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After a Delay
House Vote to Repeal ObamaCare Set for Next Week
Part Two of Four By Dave Andrusko I really try not to be cynical. But it was difficult not to reach the conclusion that supporters of ObamaCare were exploiting the unspeakably tragic shootings in Tucson, Arizona, in an attempt to weaken pro-life attempts to repeal and replace this 2,000 +page abortion-ridden monstrosity. Suffice it to say that we can hope the fever has broken --that the sickness that sought to blame [fill in the blank] conservatives," right-wingers," Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh, etc., has run its ugly course.
Pro-lifers never doubted that the pro-life House leadership would take up the vote after suspending votes on all controversial issues in deference to the pain felt by the families of the six murdered and the 13 wounded--and the shock and horror felt by the entire nation. We all admire Speaker John Boehner and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, among many others, for affirming that when the House votes next week "their goal is to conduct a sober, issue-oriented debate focused on convincing voters that the law needs to end," as the Washington Post put it this morning. With a law as flawed as the "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act" (ObamaCare), an even-handed explanation is all that ought to be required. NRLC has written early and often and in specific detail why ObamaCare needs to be repealed. In a letter to Members of Congress, NRLC noted that the 2010 health care law "contains multiple provisions authorizing federal subsidies for abortion, and additional provisions on which future abortion-expanding regulatory mandates may be based. . . . In addition, the PPACA [the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act] contains multiple provisions that will, if fully implemented, result in government-imposed rationing of lifesaving medical care. . . . The law is so riddled with provisions that violate right-to-life principles that it cannot simply be patched. It must be repealed, and any replacement legislation must contain all necessary safeguards for the right to life of the most vulnerable members of the human family." (To read the entire letter, please go to http://www.nrlc.org/AHC/NRLCLetteronHR2.html) As is explained in a story that appears on page one of the January issue of National Right to Life News, while H.R. 2 is expected to pass the House, no one thinks that it will garner the required 60 votes in the Senate – and even if it did, President Obama would undoubtedly employ his veto power to defend his 2010 health care law. Given these realities, Republican leaders have indicated that they will follow H.R. 2 with a series of narrower legislative attacks on specific components of the health care law. One such proposal, the "Protect Life Act," will soon be reintroduced by pro-life Rep. Joe Pitts (R-Pa.). This bill, which is backed by NRLC and other pro-life groups, would prohibit pro-abortion subsidies and mandates in every component of the massive 2010 health care law. In content, it is very similar to the "Stupak-Pitts Amendment" which NRLC pushed during the 2009-2010 debate over health care legislation – an amendment that ultimately was blocked by opposition from President Obama and the congressional Democratic leadership. Pitts is now well situated to advance the Protect Life Act – he has been appointed as chairman of the Health Subcommittee of the powerful House Committee on Energy and Commerce, the panel with direct jurisdiction over most federal health programs. Pitts has extensive experience in health policy issues, having served as a member of both the full committee and the subcommittee for ten years. He has also chaired the Values Action Team, an unofficial but influential caucus of House members concerned with pro-life and pro-family issues. In addition to the Pitts bill, a complementary, broader reform bill is being advanced by Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ). Smith's bill, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, would establish a permanent, government-wide ban on federal subsidies for abortion, with narrow exceptions. The bill would supersede a patchwork of different laws limiting federal subsidies for abortion, many of which must be renewed each year because they are incorporated into annual appropriations bills. The bill is a major priority for NRLC, and was included in the pre-election "Pledge to America," an outline of priorities released by the House Republican leadership. Smith, a 30-year House veteran, co-chairs the Bipartisan Pro-Life Caucus in the House, and who is recognized by all as the leader of pro-life forces in the chamber. In a December 8 release, the Caucus announced that Rep. Dan Lipinski, Democrat of Illinois, will serve as co-chairman for the new Congress. Be sure to pass along these blog entries, especially the ones about the upcoming vote, to your friends, family, and colleagues. Passage of H.R. 2 would be hugely important first step. Please send your comments on Today's News & Views and National Right to Life News Today to daveandrusko@gmail.com. If you like, join those who are following me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/daveha. |
