Sunday, December 6, 2009

U.S. Senate to Address Key Prolife Amendment

Afghanistan, unemployment and the economy are topics which have been making the headlines. But in Washington, D.C., the U.S. Senate is chipping away at health care reform. The U.S. Senate is engaged in consideration of numerous amendments to a sweeping health care restructuring bill proposed by Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), the "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act" (H.R. 3590). Right to Life of Michigan is strongly opposed to the Reid bill because of the federal funding of abortions and potential health rationing provisions.

Soon, perhaps as early as the week of December 6, prolife Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Ben Nelson (D-NE) will offer an amendment that will incorporate the same policy as the Stupak-Pitts Amendment. The Stupak-Pitts Amendment prohibits both direct federal funding of abortion by the "public option" and the use of federal subsidies to purchase private plans that cover elective abortion.

The U.S. House Democratic leadership version of health care legislation (H.R. 3962) originally contained pro-abortion provisions very similar to those now found in the Reid bill. However, on November 7, the House approved the prolife Stupak-Pitts Amendment on a roll call vote of 240-194. The House then passed H.R. 3962, as amended, by a vote of 220-215.

At this time, the Reid bill establishes a big new federal health insurance program, the public option. The bill authorizes (on page 118) the federal Secretary of Health and Human Services to require coverage of any and all abortions throughout the public option program. This would be federal government funding of abortion, no matter how hard they try to disguise it.

For detailed information, please visit the Right to Life of Michigan Prolife Action Center.

Action Item

Sign On-Line Petition

Call and e-mail Senator Carl Levin and Senator Debbie Stabenow and let them know abortion and abortion funding must be "explicitly excluded " from any health care/insurance reform legislation.

Sample message: "I urge you to support the Hatch-Nelson amendment which would prohibit direct federal funding of abortion and prohibit the use of federal subsidies to purchase private plans that cover elective abortions. I am strongly opposed to government funding of abortion."

Senator Carl Levin (D)
Washington, D.C., Phone: (202) 224-6221

District Offices:
Detroit (313) 226-6020
Escanaba (906) 789-0052
Grand Rapids (616) 456-2531
Lansing (517) 377-1508
Traverse City (231) 947-9569
Warren (586) 573-9145

Web Site (you can use the web site to send an electronic message):
www.levin.senate.gov/


Senator Debbie Stabenow (D)
Washington, D.C., Phone: (202) 224-4822

District Offices:
Detroit (313) 961-4330
East Lansing (517) 203-1760
Flint (810) 720-4172
Grand Rapids (616) 975-0052
Marquette (906) 228-8756
Traverse City (231) 929-1031

Web Site (you can use the web site to send an electronic message):
www.stabenow.senate.gov/