Family Research Council: Senator Baucus Undermines President Obama's Abortion Funding...

Family Research Council: Senator Baucus Undermines President Obama's Abortion
Funding Claim

WASHINGTON, Sept. 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --Today U.S. Sen. Max Baucus
(D-MT) introduced a detailed summary of his "America's Health Future Act of
2009" that will be marked-up in the Senate Financial Services Committee next
week.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080930/FRCLOGO)

The Baucus legislation explicitly includes abortion and would subsidize health
plans that cover all elective abortions and moves well beyond the status quo
of preventing federal funds from paying for abortion or subsidizing plans that
covers abortion as is prevented under current laws governing Medicaid, the
Federal Employee Health Benefits Plan and the State Children's Health
Insurance Plan. On Friday morning at the Values Voter Summit, this issue will
be discussed in greater detail during a congressional panel discussion.

Responding, Tony Perkins said:

"Senator Baucus' new health care bill puts to rest the President's claim that
'abortion is not included' in the Senate health care bill. The Baucus plan
includes abortion, pure and simple. Like the Capps abortion amendment in the
House bill, the Baucus plan would subsidize health plans that cover elective
abortions but with tax credits. The accounting used in the bill is a matter of
smoke and mirrors, since elective abortion is authorized for health plans
receiving government subsidies.

"The Baucus bill goes even farther by mandating that there be at least one
health plan in each region across the country which covers elective abortions.
Such a government mandate of abortion-covered plans in each state exchange
and subsidizing such plans does little to prevent 'federal funding of
abortion' as President Obama said last week. Moreover, the Baucus bill would
spend $6 billion to establish health care co-ops and this funding could be
used for elective abortion because it is not subject to the Hyde Amendment
appropriations provision.

"If President Obama is serious about preventing funding for abortion in health
care reform, he should immediately support adoption of Democrat Rep. Bart
Stupak's amendment to exclude abortion from all health care reform
legislation. Democrat Senator Bob Casey voted for such an amendment in the
Senate Health Committee.

"It's time for President Obama to stop the smoke and mirrors on abortion and
health care and straightforwardly tell Congress to permanently exclude
abortion coverage."

Contact the FRC Press Office at (866) FRC-NEWS for press credential
information or log onto www.valuesvotersummit.org

SOURCE Family Research Council

J.P. Duffy or Maria Donovan, both of Family Research Council, +1-866-FRC-NEWS