In his address to Congress September 9, 2009, President Obama complained that the American people have been misled about his health care reform agenda. He explained that any bill he would sign would not include provisions for coverage for illegal immigrants and abortion services.
When Congressman Joe Wilson (R-SC) proclaimed “You lie!” at the claim regarding immigrants’ health care, the Left hollered for an apology. Turns out he just might have been right, as there is solid support from Congressional progressives to offer a government insurance plan for both legal and illegal immigrants.
Now, Senate Democrats (plus near-Democrat Sen. Olympia Snowe [R-ME]) blocked two anti-abortion amendments by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), clearly negating the President’s parameters for health care reform legislation.
The sparring over abortion Wednesday underscored the sweep of the health legislation, which not only makes fundamental changes to a key segment of the U.S. economy, but also inflames passions on a range of social issues.
Mr. Baucus said he didn’t want to add abortion to the debate. “This is a health-care bill,” he said. “This is not an abortion bill. We are not changing current law.”The legislation sets up subsidies for lower-income people to buy insurance and makes the subsidies subject to existing limits on federal funding of abortion. Those limits, enacted annually in routine government spending bills, bar the use of federal funds, except in cases of rape, incest and saving the life of the mother. Under the Baucus bill, private health plans would be required to prevent federal insurance subsidies from mingling with any private funds used for abortions.
But Sen. Orrin Hatch (R., Utah) said the limits in the current law could easily lapse. He called on Mr. Baucus to fold the language into the health bill, making it permanent law. “Let’s codify it,” he said.
The other amendment proposed by Sen. Hatch would have protected doctors and medical facilities who opted out of performing abortions. This also failed.
Abortion-rights supporters said the rights of women were in danger. “This is not maintaining the status quo,” said Sen. Maria Cantwell (D., Wash.). “It is a major, major change, and a poison pill.”
The Hatch amendment failed 13-10 on a mostly party-line vote. Sen. Olympia Snowe (R., Maine) joined Democrats in opposing it, while Sen. Kent Conrad of North Dakota was the lone Democrat in favor.
The panel also rejected an amendment Mr. Hatch said was needed to ensure the government doesn’t discriminate against health-care providers who refuse to perform abortion procedures for moral or religious reasons.
The American people should pay attention. Not only are the White House and Congressional Democrats turning a deaf ear to their opposition to a government of health care and willfully ignoring the concerns of the people, they are also not even making the slightest attempt to adhere to the promises made to the American people. What happened to representative government again?
Tags: abortion, abortion mandate, health care reform, Max Baucus, Obamacare, Orrin Hatch
