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Health care reform bill creates debate over taxpayer funding of abortions
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There has been recent debate and protest today as anti-abortion groups raise massive public awareness on the Senate’s health care reform bill which speculates federal funding of abortion clinics.
This has instantaneously sparked fury among many opponents on the abortion issue who fear that health insurance plans receiving federal subsidies will cover abortion as a legal medical procedure. Many are now thinking twice about supporting President Obama’s health care reform.
Currently the Hyde amendment prohibits federal funding of abortion except in cases of rape, incest or to save the mother‘s life.
Democratic Representative Bart Stupak from Michigan, who wrote the House bill, proposes the prohibition of subsidies received from health plans to be used to cover abortions. This usage would only be accepted as allowed in the Hyde amendment. Women who want coverage for abortion would have to personally buy a separate policy.
On the other hand, Democratic Senator Ben Nelson from Nebraska, who wrote the Senate bill, proposes that private funds collected directly from policyholders be used to cover abortion. People who want the coverage would have to write two separate checks to their health insurance plan, one of which would be kept in a separate account from taxpayer funds.
It seems that the Democrats themselves are not in agreement based on their dissimiliar provisions of the bill. However, President Obama urges Democrats to unite as the Senate bill is being sent to the House for a vote.
According to both bills, there seems to be conflict in the language regarding federal funding of abortion. Opponents of abortion such as the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the National Right to Life Committee specifically fear the Senate bill and are worrisome about the trustworthiness of the government to not use taxpayers’ money to fund abortion.
The Louisiana Right to Life Federation reports that, 6,833 abortions occurred in Louisiana in the year 2007. Unfortunately, this is the most recent report, but it has been the average rate since 2005.
Statistics show that more than half of the abortions were performed on minority women from mostly Orleans Parish. The second highest was Jefferson Parish. Caddo, East Baton Rouge, and Bossier made up the remaining percentage of abortion rates in Louisiana.
According to the Alan Guttmacher Institute 4,000 children die everyday to abortion in the United States. Passing a health care reform bill that allows the federal funding of abortion in any way would be an infringement on the rights of those who oppose abortion. A law that does as such would be forcing citizens who do not support abortion to give their tax dollars to a cause they do not believe in.
While women freely have the right to seek an abortion if they choose, the American public, which is made up of supporters and opponents alike, should not be collectively responsible for providing those services. From a local standpoint, it would be rather difficult to convince Louisianans that they should support this legislation, seeing as the majority of the state population opposes abortion.
If the Senate Democrats really want support on this legislation then they need to be mindful of the diverse group of citizens of which they represent. It is not fair to support the right of one people over the right of another.
Therefore, it comes down to whose right is more important; the right of the government to cover whomever they choose or the right of the people to determine how their money is being spent. The United States is spending nearly $2.5 trillion on health care this year, which is 17.3 percent of the U.S. economy. Taxpayers have the right to know the extensive fiscal consequences of supporting this health care legislation.
Needless to say, it would be sad to see President Obama’s health care reform demolished over the issue of abortion after more than a year of legislative struggle to get it approved. It is evident that a reform is needed, and something as controversial as abortion could very easily obliterate all efforts to make a positive change in American health care.
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