from the NRLC:
Urge lawmakers to oppose the pro-abortion health care bill!
Senate conducts decisive procedural votes this week!
WASHINGTON (Updated December 23, 2009, 10 AM EST) – The U.S. Senate this week is conducting a series of crucial votes on sweeping health care legislation that is strongly opposed by NRLC and other pro-life organizations.
The legislation (H.R. 3590), the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act,” sponsored by Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid (D-Nv.), consists of a 2,074-page bill proposed by Reid on November 18, as modified by a 383-page “manager’s amendment” that Reid unveiled on December 19. The original Reid bill contained abortion-related provisions that NRLC and other pro-life groups strongly opposed. The manager’s amendment modified those provisions, but did not correct them, and NRLC strongly opposes the abortion language contained in the amended Senate bill.
On December 21, the bill cleared a major procedural hurdle when the Senate voted to end debate (“invoke cloture”) on the Reid manager’s amendment. All 60 Senate Democrats (including two independents who caucus with the Democrats) voted for cloture, and all 40 Republicans voted against cloture.
The legislation now faces an additional 60-vote procedural hurdle on December 23, leading up to a vote on passage of the Senate bill on December 24. In a letter sent to the Senate on December 22, NRLC said, “We view a vote for cloture [to end debate] on the Senate bill as a vote to advance legislation to allow the federal government to subsidize private insurance plans that cover abortion on demand, to oversee multi-state plans that cover elective abortions, and to empower federal officials to mandate that private health plans cover abortions even if they do not accept subsidized enrollees.” To view or download the NRLC letter in PDF format, click here.
Once the Senate approves the bill, congressional Democratic leaders will seek to reconcile the Senate bill with the different health care bill passed by the House of Representatives on November 7 (H.R. 3962). This process is expected to take several weeks.
Before passing the bill, the House adopted the NRLC-backed Stupak-Pitts Amendment to remove subsidies for abortion. In a statement issued on December 19, the prime sponsor of that amendment, Congressman Bart Stupak (D-Mi.), said that the abortion language contained in the Senate bill “is unacceptable.”
After a final version of the bill is crafted by congressional Democratic leaders, it can only be sent to President Obama for his signature if it first receives approval from a majority in the House of Representatives, and surmounts several 60-vote hurdles in the Senate. NRLC will continue to urge lawmakers to oppose the legislation as long as it contains provisions that promote abortion and the rationing of lifesaving medical treatments.
(The legislative situation can change rapidly, so check back to this page frequently to get the latest updates.)
Time is short! Please telephone the offices of your U.S. senators and your U.S. House member. The Washington offices of your representatives can be reached through the Capitol Switchboard, 202-224-3121. If you scroll to the bottom of this alert, you will find additional suggestions for ways to communicate with your senators on this issue.
On July 17, 2007, during Barack Obama’s campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, he appeared before the annual conference of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund. Speaking of his plans for “health care reform,” Obama said, “in my mind, reproductive care is essential care. It is basic care, and so it is at the center and at the heart of the plan that I propose.” He stated that, “What we’re doing is to say that we’re going to set up a public plan that all persons and all women can access if they don’t have health insurance. It’ll be a plan that will provide all essential services, including reproductive services.” You can view a video of Obama’s remarks here. You can view a review of what Obama said by the independent group Politifact.com here.) Since adoption of the Stupak-Pitts Amendment by the House on November 7, Obama has expressed opposition to the pro-life amendment in interviews, and the White House staff is working actively against the pro-life amendments on Capitol Hill.
What You Can Do Now
* In addition, please TELEPHONE the offices of your two U.S. senators, and your U.S. House member. Give your name and address, and tell the senators’ staff persons that you wish to be recorded as “opposed to the Senate version of the health care bill” because of its pro-abortion components. The offices of any member of Congress can be reached through 202-224-3121. You can also find the direct-dial numbers (and fax numbers) for the Washington and in-state offices of your U.S. senators and House member by calling up their individual profiles on this website, here.
* Also, please send short letters to the “letters to the editor” features of your local newspapers, in order to alert your fellow pro-life citizens to the pro-abortion policies that the Obama White House and the pro-abortion lobby are trying to smuggle into law through “health care reform.” You can find contact information for your local news media in our “Media Guide” here.
* If you are able, click here to donate to support the efforts of National Right to Life in opposition to pro-abortion health care legislation.
* News media: For further information on this issue, contact NRLC at 202-626-8820 or 202-626-8825.