(Download PDF) (.pdf): Free

Life Amendments in House and Senate

If either the House or Senate health care overhaul legislation does not include abortion as many legislators say-either by funding abortion services, funding health care plans that cover abortion services, or mandating that plans cover abortion-then why not just write that into the bill? Below is a list of amendments which demonstrate that abortion would be covered under the health care legislation, because every attempt to amend the legislation to say that "abortion is not to be funded or mandated" has failed.

Additionally, an amendment to include abortion in the health care legislation passed in one House committee. Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), the author of a Senate amendment to extend health coverage aimed at "pregnant women," admitted under pressure that this would include groups like Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion provider. Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) recently told a townhall meeting that "[A]bortion will be covered as a benefit by one or more of the health care plans available to Americans." Finally, many news outlets, including the Associated Press (AP), have admitted that the bill would cover abortion.

Despite these facts criticism continues over whether the health care reform bills moving through Congress would fund and mandate abortion services. Some pro-abortion supporters of health care legislation still argue that "abortion is not in there." Fortunately you don't just have to take the word of Family Research Council, a bipartisan coalition of pro-life and pro-abortion legislators, and the Associated Press. The truth is, the health care bills moving through Congress would include abortion, something over 71 percent of Americans oppose.

Continue Reading...