Abortion Set To Derail US Health Care Reform

In an aggressive move that confuses many people — especially pro-choicers who have accepted the federal-financing of abortions limits imposed by the decades-old Hyde amendment — the Catholic Church and key pro-life Congressmen say that they will force a showdown of the American health care reform bill over abortion.

Sen. Ben Nelson plans an amendment to tighten rules on funding for abortion AP PhotoIn spite of a Supreme Court ruling in Roe vs. Wade stating that abortion is legal in America, and an agreement in Congress that Hyde Amendment restrictions will apply in the new health care bill, both conservative, liberal and indy press reports state that pro-life forces insist that killing health care reform is a lesser moral evil than failing to use this moment in time to aggressively move in favor of further restrictions against abortion.

In demanding that a woman can’t use private funds in a private insurance policy that’s in any way connected, even tangentially, to the American health care system, prochoice forces are throwing down the gauntlet on abortion rights in America.

The other major sticking point in Senate negotiations around the health care bill concern the public option, where Senate Republican Olympia Snowe’s vote is crucial. Senator Snowe met privately with the president over the weekend and all parties are hopeful that there will be agreement around the public option.

The abortion debate is another situation entirely.

Simply stated, the prolife contingent says that now is the time to “go for broke” on further restrictions against abortions in America. Prochoicers and moderates who believe that the Catholic Church should not hold hostage health care reform in America — when our Supreme Court ruled 30 years ago that abortion is legal — say they will not bend on this issue.

Given the fact the Republicans don’t support the health care reform bill, there’s no conflict over letting reform die. We must note that it’s two Democratic congressmen, not Republicans, who are delivering the anti-abortion amendments.

The Senate is expected to bring the abortion debate to the floor today or tomorrow, at the latest. Anne

Sources: Senate to Confront Abortion in Health Care NYTimes

Senate to Confront Abortion in Health Care Debate Fox News

Abortion Emerges as Top Bill Threat Wall Street Journal

Abortion Updates:

Growing Controversy over Crisis Pregnancy Centers

This graph from the Guttmacher Institute documents the existence of Crisis Pregnancy Centers in America. Abortions aren’t performed in these centers, and everything possible is done to persuade a woman/girl arriving in the center not to have an abortion.

Google web search page 1, top 5 posts based on Google rank, gives us these articles or websites about crisis pregnancy centers:

Beware of Antiabortion Crisis Pregnancy Centers Feminist Women’s Health Center

Crisis Pregnancy website Crisis Pregnancy

Pregnancy “options” counselors: Give birth! Salon

Exposing Anti-Choice Abortion Clinics AlterNet

Canadian hockey charity supports fake pregnancy “crisis centers” Feministing

Objective Sources of Info on Abortion

The Guttmacher Institute is the most respected ‘neutral’ provider of statistical information on women’s reproductive health worldwide. In the current abortion funding debate, the Guttmacher Institute has posted a clarification: Misuse of Guttmacher Statistic on Insurance coverage of Abortion.

The Pew Research organization also maintains highly objective standards of their research on abortion and all lifestyle issues. This abortion update was published April 30, 2009: Public Takes Conservative Turn on Gun Control, Abortion.

New Movie

In a related subject, read Jezebel’s Teenage Girls Take Up Both Sides of the Abortion Debate After Watching “Neutral” Documentary,  South Dakota woman’s right to choose. Jezebel references:

Creators of abortion film say they want honest debate LATimes

Update on Mon, December 7, 2009 by Anne

Politico reports that Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson and Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch today filed their amendment to tighten restrictions on federal funding for abortion.

The amendment prohibits federal funds from paying for abortion. It prohibits the public option from covering abortion and blocks consumers from using subsidies to purchase a health insurance policy that covers abortion.

The actual bill itself is attached.