Family Research Council: U.S. Senate Moves One Step Closer to Tax-Funded Abortions...

Family Research Council: U.S. Senate Moves One Step Closer to Tax-Funded
Abortions Within Health Care Reform

WASHINGTON, July 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Family Research Council
President Tony Perkins released the following statement after the Senate
Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee voted 12 - 11 today to
add a provision to the Kennedy health care bill that would require abortion
groups such as Planned Parenthood to be included in any health insurance
network created by the bill. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) was the only Democrat to
oppose the provision.

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

"The Senate Democratic leadership's goal of universal abortion coverage at
taxpayer expense has become apparent for all to see. Today, the Senate HELP
Committee moved health care 'reform' one step closer to forcing taxpayers to
pay for abortions for the first time in 30 years.

"It's ironic that Senator Mikulski (D-MD) and the committee Democrats would
consider taxpayer-funded abortions to be a health care benefit since the baby
gets no health care benefit from abortion. President Obama and the Democrat
leadership claim they want to 'reduce' abortion, but you don't reduce abortion
by funding it.

"When it comes to taxpayer funding of abortion, the Senate HELP Committee is
out of step with the American people who according to polls consistently
oppose the practice by more than a 2 to 1 margin.

"Family Research Council will continue its campaign for a permanent
prohibition on taxpayer-funded abortions, and urge that conscience rights be
preserved for doctors and nurses and other health care providers who refuse to
perform or facilitate abortions.

"Outside the arena of health care reform, the Democratic leadership is quietly
making the depth of its pro-abortion agenda clear. In the last week alone,
working in other committees, House Democrats have restored taxpayer funding of
abortion in the District of Columbia and Senate Democrats have moved to make
international subsidies permanent for agencies that promote and provide
abortions. The piecemeal deconstruction of the wall of separation that has
protected the American people from complicity in the national and
international abortion trade, through their hard-earned tax dollars, is
accelerating every day."

Go to www.clearconsciencehealthcare.org for more information on FRC's campaign
to stop taxpayer-funded abortions within any health care reform plan.

SOURCE Family Research Council

J.P. Duffy or Maria Donovan, 1-866-FRC-NEWS