The Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, joined by members of several family advocacy organizations, on Wednesday held a press conference exposing the mechanisms by which the federal health insurance exchanges set up in the new federal health care law force all taxpayers to subsidize abortions.
While Congress was out of session last week, the Obama administration issued a final rule saying that all insurance companies wishing to take part in the exchanges will include surcharges of “no less than $1 a month” in every plan consumers buy. They also aren’t allowed to tell consumers about it up front.
That, said the congressmen, violates the Hyde Amendment — a longstanding federal law stating that no taxpayer dollars can be used to pay for abortions, or insurance plans that cover them.
“There is nothing benign or compassionate about brutally taking the life of an unborn child through dismemberment or chemical poisoning,” said Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., the caucus co-chairman. “The president would like the American public to believe that his health care overhaul does not subsidize and facilitate the preventable tragedy of abortion, but his actions paint quite another picture.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Read PL 111-148 — the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, passed by Congress on March 23, 2010.
Read Executive Order 13535, issued by President Obama on March 24, 2010.
Read the rule, finalized on March 12, 2012.
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