Close Topic Options

Obama & Abortion - Page 5

Board: Obamacare Should Force Coverage of Birth Control, Abortion Drugs

A new report issued by the influential Institute of Medicine today recommended to the Obama administration that it force insurance companies to pay for birth control under the Obamacare government-run health care program.

The recommendation could have the Obama administration requiring insurance programs to include birth control - such as the morning after pill or the ella drug that causes an abortion days after conception - in the section of drugs and services insurance plans must cover under "preventative care." The companies will likely pass the added costs on to consumers, requiring them to pay for birth control and, in some instances, drug-induced abortions of unborn children in their earliest days.

The Health and Human Services Department commissioned the report from the Institute, which advises the federal government and shut out pro-life groups in meetings leading up to the recommendations. "They asked for the guidance on what the evidence and science says, so that's what we"ve given," said Christine Stencel, a spokeswoman for the Institute told the National Journal.

Jeanne Monahan, director of Family Research Council's Center for Human Dignity, which covers pro-life, issues, panned the decision.

"The real issue is not about "birth control" as such but rather about specific contraceptives that can function as abortifacients, in particular, emergency contraceptives. This isn't a matter of opinion or political ideology," she explained. "The FDA approved label for Plan B suggests it can prevent implantation of an embryo. Moreover, the most recently approved EC, "ella", is chemically similar to RU-486 and it may destroy an embryo after it is already implanted."

"Additionally, this is a question of whether the government should mandate every health plan to cover these drugs free of cost. Whatever one's position is on the issues of contraceptives, abortifacients, and such, it does not matter whether proponents of such drugs do not care about the effect on human embryos," Monahan continued. "The point is that many Americans do care, and many religious health plans would care, and that they should not be forced to violate their conscience. Non-discrimination laws are in effect for this very reason. The IOM recommendations will potentially require people who are not in favor of these drugs to cover and participate in something they find objectionable. You don't have to agree with such objections, but at the same time people should not be forced to violate their consciences." Ref. Source 7

Abortion and Obama

Americans Oppose Obama Decision to Force Birth Control Coverage

A new poll released today by Rasmussen Reports finds Americans strongly oppose the decision by the Obama administration force insurance companies to cover birth control (and abortion drugs) in the Obamacare health care plan.

The poll did not include mention of the ella drug - billed as a morning after pill but a drug that actually causes an abortion of a unique human being days after conception. Still, a plurality of Americans opposes the requirement the Obama administration put forward this week and they tell Rasmussen that they would like to have the option of picking their health plans based on cost and what coverage they need.

The Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of American adults showed 39 percent believe health insurance companies should be required to cover all government approved contraceptives for women, but 46% don't think they should be. Another 15% are undecided.

Looking further into the results, women are evenly divided on the question of requiring contraceptives coverage in health care plans: 40% favor this requirement while 42% do not. Men are opposed to all insurance companies covering birth control by a 50% to 37%. Half of black Americans (50%) like the requirement, while nearly the same number of whites (48%) are against it and members of other racial groups are evenly split.

Democrats favor forcing insurance companies to cover birth control and abortion drugs 62-22 percent while Republicans oppose it 69% to 23%. Adults not affiliated with either party are more against the idea by a 47% to 29% margin. Ref. Source 3

Obama & Abortion Reviews Consumer & Travel Family Culture

In the a few short months since our last update of this important Obama Abortion Record document, here's what he's done:

April 11, 2011 - Refuses Speaker John Boehner's request to cut taxpayer funding to the Planned Parenthood abortion business.

April 14, 2011 - Obama administration castigates The Vatican over family planning.

April 19, 2011 - Obama Easter breakfast has pro-abortion religious leaders.

May 2, 2011 - Report shows the Obama administration met with abortion advocates during consideration of Obamacare.

May 10, 2011 - Senate confirms pro-abortion Obama judicial pick Edward Chen.

May 11, 2011 - Obama schmoozes with Planned Parenthood abortion business president, Cecile Richards.

May 17, 2011 - Obama administration targets peaceful pro-life advocate for prosecution.

May 19, 2011 - Names pro-abortion Morgan Christen to a federal appeals court position.

June 1, 2011 - Denies Indiana's request to de-fund the Planned Parenthood abortion business.

June 2, 2011 - Obama administration approves more taxpayer-funded embryonic stem cell research.

June 17, 2011 - Defends forcing taxpayers to fund the Planned Parenthood abortion business in court.

July 7, 2011 - Report shows Obama policies resulted in 300 tax-funded abortions in Washington, D.C.

July 21, 2011 - Demands that New Hampshire make taxpayers fund the Planned Parenthood abortion business.

July 21, 2011 - Fines a peaceful pro-lifer $25,000.

August 1, 2011 - Forces insurance companies to pay for abortion drugs under Obamacare.

August 19, 2011 - Obama administration found to have spent taxpayer funds promoting pro-abortion Obamacare during the 2010 elections.

August 19, 2011 - Obama administration approves more taxpayer-funded embryonic stem cell research.

August 22, 2011 - Vice President Joe Biden fails to condemn China's one-child, forced abortion policy.

August 23, 2011 - Obama administration calls children 's-xual beings," pushes sex on them. Ref. LifeNews.com

Page 5 Abortion and Obama

House Votes Next Week on Bill to Stop Abortion in Obamacare

The House of Representatives will vote next week on legislation that would stop abortion funding in Obamacare, the national health care plan that contains no limits on taxpayer funding of abortions.

H.R. 358, Protect Life Act, will likely come up for a vote on the House floor next Thursday after pro-life lawmakers fended off numerous hostile amendments from pro-abortion members of Congress during the committee markup. Capital Hill sources informed LifeNews today that they expect pro-abortion lawmakers to offer many of those weakening amendments that would water down the bill on the House floor.

The Protect Life Act makes it clear that no funds authorized or appropriated by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), including tax credits and cost-sharing reductions, may be used to pay for abortion or abortion coverage. It specifies that individual people or state or local governments must purchase a separate elective abortion rider or insurance coverage that includes elective abortion but only as long as that is done with private funds and not monies authorized by Obamacare.

The bill also specifies that insurance issuers may offer health plans that include elective abortion and may offer separate elective abortion riders, so long as they ensure PPACA funds are not used for premiums or administrative costs. The bill also clarifies that issuers who offer elective abortion coverage must also offer a qualified health benefits plan that is identical except that it does not cover elective abortion.

The pro-life measure also ensures that state laws "protecting conscience rights, restricting or prohibiting abortion or coverage or funding of abortion, or establishing procedural requirements on abortion" are not abrogated by Obamacare. It also makes it so any state or local governments receiving funding under Obamacare may not subject any health care entity to discrimination or require any health plan to subject any entity to discrimination on the basis that it refuses to undergo abortion training, refuses to require abortion training, refuses to perform or pay for abortions, or refuses to provide abortion referrals.

ACTION: Contact your member of the House at Source 2 to urge strong support for the Protect Life Act and opposition to any weakening amendments. Ref. Source 9

Abortion and Obama

Obama Tells Democrats Birth Control is "Preventive Care"

At a Democratic National Committee fundraiser last night, President Obama expressed his ardent satisfaction that his new health law regulations will force faith-based health care providers to provide contraceptive services without any co-payment from those receiving them.

When one particularly pleased member of the audience cried out, "birth control" as a "pre-existing condition," the President said, "You"re stealing my line." To yet another call-out, Mr. Obama said, "Darn tootin"."

Contraception as "preventive care?" According to the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, "preventive care" refers to 'those situations in which consumers may consider themselves healthy or physically at risk but have not yet been labeled with a diagnosis." Ref. Source 8

Obama & Abortion

Obama Threatens to Veto Bill For No Abortion $ in Obamacare

The Obama administration released a Statement of Administration Policy today threatening to veto a bill the House plans to vote on tomorrow that ensures no federal taxpayer funding for abortions under Obamacare.

On September 9, 2009, President Barack Obama addressed a joint session of Congress and claimed about the Obamacare legislation: "And one more misunderstanding I want to clear up-under our plan, no federal dollars will be used to fund abortions, and federal conscience laws will remain in place."

To hold him accountable to that pledge, the House of Representatives will vote Thursday on legislation that would stop abortion funding in the program. H.R. 358, Protect Life Act, makes it clear that no funds authorized or appropriated by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), including tax credits and cost-sharing reductions, may be used to pay for abortion or abortion coverage. It specifies that individual people or state or local governments must purchase a separate elective abortion rider or insurance coverage that includes elective abortion but only as long as that is done with private funds and not monies authorized by Obamacare.

But the new Obama administration statement says: "The Administration strongly opposes H.R. 358 because, as previously stated in the Statement of Administration Policy on H.R. 3, the legislation intrudes on women's reproductive freedom and access to health care and unnecessarily restricts the private insurance choices that women and their families have today."

"Longstanding Federal policy prohibits Federal funds from being used for abortions, except in cases of r-pe or incest, or when the life of the woman would be endangered," the new Obama administration statement says, referring to the Hyde Amendment, which does not apply to the Obamacare law. Ref. Source 3

Obama & Abortion - Page 5

House OKs Legislation Stopping Abortion Funding in Obamacare

The House approved legislation, the Protect Life Act, to stop abortion funding in Obamacare. Senate Democrats are not expected to approve the bill and, pro-abortion President Barack Obama is expected to veto the measure if it reaches his desk.

Members voted 251-172 for the pro-life legislation, with 236 Republicans and 15 Democrats supporting the bill and 170 Democrats and two Republicans voting against it.

H.R. 358, Protect Life Act, makes it clear that no funds authorized or appropriated by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), including tax credits and cost-sharing reductions, may be used to pay for abortion or abortion coverage. It specifies that individual people or state or local governments must purchase a separate elective abortion rider or insurance coverage that includes elective abortion but only as long as that is done with private funds and not monies authorized by Obamacare.

Much of the debate surrounded whether or not the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits federal taxpayer funding of abortions only in discretionary spending related to the HHS department, applied to Obamacare. As the Associated Press confirmed in 2009, it does not.

"Currently a law called the Hyde amendment bars federal funding for abortion - except in cases of r-pe and incest or if the mother's life would be endangered - and applies those restrictions to Medicaid," AP writer Erica Werner reports. "Separate laws apply the restrictions to the federal employee health plan and military and other programs."

"But the Democrats" health overhaul bill would create a new stream of federal funding not covered by the restrictions," AP confirms. Ref. Source 6

Obama & Abortion Culture Family Travel & Consumer Reviews - Page 5

Planned Parenthood Names Obama Official as Vice-President

The Obama administration is filled with former pro-abortion activists and leaders of groups like NOW and NARAL, but the revolving door between the White House and the abortion industry is now swinging the other way.

A Politico report today indicates the Planned Parenthood abortion business has hired a key White House aide, Dana Singiser, as its new Vice President for Public Policy - a position that will undoubtedly have her representing the abortion giant in relations with members of Congress and the White House.

"Planned Parenthood Federation of America announced that it has named Dana Singiser its Vice President for Public Policy and Government Relations. She will join PPFA in early December," Politico reports. "Singiser currently works in the White House as Special Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs."

The report indicates Planned Parenthood's new Vice President was instrumental in pushing Obamacare, which contains no protections preventing taxpayer financing of abortions, through Congress.

"Singiser has been with President Obama since his first day in office. She was a key part of the legislative team that helped pass the historic health care reform law," Politico continues. "Singiser held leadership positions on Barack Obama's presidential campaign, as well as then-Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential campaign, where she focused on women's outreach." Ref. Source 7