We are hearing that after the Tuesday wins of two pro-life politicians, Bob McDonnell in Virginia and Chris Christie in New Jersey, abortion supporters in Congress are “really sweating.”  This sets an entirely new context for the fight over keeping abortion out of health care.

Yesterday, the House Rules Committee announced that the “rule” for considering the health care legislation will include language put forward by Representative Brad Ellsworth, D-Ind. which the House leadership is falsely describing as “pro-life.”  Rep. Ellsworth claims his Amendment would “prevent tax-payer funded abortions.” Unfortunately, that’s not true.  By allowing the Ellsworth language, House Democratic leaders hope this so-called “compromise” will keep reluctant pro-life Democrats from voting against the final bill.   But so far we’re hearing that these parliamentary shenanigans are too transparent to fool anyone.  

Of course the false pro-life label is designed to give legislators cover back home.  So we are working to get the word out to the grass roots.  The Ellsworth Amendment allows the public option to pay for abortion on demand and allows government dollars to go to private plans that cover abortion.  This amendment would undermine the only pro-life amendment that truly protects life in health care reform: the Stupak-Pitts Amendment.  The Ellsworth Amendment would still allow the largest expansion of taxpayer-funded abortion in over 30 years. Americans United for Life’s legal team has legal analysis of the current pro-abortion House health bill H.R. 3962.

Our pro-life friends on the Hill are concerned that the pro-abortion House Leadership will deny the Stupak-Pitts Amendment a vote.  But without that amendment, pro-life Members cannot vote for health care reform.

In order to stop unprecedented abortion funding in the guise of health care reform, we need everyone in pro-life America to contact Congress to prevent their tax dollars from going to abortion.

Dr. Charmaine Yoest is president and CEO of Americans United for Life Action (AULA).  AUL Action is the legislative arm of AUL, the oldest national pro-life public policy organization in the country. AUL Action has a health care reform website located at REAL Health Care Respects Life.com.

From the diaries by Erick

Yesterday, Americans United for Life’s legislative action arm, AUL Action gave America a much-needed reality check with a groundbreaking new online ad that dispels the deceptive rhetoric in Washington and gives clear evidence how your taxpayer dollars will go to funding abortions in health care reform.

Our new online video ad, “Don’t Be Fooled: Abortion is in Health Care Reform,” is a part of our “Real Health Care Respects Life” initiative to mobilize pro-life opposition nationwide to abortion in health care reform.

This ad cuts through the deceptive rhetoric of pro-abortion politicians and shows how American taxpayers will be forced to pay for abortions against their conscience. The ad highlights current health care reform proposals which would allow abortion in health care reform.

You can learn more about how your tax dollars could go to abortions in health care reform in my op-ed in The Wall Street Journal entitled “Tax Dollars Shouldn’t Fund Abortion” or you can go to www.RealHealthCareRespectsLife.com.

Editor’s Note from Erick: Dr. Charmaine Yoest is President and CEO of Americans United for Life Action, the legislative arm of Americans United for Life, the oldest national pro-life organization in America. Americans United for Life defended the Hyde Amendment before the U.S. Supreme Court. http://www.aul.org

Recently I met with the White House to discuss pro-life America’s concerns about life issues (end-of-life issues, conscience protection, and abortion) in the proposed health care reform on Capitol Hill.  Between the timing of President Obama’s address to Congress denouncing abortion funding and coverage in health care reform, Secretary Sebelius’s comments on ABC’s This Week implying the President’s desire to push for an explicit exclusion, the new Rasmussen poll which further documented American taxpayers’ opposition to paying for abortion in health care, and our White House meeting, we wanted to take the opportunity to tell the President’s senior staff that pro-life America wants to see explicit language in health care reform banning abortion coverage and funding. 

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