala de redacción de televisión para aceptar un puesto como editor en 1990. Después de cinco años en Virginia Beach, Strand se trasladó de regreso a la capital del país, donde ha sido corresponsal desde 1995. Antes de unirse a CBN News, Strand