originally posted by Will Urquhart at Sum of Change
I really hate having to come back to this over and over again. Let’s get our abortion-and-health-care basics down folks. The Senate bill does nothing to change the standard we have lived by that no federal funding shall be used for abortion.
First off, read the language of the bill. You can check out Huffington Post’s brief summary, but seriously, read the abortion language in the bill.
Are we clear? It says, very specifically that there is to be no funding for abortion under the exact same standards we have lived by for decades. The Health and Human Services Secretary can audit the plan to ensure that no federal funding goes to abortion under the exact same standards we have lived by for decades.
If that is true, you ask, why on earth would anti-choice folks lie and spread the falsehood that the bill funds abortion? Because it allows them to push to for provisions that would place radically new restrictions on the right to purchase coverage for abortion with private money. Anti-choice folks have demonstrated, over and over again, their willingness to employ any means to stop abortions. Imagining them having trouble lying, is like imagining a bank robber having a problem with trespassing.
So what should you do when you confront someone who believes the lie? Ask them to prove it. Ask them what in the Senate bill funds abortion. We asked that of the President of Operation Rescue, Troy Newman just before the March for Life in January:
Keep in mind, that is Operation Rescue’s President. He is one of the folks leading the anti-choice tantrum against health care. He is not just any old anti-choicer. He is the one telling the everyday anti-choicer that the Senate bill funds abortion, so if anyone should be able to explain how, it’s him.
But the everyday anti-choicers can think for themselves, right? I mean, these folks will take the time to check the language themselves before taking Troy Newman’s word for it, right?
Sure (this next video is from the day after we spoke with Troy Newman):
As I said, the anti-choice base of the conservative movement has no problem lying to get results. It would be nice if folks in the main stream media would ask these folks to explain how the Senate bill funds abortion. This is not an opinion that the bill does not fund abortion, it is a fact. Our main stream media, so focused on being “fair and balanced,” treats this as just another side of the argument, that deserves equal respect. It is not and does not.
1 comment
the problem is that both the Nelson and Stupak language, while purporting to comply with Hyde, IN FACT make abortion coverage entirely unavailable on the Exchange, private money or not, because of market forces.
BOTH the Senate and House Bill amount to nothing more than a complete abandonment of Roe and Women’s reproductive choice.
Not to mention the fact the House is being asked to buy a pig in a poke by passing the Senate Bill and its Excise Tax (which does NOTHING but degrade the coverage you already have contra Barack Hussein Obama’s campaign promise- Liar!).
All of the subsidy money from taxpayers goes, not to Health Care, but to Insurance Companies who have NO DISINCENTIVE AT ALL not to deny coverage and raise rates.
It is Welfare for the Wealthy.
This is a bad bill which MUST be defeated.
And any purported Democrat who votes for it will be punished at the polls because the people are not as stupid as Washington thinks they are.
Anyone who claims to care about Electoral Victory is LYING!
No Public Option? NO MANDATE!