Bills will use taxes to increase abortion

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Contrary to the Mail Tribune's "Our View" editorial Thursday, pro-abortion members of Congress, with the assistance of national pro-abortion organizations, are mandating elective abortion as a covered "essential service" in both the House health-care version — HB 3200 — and the "Affordable Health Choices Act," authored by Ted Kennedy, in the Senate. And, contrary to the editorial, the inclusion of abortion as a funded "essential service" is an important component of the debate and should elicit a response from one of the largest ideological segments of the American populace.

A November 2008 Zogby poll found 61 percent of Americans do not support the repeal of the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits the use of Medicaid funds for abortion except to save the life of the mother, incest and rape. Additionally, 71 percent do not believe tax money should pay for abortions as a means of (elective) birth control. This data indicates that the pro-life segment of the American population is a significant voting block in the health-care debate. Abortion should be dealt with in an honest fashion, but that does not seem the case.

The confusion stems from the fact that pro-abortionists have learned that how legislation is written, and how the courts will interpret that language, can be used to advance the pro-abortion cause. That abortion is being prohibited in the House version, as the Tribune claims, flies in the face of the history of previously written legislation.

As an example, Medicaid coverage does not specifically exclude abortion and the word "abortion" cannot be found within Medicaid's language. Yet the courts interpreted Medicaid's scope to include elective abortion. Only the passage of the Hyde Amendment stopped funding. Similarly, the word "abortion" is not found in the U.S. Constitution, yet, 200 years later, the Supreme Court found the right to abortion in the "penumbra" of the document and as a "privacy" issue — again, abortion was not specifically excluded in the original language. The health-care bills follow suit.

During debate on health care, Democratic House committee chairs have defeated every National Right to Life Committee-backed amendment prohibiting federal funding of abortion. Attached to HR 3200, an amendment by Rep. Capps, D-Calif., claims an abortion prohibition. However, the language of the amendment uses a clever monetary manipulating technique to move tax money around, finally sending it to abortionists as payment for "essential services". Sen. Chris Smith, R-N.J., calls it "one of the most deceptive amendments I have ever seen. The bottom line is that money is fungible, and the plan itself will be subsidizing abortion on demand, with taxpayer funding commingled, and the number of abortions will go up."

If possible, Kennedy's bill in the Senate is even worse. Senate committees working on health care have rejected three different amendments offered by pro-life senators which would have specifically prohibited abortion coverage. Kennedy's version contains language which will result in the invalidation of many states' restrictions on abortion now in place. "It would result in federally mandated coverage of abortion by nearly all health plans, federally mandated recruitment of abortionists by local health networks, and nullification of many state abortion laws," says Douglas Johnson, NRLC Legislative Director. In other words, not only a massive intrusion into states' rights, but insurance providers will be forced to take pro-abortion steps including the establishment of abortion clinics in their area. Any increase in abortion facilities will increase the number of abortions performed, since it has been documented that access to abortion equals increased abortion.

I may have been born at night — but not last night. The key players in this effort are pro-abortion. They have the power and an agenda which is manifested in their defeat of amendments seeking the prohibition of abortion. Audacious President Obama has a 100 percent pro-abortion voting record in Illinois and in the Senate. He has already increased federal funding to abortion providers by nullifying the Mexico City Policy. Sen. Kennedy is 100 percent pro-abortion. Rep. Capps and Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif., have a 100 percent pro-abortion voting record.

There is established historical precedent that without specific exclusion, courts will, again, hold that abortion is considered an essential service or covered benefit. With a majority of taxpayers opposing the use of their money for abortion, it is an issue at the heart of the national debate on health care — and I encourage your participation in the debate.

Bryan Platt of Eagle Point is chairman of Jackson County Right to Life.

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