Posted on 08/12/2009 3:57:31 PM PDT by wagglebee
SAN JOSE, California, August 12, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A Democratic Congresswoman admitted to her California constituents gathered at a town-hall meeting what the Obama administration has tried desperately to keep quiet: the health care reform bill covers abortions.
"We know that over 90 percent of abortions are purely elective, not medically necessary. Why is this being covered when abortion is not clearly health care," Ignacio Reyes, a local pro-life advocate, asked Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Cali.) at a San Jose town-hall meeting.
As the applause for Reyes subsided, Lofgren, who represents California's 16th Congressional District, responded that the proposed Congressional reforms included "a basic benefit plan developed by health professionals."
"Abortion will be covered as a benefit by one or more of the healthcare plans available to Americans, and I think it should be," said Logren, eliciting jeers and protests from the crowd.
Footage of Logren's town-hall meeting (complete with subtitles) was recorded and posted to the internet by David Schmidt, a young pro-life videographer and founder of the website "Issues and Justice".
Although abortion groups, such as Planned Parenthood Federation of America and NARAL Pro-Choice America, continue to claim the existence of an abortion mandate is a "myth," the Associated Press instead confirmed that H.R. 3200 - the only version accessible to the general public out of five other bills on health-care reform - includes abortion coverage under the Capps Amendment.
The Capps Amendment explicitly mandates that the public health insurance option - which aims to provide for 46 million Americans who now lack coverage - will cover abortions through federal funding not restricted by the Hyde amendment. The Hyde amendment, which must be renewed on an annual basis, only prohibits federal funding going to the Department of Health and Human Services (HSS) from paying for abortion. But as the AP report confirmed, that leaves open other streams of federal funding, which under the health bill (HR 3200) could be used to subsidize abortion.
Although the Capps provision forbids the proposed "Health Benefits Advisory Committee" from mandating abortion-coverage as an essential service in the "Health Insurance Exchange," it does mandate that every U.S. region have at least one abortion-covering private insurance plan. It also mandates one non-abortion-covering private insurance plan for every region.
The amendment goes on to require taxpayer subsidies in the form of "affordability credits" to flow to insurance plans that include abortion, but then demands insurers guarantee the "affordability credits" do not subsidize abortion procedures, as if somehow money loses its fungible nature.
Family Research Council first brought attention to the abortion mandate attached to HR 3200 in a provocative ad in which an elderly man finds out he is denied a surgical procedure, while the government plan covers abortions. (see FRC video)
Read related coverage by LifeSiteNews.com:
Palin Firestorm Brings Fresh Scrutiny to ObamaCare "Death Panels"
Dr. Emanuel, key Obama health care advisor, stated doctors take Hippocratic Oath too seriously
Catholics United, NARAL Blast Family Research Council for Exposing Abortion Mandate in Health Bill
Proposed Health Care Bill is an "Abortion Industry Bailout" Warns Congressman
Xzins, P-M, Dr. E, Alex, Tutstar, WKB: Do ANY of you believe that the souls of the 50 million American babies who have been aborted in the past 50 years are all damned to Hell? I only ask because WVK seems to believe that and assumes that most non-Catholics think the same thing.
Twenty percent of the population and 66% of the SCOTUS.
A lofty goal, totally unbiblical, but still lofty.
OTOH, the Catholic church claims to be the one monolithic giant that holds sway to the “keys” to the kingdom and speaks as a single voice.
Not quite true, but I think I understand what you are saying.
I’m just pointing out that they have a rogue element that spits in their face.
No, they don't. The fact that some pro-death group chooses to use the word catholic in their name has nothing to do with the Catholic Church.
And you are the one that said you didn’t want to discuss salvation and then began to argue it. Just odd logic.
I changed my mind based on your response.
wagglebee, here's a better question:
Do you believe that ANY of the souls of the 50 million American babies who have been aborted in the past 50 years have been damned to Hell?
Do I believe any have? No. Can I say that for a certainty? No.
An all-powerful God will not be confined by the defective reasoning of imperfect men, let alone outright heretics.
Ping to #62
Since you brought up the topic of “unbiblical”, that is precisely the enormous error the Catholic church is engaged in as an organization. If you want “biblical”, please enlighten us all where the support comes from for a separate country that mints its own currency (check out gold from the Vatican), sacerdotalism, mariolatry, popemobiles, relics, salvation by sacraments, genuflecting, confession booths with separating screens to keep the priests off the women/men/boys, the gold and gems, or a hundred other things this monstrosity claims is godly.
Further, there are specific biblical admonitions to avoid dozens of the things they promote: chanting with meaningless repetition, claiming they have seen apparitions, excessive reverence for men (Sainthood), etc.
And as #62 notes so well, there are now a lot of RCs on the SCOTUS and we shall now see if people who hold to Catholicism actually do anything close to what they claim to believe. I’m expecting another set of excuses headquarters will provide for this failure.
NO!! I do not believe unborn babies are sent to hell. And there is no need in anyone trying to argue the point with me.
What “ceremonial sacraments” did the thief on the cross next to Jesus get?
Believe scriptural teachngs on subject and character of God teach as you indicate.
TMc
Most people believe that four of the Catholic justices (Roberts, Alito, Scalia and Thomas) firmly support life, Kennedy MIGHT depending on the case and Sotomayor certainly doesn't.
As far as those who decided Roe v. Wade, the Catholic voted for death as did all three Calvinists.
Thank you, I was wondering if perhaps Catholics were alone in their believe that the slaughtered innocents are not damned.
Very good point. My recollection is...none.
Pro-life bump against Obama and the death merchants while avoiding threadnappers.
Strange that an unborn child would go to hell
but one a month with some water thrown his\her
face would go to Heaven.
No, none of those on the Supreme Court then or since has been a Calvinist.
More's the pity. I've never known a pro-abortion Calvinist. Calvinists, as a rule, are conservative and pro-life because they hold the word of God as our only measure of faith.
If people want to take the minority of Catholics who support abortion and somehow determine that they are representative of Catholicism, then I certainly think it’s logical to call Presbyterians who support abortion Calvinists.
Do I think the Presbyterians and Catholic who voted for Roe were good Calvinists and Catholics? Absolutely not, but that is still how they identify themselves.
Excellent post. The humbling perspective of total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistable grace, and perseverance of the saints tends to keep such folks revering life as a precious gift of God. And who can be a real student of the Word of God and not find reminders laying everywhere on the pages?
Wonderful stuff, Doc.
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