Conservative Principles Now

Ironically, the very first group to feel the effects of the pending federal government takeover of the health care system are among the closest political allies of President Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi—those who strongly support the cause of “abortion rights”.

Opponents of the latest House restriction on taxpayer funding of abortion are trying to argue that they merely desire to preserve the status quo. They apparently failed to grasp what conservatives have been warning them, and everyone else who will listen, all along—the status quo cannot, and will not, continue to exist. Change, as the President likes to say, is coming. Big Change.

When government is put in the position of making decisions about what will be funded and what will not be funded, that is exactly what it will do—decide what and who gets the funding. It is not a personal decision anymore; its not a market decision, nor even an economic decision. It’s a political decision.

Chances are that someone on the receiving end will not like those decisions. Today, millions of Americans in every other sector of the economy- with the notable exception of health insurance - can vote with their feet, taking their business elsewhere, and buying and owning a different policy. Tomorrow, there will be fewer and fewer choices. The authors of the House and Senate health bills will make sure of that.

Abortion was the first political decision on government funding of a “medical procedure”; it will not be the last. Want treatment for erectile dysfunction? Medicare and Medicaid will not pay for those drugs. Will the “public option”, the new government-run health plan? Who knows? The Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services will ultimately decide. Patients will get what the federal government gives them.

Government will be making all sorts of treatment decisions for millions of Americans. Half of the people to become insured will be through Medicaid. Government has nothing to say about you using your own money for cosmetic purposes, but Medicaid will not pay for it. Will the public plan pay for cosmetic surgeries? What about expensive fertility treatments? Not covered by Medicaid. Medicaid will not pay for mental illness treatment for adults in an institution for mental diseases. What happens if your family physician does not take Medicaid because of low reimbursement rates? Can you pay extra out of your own pocket? No, not allowed.

Like the “abortion rights” supporters, many Americans will ultimately realize the health care legislation is not the change they were expecting.

It looks like Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) isn’t happy with Democrat Rep. Bart Stupak’s efforts to make sure that taxpayer dollars do not pay for abortions in any new health care plan.

From The Hill’s Blog Briefing Room:

During an interview on C-SPAN’s ‘Washington Journal’ show, Stupak (D-Mich.) said he is undeterred in trying to ensure that taxpayer dollars do not pay for abortions. Stupak, who opposes abortion rights, acknowledged that some in his party are upset with his public campaign to change the bill.

‘The Speaker is not happy with me,’ Stupak said.

Stupak has pulled together 40 like-minded Democrats who plan to block healthcare reform legislation from coming to a vote on the House floor if the bill includes federal subsidies for abortions. As The Hill reports, “Stupak wants a vote on the House floor to strike the language, and predicts he would have the votes to pass such an amendment.”

Why is this an issue?

Even though President Barack Obama pledged, “Under our plan, no federal dollars will be used to fund abortions,” The Foundry previously reported that Obamacare will force the American people to pay for abortions because there is no law to prevent it from happening. What’s more, a provision known as the Hyde amendment, which blocks federal dollars from being spent on Health and Human Services programs, doesn’t apply to the health care reform.

But don’t take our word for it. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops sent a letter to Congress on October 8th writing: “No one should be required to pay for or participate in abortion. … No current bill meets this test.”