Washington Times
Tony Perkins, Family Research Council President
Sunday, July 5^th, 2009

“While liberal Democrats on Capitol Hill are working to pass President Obama’s plan to overhaul the nation’s health care system, few are talking about this essential issue: Will health care reform force taxpayers to pay for abortions for the first time in 30 years?

The short answer is yes, because there is no explicit provision in the bill to:

• Prevent taxpayer funding of abortions as part of the health care benefit Congress is considering…

• Prevent delays in health care services that result in the death of the patient waiting for the care, usually the old, infirm and the very sick…

• Allow health care providers, including doctors, nurses and pharmacists, to refuse to participate in any health care-related action that violates their conscience…

In short, the health care reform bills being considered in both the House and Senate attempt to be silent on the key question of whether or not to allow the U.S. government to fund abortions with taxpayers’ money, while simultaneously giving the health and human services secretary the power to allow taxpayer-funded abortions…

Among the life-and-death questions the American public must ask:

• Do you feel more comfortable handling decisions about who will get care now or later, or at all, or do you want to hand this power over to the government?

• Do you want Congress to allow taxpayer funded abortions?

• Do you think the government should force doctors and nurses to engage in acts they are fundamentally and ethically opposed to performing?

The Family Research Council’s answer is clear: There must be a permanent prohibition on taxpayer-funded abortions, a provision to allow a right of conscience for doctors and nurses and other health care providers to refuse to perform actions they oppose, and there can be no system of denial or delay or rationing of care. Euthanasia by any other name is a poison pill in the health reform debate.”

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