House Health Care Bill Gets More Criticism for Taxpayer-Funded Abortion Coverage
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The House version of the governmental health care bill, put together by three chairmen of key Congressional committees, is drawing more opposition. A top pro-life group has already issued a letter strongly opposing the measure and now leading pro-life Congressman Chris Smith has joined it. The bill numbers 850 pages and it is still under review by leading pro-life advocates. However, the current drat would result in mandated abortion coverage, paid for at taxpayer expense, nationwide. In addition, poor Americans would receive a taxpayer subsidy to purchase health care plans that pay for abortions. Under the proposed House bill, all Americans will be required to have a plan that provides government defined minimum health benefits coverage. Such coverage is defined in very broad terms in the legislation and a “Benefits Advisory Committee,” in conjunction with pro-abortion Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, would further define the benefits under the plan. Pro-life advocates are concerned that the federal government, or the courts, would define abortion into the plan unless a clear exception is included. In a letter written to every member of the House, Smith explains the problem further. 'I am deeply disappointed that the health care reform package unveiled last week poses a grave threat to the unborn in our nation," he said. Full story at LifeNews.com
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The House version of the governmental health care bill, put together by three chairmen of key Congressional committees, is drawing more opposition. A top pro-life group has already issued a letter strongly opposing the measure and now leading pro-life Congressman Chris Smith has joined it. The bill numbers 850 pages and it is still under review by leading pro-life advocates. However, the current drat would result in mandated abortion coverage, paid for at taxpayer expense, nationwide. In addition, poor Americans would receive a taxpayer subsidy to purchase health care plans that pay for abortions. Under the proposed House bill, all Americans will be required to have a plan that provides government defined minimum health benefits coverage. Such coverage is defined in very broad terms in the legislation and a “Benefits Advisory Committee,” in conjunction with pro-abortion Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, would further define the benefits under the plan. Pro-life advocates are concerned that the federal government, or the courts, would define abortion into the plan unless a clear exception is included. In a letter written to every member of the House, Smith explains the problem further. 'I am deeply disappointed that the health care reform package unveiled last week poses a grave threat to the unborn in our nation," he said. Full story at LifeNews.comObama Health Secretary Sebelius Claims Govt. Health Care Won't Include Rationing
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- President Barack Obama's health secretary claimed in a weekend interview that a government health care plan wouldn't include rationing. That a governmental health care plan could lead to euthanasia and assisted suicide is one of the top concerns of pro-life advocates. Kathleen Sebelius, the pro-abortion former Kansas governor who now heads the Health and Human Services Department, made the claims on Fox News Sunday. “I don't think there’s anything about the public option that would ration care," she said. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, on the same Fox program, rebutted Sebelius' remarks and focused on the cost of the program in terms of how it could ration care. “What they really have in mind, Bret, is to create a government-run plan after which there won't be any private insurance companies,” he said. "When you get to the question of paying for it, it appears as if they want to pay for it on the backs of seniors through Medicare cuts and raising taxes. All of this in an effort to have a massive takeover of [16 percent] of our economy -- it strikes us that a better way to go is to deal with the equalization in the tax code." Full story at LifeNews.com
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- President Barack Obama's health secretary claimed in a weekend interview that a government health care plan wouldn't include rationing. That a governmental health care plan could lead to euthanasia and assisted suicide is one of the top concerns of pro-life advocates. Kathleen Sebelius, the pro-abortion former Kansas governor who now heads the Health and Human Services Department, made the claims on Fox News Sunday. “I don't think there’s anything about the public option that would ration care," she said. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, on the same Fox program, rebutted Sebelius' remarks and focused on the cost of the program in terms of how it could ration care. “What they really have in mind, Bret, is to create a government-run plan after which there won't be any private insurance companies,” he said. "When you get to the question of paying for it, it appears as if they want to pay for it on the backs of seniors through Medicare cuts and raising taxes. All of this in an effort to have a massive takeover of [16 percent] of our economy -- it strikes us that a better way to go is to deal with the equalization in the tax code." Full story at LifeNews.comPro-Life Group Challenges Federal Order to Sell Morning After Pill to Minor Girls
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A pro-life legal group has filed the papers necessary for a pro-life organization to challenge a federal court order that required the Food and Drug Administration to allow the Plan B drug to be sold to minor girls. The Alliance Defense fund filed the papers to intervene in the case. The group is acting on behalf of Concerned Women for America, the Christian Medical and Dental Association, and Christian Pharmacists Fellowship International. The pro-life organizations contend that the order disregards parental rights and the safety of teenage girls. Matt Bowman, a top attorney with ADF, talked with LifeNews.com about the challenge. “The life and health of women, especially minors, is more important than the political agenda of pro-abortion activist groups," he said. "Minors are least of all in a position to make an informed decision about the life or death of a child, or even about their own safety. It is a lie that over-the-counter sales of this drug increase safety for women, including minors." Full story at LifeNews.com
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A pro-life legal group has filed the papers necessary for a pro-life organization to challenge a federal court order that required the Food and Drug Administration to allow the Plan B drug to be sold to minor girls. The Alliance Defense fund filed the papers to intervene in the case. The group is acting on behalf of Concerned Women for America, the Christian Medical and Dental Association, and Christian Pharmacists Fellowship International. The pro-life organizations contend that the order disregards parental rights and the safety of teenage girls. Matt Bowman, a top attorney with ADF, talked with LifeNews.com about the challenge. “The life and health of women, especially minors, is more important than the political agenda of pro-abortion activist groups," he said. "Minors are least of all in a position to make an informed decision about the life or death of a child, or even about their own safety. It is a lie that over-the-counter sales of this drug increase safety for women, including minors." Full story at LifeNews.comNew Technology Allows Parents to Hold Life-Size Model of Their Unborn Child
London, England (LifeNews.com) -- Stunning new technology is allowing parents to go beyond a 3D or 4D ultrasound to bond with their unborn child in ways never imaginable. A student at the Royal College of Art in Britain has created life-like models based on pictures of unborn children that are the exact shape and size of the baby in the womb. Fetal models have long been a staple of county fairs and health education classes across the country, but one student has gone further. Brazilian student Jorge Lopes is a PhD. student at the college and he has pioneered the use of converting data from ultrasounds and MRI scans to form life-size plastic models in a process called rapid prototyping. "It’s amazing to see the faces of the mothers. They can see the full scale of their baby, really understand the size of it," Lopes said. One way to conceive of the idea behind the new process is to imagine a printer that relies on plastic powder instead of the ink that normally goes on a sheet of paper. As the plastic builds up, it creates a 3D model instead of a flat image on paper. Full story at LifeNews.com
London, England (LifeNews.com) -- Stunning new technology is allowing parents to go beyond a 3D or 4D ultrasound to bond with their unborn child in ways never imaginable. A student at the Royal College of Art in Britain has created life-like models based on pictures of unborn children that are the exact shape and size of the baby in the womb. Fetal models have long been a staple of county fairs and health education classes across the country, but one student has gone further. Brazilian student Jorge Lopes is a PhD. student at the college and he has pioneered the use of converting data from ultrasounds and MRI scans to form life-size plastic models in a process called rapid prototyping. "It’s amazing to see the faces of the mothers. They can see the full scale of their baby, really understand the size of it," Lopes said. One way to conceive of the idea behind the new process is to imagine a printer that relies on plastic powder instead of the ink that normally goes on a sheet of paper. As the plastic builds up, it creates a 3D model instead of a flat image on paper. Full story at LifeNews.comPlanned Parenthood Concludes TV Ad Campaign on Health Care, Ignores Abortion
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Planned Parenthood has been the nation's number one abortion business for years, but Americans wouldn't be able to tell by a television ad campaign that it is about to conclude. The ad is promoting the role it plays in health care and says government funding for its programs must continue. The Planned Parenthood spot never mentions abortion, even though it did over 300,000 abortions last fiscal year. That Planned Parenthood does 10 times more abortions than it provides prenatal care didn't warrant mention in the commercial. Instead, the commercial, which has been playing throughout the month of June in Washington, as an attempt to get the attention of lawmakers and their staff, claims 90 percent of what they do focuses on preventative or primary care services. The commercial features an image of an animated woman named Jane who goes to Planned Parenthood "for essential health care—cancer screenings, immunizations and contraception. And Jane's not alone." Full story at LifeNews.com
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Planned Parenthood has been the nation's number one abortion business for years, but Americans wouldn't be able to tell by a television ad campaign that it is about to conclude. The ad is promoting the role it plays in health care and says government funding for its programs must continue. The Planned Parenthood spot never mentions abortion, even though it did over 300,000 abortions last fiscal year. That Planned Parenthood does 10 times more abortions than it provides prenatal care didn't warrant mention in the commercial. Instead, the commercial, which has been playing throughout the month of June in Washington, as an attempt to get the attention of lawmakers and their staff, claims 90 percent of what they do focuses on preventative or primary care services. The commercial features an image of an animated woman named Jane who goes to Planned Parenthood "for essential health care—cancer screenings, immunizations and contraception. And Jane's not alone." Full story at LifeNews.comCatholic Caritas Christi Withdraws From Pro-Abortion Celticare Health Care Plan
Boston, MA (LifeNews.com) -- After months of intense lobbying from pro-life advocates, Caritas Christi Health Care has withdrawn from the new state health plan Massachusetts state officials awarded it. The plan, a cooperative with Centene Corporation called the Celticare Health Plan of Massachusetts, included abortions. Because the plan included abortion coverage, the six Catholic hospitals affiliated with the Archdiocese of Boston under Caritas Christi would have been making abortion referrals. Leading pro-life groups in the state had called on Cardinal Sean O'Malley to withdraw Caritas Christi from the CeltiCare partnership. With pressure from Cardinal O'Malley, Caritas withdrew from the new plan. "I am happy to share with you the following statement issued this evening by Caritas Christi concerning its decision to withdraw its membership in the CeltiCare Health Plan while continuing its commitment to serve the needs of the poor among us,'' he wrote. Full story at LifeNews.com
Boston, MA (LifeNews.com) -- After months of intense lobbying from pro-life advocates, Caritas Christi Health Care has withdrawn from the new state health plan Massachusetts state officials awarded it. The plan, a cooperative with Centene Corporation called the Celticare Health Plan of Massachusetts, included abortions. Because the plan included abortion coverage, the six Catholic hospitals affiliated with the Archdiocese of Boston under Caritas Christi would have been making abortion referrals. Leading pro-life groups in the state had called on Cardinal Sean O'Malley to withdraw Caritas Christi from the CeltiCare partnership. With pressure from Cardinal O'Malley, Caritas withdrew from the new plan. "I am happy to share with you the following statement issued this evening by Caritas Christi concerning its decision to withdraw its membership in the CeltiCare Health Plan while continuing its commitment to serve the needs of the poor among us,'' he wrote. Full story at LifeNews.comAppeals Court Judge Takes Pro-Life Stance in Virginia Partial-Birth Abortion Ruling
Richmond, VA (LifeNews.com) -- It is only on a very rare occasion that a federal appeals court judge lays out a clear and passionate case for defending the human rights of unborn children. But, Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III did just that when he joined the majority of judges who recently upheld a Virginia ban on partial-birth abortions. In a 6-5 decision last week, the Fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Virginia’s partial-birth abortion ban. It reversed a 2-to-1 decision last year from a three-judge panel of members of the appellate court which struck down the ban last year. In the majority opinion, Judge Wilkinson wrote, “A partially born child is among the weakest, most helpless beings in our midst and on that account exerts a special claim on our protection." "The fact is that we -- civilized people -- are retreating to the haven of our Constitution to justify dismembering a partly born child and crushing its skull,” his opinion continued. “Surely centuries hence, people will look back on this gruesome practice done in the name of fundamental law by a society of high achievement. And they will shudder.” Full story at LifeNews.com
Richmond, VA (LifeNews.com) -- It is only on a very rare occasion that a federal appeals court judge lays out a clear and passionate case for defending the human rights of unborn children. But, Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III did just that when he joined the majority of judges who recently upheld a Virginia ban on partial-birth abortions. In a 6-5 decision last week, the Fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Virginia’s partial-birth abortion ban. It reversed a 2-to-1 decision last year from a three-judge panel of members of the appellate court which struck down the ban last year. In the majority opinion, Judge Wilkinson wrote, “A partially born child is among the weakest, most helpless beings in our midst and on that account exerts a special claim on our protection." "The fact is that we -- civilized people -- are retreating to the haven of our Constitution to justify dismembering a partly born child and crushing its skull,” his opinion continued. “Surely centuries hence, people will look back on this gruesome practice done in the name of fundamental law by a society of high achievement. And they will shudder.” Full story at LifeNews.comConnecticut Governor Rell Signs Bill Banning Ultrasounds Without Medical Reason
Hartford, CT (LifeNews.com) -- Under a new bill pro-abortion Connecticut Gov. Jodi Rell signed into law last week, an ultrasound of an unborn child can't be done without a medical reason or authorization from a physician. Rell claimed she signed the bill because she is concerned about the health and safety of mothers and unborn children. However, no studies have revealed any negative health affects for either by viewing an ultrasound. The bill is also an effort to target the new ultrasound "boutiques" that allow parents of unborn children to view an ultrasound and take home their children's first baby pictures of them moving around in the womb. The new law will take effect on July 1. Full story at LifeNews.com
Hartford, CT (LifeNews.com) -- Under a new bill pro-abortion Connecticut Gov. Jodi Rell signed into law last week, an ultrasound of an unborn child can't be done without a medical reason or authorization from a physician. Rell claimed she signed the bill because she is concerned about the health and safety of mothers and unborn children. However, no studies have revealed any negative health affects for either by viewing an ultrasound. The bill is also an effort to target the new ultrasound "boutiques" that allow parents of unborn children to view an ultrasound and take home their children's first baby pictures of them moving around in the womb. The new law will take effect on July 1. Full story at LifeNews.comEncourage Friends to Sign Up for Free Pro-Life News From LifeNews.com
