Senate version of healthcare reform includes federally funded abortions

    I started writing this post before it was known that Mary Landrieu had accepted a $100 million bribe for her vote on healthcare reform. While it now seems pointless to fight this legislation anymore because the end result will be passage no matter how much bribe money Harry Reid has to offer I have decided to post in anyway.

  The one and only victory that conservatives can claim in the battle over the healthcare reform bill that came out of the House of non-Representatives was on the issue of federal funds being used for abortions. Other than that victory the battle was a complete failure and now Harry Reid is attempting to take that one victory away from conservatives.

  The senate version of the bill has language in it that will provide federal money for abortions. So much for trying to work in a bipartisan manner. The senate version of the bill states that at least one public option must contain federal subsidies for abortions.

The relevant language says: “The Secretary shall assure that with respect to qualified health plans offered in any Exchange established pursuant to this title—(I) there is at least one such plan that provides coverage of services described in clauses (i) and (ii) of subparagraph (B); and (II) there is at least one such plan that does not provide coverage of services described in subparagraph (B)(i).”

The clause “(i)” of “subparagraph (B)” referred to in this passage defines those types of abortions currently banned from receiving federal funding under the Hyde Amendment. The Hyde Amendment bans federal funding for all abortions except those done in cases of rape, incest and a threat to the life of the mother. So, the language of Sen. Reid’s health care bill mandates that at least one health insurance plan available to people buying health insurance with federal subsidies cover those abortions that are currently prohibited from receiving federal funding under the Hyde Amendment.

  But the news doesn’t get any better when you read that under the senate version of the bill anybody who enrolls in a government run plan– which will be the only option once the government completes the total takeover of the healthcare industry– will be required to pay a monthly abortion fee to subsidize abortions.

  This means that people who are opposed to abortion will be forced to pay for the abortions of others. For some reason the senate and the House find it meaningful that all Americans have to fund abortions, I am not sure why the healthcare reform bill took on this issue in the first place but it seems evident that they are adamant that abortions should be federally funded.

  While, under the senate version of this bill, elective surgery such as Botox will be taxable it seems to me that elective surgery such as abortions should also be taxed. Let the people who get abortions pay a tax on the abortions. But instead, the people who want the abortions will get them for free while many people who oppose abortion will have to pay for them.

  Is it just me or is this a major contradiction?