George Weigel on why the health care bill is unacceptable to Catholics

This article goes through the pending health care legislation point by point with Weigel's irrefutable logic, explaining why abortion is not the only reason why Catholics should oppose the current health care plan.
It violates many Catholics prinicples; solidarity with the elderly (whose Medicare will be substantially cut) and the principle of subsidiarity (which warns us not to place too much power in the hands of the federal government).
If you are Catholic and are not fervently fasting and praying for the defeat of this dangerous legislation, start now. Lieberman caved into pressure and only Ben Nelson is standing against this bill.

We are in iminent danger of losing our rights to health care to a panel of pro-death friends of Obama. No matter what the bill says, that's who will be running the health care program, taking away the privacy and security of the doctor-patient relationship.
Weigel has proposed some solutions to the problem of uninsured Americans;.

"For all its virtues, today’s American medical system does not afford access to needed care for some, so it fails the tests set by Catholic social doctrine. We can meet those tests and fix the system’s gravest problems by working incrementally, testing results as we go: changing the liability laws that distort insurance costs, reforming the insurance industry to mandate portability and coverage of pre-existing conditions, lifting the ban on interstate competition in health insurance, and covering the uninsured by tax credits and small business reforms. That would be health-care reform that satisfies Catholic principles across-the-board."

IF the Democrats were interested in truly reforming health care, then they would take their time, and look at some of these excellent suggestions. They have been suggested by many other before this. What is wrong with taking our time to reform the problems, one by one? What could be more important than getting health care right?
Or is health care really the issue?
 Karl Rove was right when he said on Fox News this morning, that Obama knows that 61% of the American people oppose this legislation, and that, if he wants to grab a fifth of the economy and claim triumph by passing this bill, he'd better pull out all the stops, and ram this bill through the Senate ASAP.Before the sleeping giant awakens.
 Is this bill merely a means to an end? Once we are dependent upon the government for health care, will be dare raise our voices in protest when our freedoms are stripped away? Just how much more of the economy does Obama have to control before we are considered a socialist state/
Don't miss your opportunity to make history. Call your senator now.
Pray.
Fast.
Stop this dangerous health care bill.


Read his entire article at the Denver Catholic Register on the Archdiocese of Denver.

Don't make the same mistake in the Senate

Stupak amendment passes!

The amendment prohibiting use of federal funds for abortion in the health care bill has passed. This is only one battle, but a crucial one.
However the health care bill passed by only 5 votes. Gerardo Rivera said that the Stupak Amendment may be stripped from the bill in markup. Kristen Hawkins of Students for Life said that Planned Parenthood has already announced that it will try and strip the amendment from the bill in committee.

Still more praying, and calling needed. This time to tell your representative what you think about his vote, and then on to your Senator.
Operation Rescue's Troy Newman has a statement on tonight's votes.
"Washington, DC - The House version of the health care reform legislation narrowly passed with the vote of 220-215 late Saturday evening, but it was done without provisions for the funding of abortions.


The Stupak-Pitts amendment, which will deny tax funding for abortions, handily passed with a vote of 240-194. Abortion funding had threatened to derail the entire House bill on health care with pro-life Democrats strongly opposed to Pelosi's scheme to force taxpayers to foot the bill for abortions.

Operation Rescue President Troy Newman issues the following statement on today's votes:

"Today, the voices of 71% of the American people who oppose taxpayer funded abortions were heard loud and clear. We thank each one who took the time to raise their voices in opposition to the Obama-Pelosi-Carhart effort to force taxpayers to fund the shedding of innocent blood through abortion.
"There is still a long way to go to prevent government subsidized health care from paying for abortions. Now the ball is in the Senate's court, and we pray that the common sense displayed in the House on the matter of abortion funding will also prevail in the Senate.

"We will continue to stand on behalf of the voiceless and oppose any efforts to restore abortion funding in any future version of health care legislation. But for tonight, we celebrate this day's pro-life victory defunding abortion, which will save lives and prevent the immoral and fiscally irresponsible bailout of the abortion cartel."

Call your representatives to vote "no" on health care reform

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

No health care bill this year says Dems

The Democratic leadership in Congress has expressed doubts about getting a health care bill passed this year. They are so wedded to the idea of abortion funding, that they would rather the bill pass Obama's deadline than pass without it, even though it looks like a bill without funds for abortion would pass now.
Read the entire story at ABC News

USCCB comes out against health care reform bills in Congress

At last, Catholics can unite against the dangerous health care bill about to see a vote in Congress.



According to Cardinal George's inteview with Ray Arroyo on "The World Over" the USCCB's main objection to the bill is that abortion is funded and there are no conscience clauses for medical professionals, not that the government will be running something that 85% of Americans agree works well; insurance company-based healtcare. Raymond said, and I agree that this government takeover of 1/6 of the economy violates the Catholic principal of subsidiarity (all functions of governance should take place on the level closest to the people involved) but that was not an issue mentioned by the bishops, however we appreciate the bishops' clarity on the crucial issue, respect for human life.



Rush Limbagh in an interview with Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday, said that Obama wants to control our every move; where we live, what we drive, what we eat, where we work. He insists that if the health care bill passes, all these things will be tied into health care and therefore come under government control. It's just a massive power grab. He explained how some of the money from the defecit could be used to insure the 12 million uninsured people in this nation who want insurance, without the trillions which are proposed in the health care reform bill.





This bill, if it fails will be Obama's Waterloo. He can expect to be roundly defeated in the election of 2012. Perhaps by a woman.
If it succeeds, I have done my best to oppose it. Have you? Remember my favorite saying, that all that is required for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.



1.)I attended the only public Town Hall meeting offered in my Congressional District and voiced my concern that abortion funding will be included in the health care bill.





2. )I traveled to Martha's Vineyard with Rev Patrick Mahoney and Chris Slattery during the President's summer vacation to make sure that he heard my opposition was heard. Watch the video on AirMaria.com.



3. )I have written extensively on the health care bill, both on my blog Causa Nostrae Laetitiae, on Catholics Against Obamacare, and on Catholic Vote.com.

4. )I participated in a prayer vigil on the lawn of the Capitol Building with Rev Patrick Mahoney to voice my protest over abortion's inclusion in health care (see photo).



5. )I traveled to Washington to voice my oposition to the bill, with the group Health Care for Gunner. Watch our press conference on the group's website.



6. )While we were lobbing on the Hill, I met my Congressman Joe Courtney from the First Congressional District in CT and asked him to oppose this toxic bill. I got political doublespeak about how he loves the insurance industry. He better, many of his constuents work in the insurance industry in Hartford, where many corporate headquarters are located. The insurance industry will be dismantled under the Public Option.
Congressman Courtney will receive a copy of this post which will also be on Facebook and Twitter. I have over 1,000 readers a day to inform of his support of this pernicious legislation which Catholic bishops oppose.



6.) I visited Senator Lieberman's office with Healthcare for Gunner delegation, including UNC Neonatology Professor Martin McCaffrey, who voiced our concerns that the public option would not inlucde our children. We spoke with Shoshanna, the Senator's health care assistant. A month later, when I read the news that our voices had been heard, I thanked Senator Joe Lieberman for his wise decision to oppose the public option in health care.

Now, as a Catholic, ask yourself what have YOU done to oppose health care plan which threatens to install Planned Parenthood as a part of the government and use your tax dollars to pay for abortions?

Will you have to explain to your children why you remained idle while our liberties were taken away and the unborn were further targeted for extermination?Will you be able to explain to your aged parents why their request for life saving surgeries has been denied by the death panels?Or why my disabled child was denied heart surgery because she doesn't have a high enough quality of life?
Here is a link to the bishops' letter which was supposed to be in all Catholic church bulletins yesterday. The PDF directs the public to this page, >> http://www.usccb.org/healthcare/ which has an easy to use GREEN BUTTON to click and send a note to your congress people. The beauty of this is that the link does the mailing for you automatically.

Joe Lieberman: I'll block vote on Harry Reid's plan

Thanks to Senator Joe Lieberman for being a responsible representative of the people's interests and blocking the insanely expensive health care plan. As a resident of Connecticut, I applaud your courageous action and support you in the midst of spurious claims about you acting in your own economic self interest.
I visited your office with several members of the Health Care for Gunner team and spoke with your health care assistant Shoshanna. Dr Martin McCaffrey Professor of Neo-natology at UNC spoke eloquently on our behalf. We appreciated the respectful dialogue which took place and feel that our concerns that our disabled children would not be covered in a government health care plan were heard.
Thank you for voting your conscience.

Here is a link to what the Senator said:
Joe Lieberman: I'll block vote on Harry Reid's plan - Manu Raju - POLITICO.com

Pharmacists and patients forced to participate in vaccines

My friend, a pharmacist, describes how difficult it is to live her faith in her profession, and how she fears that her profession has been destroyed. In my local pharmacy, patients are known by name and the pharmacist really seems to care about them. I wonder if all that will change once mandatory vacccination orders are handed down from the White House. As Rahm Emmanuel has said, "never let a good crisis go to waste". Is the H1N1 'pandemic' the second crisis after the economic collapse, that the Obama Administration will exploit to remove parental rights and conscience clauses for professionals and parents, and one's rights over one's own body?

"I enjoyed pharmacy in the first years. I knew my customers well. I felt a servant and one who was truly involved with health care. Over the years, that sense began to deteriorate. For one thing, the small pharmacies could not compete with chains and then grocery stores where pharmacy was on a par with floral or something. It became more of a commodity and an assembly line. Not to say that we still could not get to know and care about our regular patients, we did. And although there are wonderful life-saving medications and those that improve the quality of life and allow one to live many years with diabetes and other diseases, those drugs are not the bulk of what is dispensed, in my experience.

What is dispensed are psychotropic drugs--mega pain pills, mega anti-depressants, anti-psyhcotics, sleep aids, and tranquilizers.

My personal thought is how can one hear the whispers of the Holy Spirit while drugged up? And drug seeking behavior can be seen from people in any walk of life. Legal drug abuse is phenomenal! It is hard to believe how many drugs some people take. Then when I realized that birth control pills had abortifacient properties, I knew I could not be a retail pharmacist that dispenses those. I left my position in Jan. 1998 and wasunemployed for about 6 months. Then I was offered a position with a home health/IV pharmacy and that was great. I did that for 7 years. Then the franchise closed. A pharmacist who I had worked for in the past offered me a part time position in a grocery store pharmacy and I was allowed a conscience clause and I did that until I moved away last year. I have not found a position here where I can work in accord with my conscience. There is a nursing home pharmacy but even there I have a prejudice that many folks are in nursing homes because they take too many drugs! Do I want to be a part of that, even if legal? So you see I have many issues with my profession. And now the coming mandating of giving vaccines and shots and following that may be the dispensing of drugs for euthanasia. I cannot do that either.

My beautiful profession! Look what has happened to it."

Jeff Garner at Catholic Radio International discusses the topic of a British girl who wanted to obtain a green card until she learned that she would be required to take the dangerous Gardasil Vaccine which disabled and killed several women, including Gabbi Swank.
Click on Sept 18, 2009 show, "Roll up your sleeve or get out".

It's time to take action on the health care bill

Here is detailed political analysis from Dr Marty McCaffrey, neonatalogist at UNC Chapel Hill. Pictured here with his daughter in pink and Jeanne Bolewitz, my Facebook friend and her family.

He attended the "Healthcare for Gunner" press conference with me and Kristen Hawkins last month, bringing his lovely nine year old daughter with Down syndrome. We traveled the halls of Congres lobbying against a health care bill which would endanger our children. You can see the official film of our press conference here.

It's wonderful to have such strong, knowlegable leadership against abortion in health care reform from the academic and medical communities. Please contact the sentators below. You can be sure that Senator Lieberman, whose office I visited with Marty on September 15, will be hearing from me again. And again with this message;
"you want me to go away? Get abortion and euthanasia out of the healthcare plan!"

His email is below with my comments in red.

The Baucus Bill passed out of the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday. A battle lost, but one that would have been difficult to win. Vote was on party lines with one Republican, Olympia Snowe, defecting to support the bill.
The fight to prevent a federal takeover of healthcare intensifies and remains in the Senate. Now the fun begins for sausage makers Harry Reid, Max Baucus and Chris Dodd. They are crafting a final bill for full Senate consideration. This bill will be a merging of the HELP Committee (Health, Education, Labor and Pensions chaired by Dodd) and the Baucus bill. There will continue to be no Republican input on the “merged bill” developed, unless Harry decides he can buy some Republicans willing to roll over and claim they exerted influential moderating leadership in developing the “merged bill”. Before the bill can be brought to the floor for consideration, and amendments, it must receive 60 votes. This is cloture and represents a majority that cannot be filibustered.

There will be two cloture votes related to the “merged bill,” created essentially by three people, with no doubt the “mentorship” of the White House in the person of Rahmbo Emmanuel. These four people will decide the fate of the nation’s healthcare, unless we do something about it. This is disappointing to those of us who thought we lived in a representative republic, but statism and tyranny has been on the march in this nation for some time. Alexander de Toqueville wrote, “The health of a democratic society may be measured by the quality of functions performed by private citizens.” By de Toqueville’s measure our nation is in serious need of healthcare reform, but not that being prescribed by Liberal snake oil salesman.

By far the most important cloture vote is the first one. The first will, if passed, allow debate on the "merged bill" to begin. Once a "merged bill" is on the floor, the process towards the radical and destructive overhaul of American medicine becomes much more difficult to stop.

A second cloture vote will be necessary to bring the debate to a close on whatever the floor amendment process produces.

Things could get complicated if the Majority Leader fears certain defeat on the initial effort at cloture. This could be reality if we all work to make it so. In that case he might opt to use “reconciliation”, a legislative fast track vehicle inserted by the Democrats into this years budget resolution. This vehicle relates specifically to healthcare and was created as a Plan B in case Democrats could not broker a deal with Senate Republicans, and in case they couldn’t hold all of their own caucus together. This would allow the Leader to bring a reconciled healthcare bill to the floor for approval without cloture. Reid can craft this bill however he likes as long as it reduces the deficit by a net of $1 billion over the next five years. As long as he remains close to the intent of the HELP and Finance bills, Sen. Reid has nearly complete freedom to draft a merged bill (now a substitute amendment) any way he likes. Approval would require only a straight majority of 51 votes. this is a very dangerous, nuclear option but you won't hear about it in the mainstream media.

This will not be as easy as it sounds. Dems will have to be willing to admit that they are passing a bill that circumvents the regular rules of the Senate, using a process created just for this bill and this purpose. In addition all elements of the substitute amendment would have to meet the standards of the Byrd rule. This may be too much “inside baseball” but at this point in our history, and we are in the midst of amazing history which calls us to action, citizens should appreciate the scheming of their legislators.

The Byrd rule states:

1. If a provision has no effect on spending or revenues, then it’s extraneous and violates the Byrd rule
Unless it is a necessary term or condition of another provision
that does affect spending or revenues.

If a provision has a small budget effect that is merely incidental to its broader non-budgetary
policy effect, then it is extraneous and violates the Byrd rule.

Byrd rule challenges to sections such as the public option or creation of insurance exchanges could be defeated by Democrats, but would require 60 votes. At the end of the day a reconciliation substitute amendment could look like Swiss cheese. If we get that far, we can only hope so.

So, if we are of a mind to heed a call to action, how to stop this madness? The key Senators in this process are listed. Bayh, Lincoln, Lieberman and Ben Nelson are critical, Bayh and Lincoln especially so. They are both up for re-election in 2010. These folks are the keymasters for the next several weeks. Please call and e-mail them and the others listed below. Commit to contacting all these Senators at least once over the next several weeks. Contact more than once if possible. Enclosed is a template for comments to Senators. It’s a brief statement of my view of things, just a starting point, edit at will. Urge a no vote on cloture unless and until the bill is altered to remedy its many devastating consequences for American medicine. Dissuade elected officials from considering the “reconciliation” option (Sen Reid does have some sense of irony) to pursue political by circumventing traditional Congressional requirements. In order of importance, visits, personal letters, calls and emails are required. If you are able, seriously consider visiting Senators state or DC offices.

While we have the best healthcare system in the world, this whole discussion is not about healthcare. A quick test to determine if you are talking to someone who is serious about healthcare, form a physician’s view. Defensive medicine may account for as much as 10-12% of healthcare costs in this nation. That is not chump change even by Harry Reid standards. No one who is serious about further improving medical care in this country can do so without a serious discussion of tort reform. This phrase never issues from the mouths of Dem political leaders.

The urgency for healthcare reform derives from the desire of statist liberals to engineer a government takeover of 1/6 of the GDP the government doesn’t already own. The true issue here is not healthcare; it is voluntary servitude to a government “sugar daddy” who promises everything. (here's where Dr Marty nails the real issue!) Some fondly envision and welcome the state as a parent. It is at best a pathologic parent, a mommy or daddy dearest, determined not to help us grow to be strong, independent individuals but to keep us in a state of perpetual childlike dependency.

The words of Thomas Paine are as applicable now as they were in 1776. “These are the times that try men's souls: The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict the more glorious the triumph."

beautiful quote, this, I can feel my heart burning within me!

Burn up the phone lines, melt the servers, crowd their waiting rooms! To the barricades.

Marty

Senate General Switchboard: 202-224-3121

Arkansas
Sen. Blanche Lincoln
DC Phone: (202) 224-4843
Local Phone: Dumas (870) 382-1023, Fayetteville (479) 251-1224, Little Rock (501) 375-2993, Jonesboro (870) 910-6896, Texarkana (870) 774-3106

link to email

Sen. Mark Pryor
DC Phone: (202) 224-2353
Local Phone: Little Rock (501) 324-6336
link to email

Colorado
Sen. Michael Bennet
DC Phone: 202) 224-5444
Local Phone:
Denver Metro Office: (303) 455-7600 Toll Free: (866) 455-9866 Fax: (303) 455-8851
Colorado Springs Office: Phone: (719) 328-1100
link to email

Connecticut
Sen. Joe Lieberman
DC Phone: (202) 224-4041
Local Phone: (860) 549-8463

Link to email
Senator Lieberman, you'll learn my name in the next few weeks! I just sent him my first email with the comments below.

Florida
Sen. Bill Nelson
DC Phone: (202) 224-5274
Local Phone: Orlando (407) 872-7161, Miami-Dade (305) 536-5999, Tampa (813) 225-7040, West Palm Beach (561) 514-0189, Tallahassee (850) 942-8415, Jacksonville (904) 346-4500, Broward (954) 693-4851, Fort Meyers (239) 334-7760
link to email

Indiana
Sen. Evan Bayh
DC Phone: (202) 224-5623
Local Phone: Evansville (812) 465-6500, Fort Wayne (260) 426-3151, Hammond (219) 852-2763, Indianapolis (317) 554-0750, Jeffersonville (812) 218-2317, Southbend (574) 236-8302
link to email

Louisiana
Sen. Mary Landrieu
DC Phone: (202) 224-5824
Local Phone: Baton Rouge (225) 389-0395, Lake Charles (337) 436-6650, New Orleans (504) 589-2427, Shreveport (318) 676-3085

link to email

Montana
Sen. Jon Tester
DC Phone: (202) 224-2644
Local Phone: Billings (406) 252-0550, Bozeman (406) 586-4450, Butte (406) 723-3277, Glendive (406) 365-2391, Great Falls (406) 452-9585, Helena (406) 449-5401, Kalispell (406) 257-3360, Missoula (406) 728-3003
link to email

Nebraska
Sen. Ben Nelson
DC Phone: (202) 224-6551
Local Phone: Omaha (402) 391-3411, Lincoln (402) 441-4600, Scottsbluff (308) 631-7614, Kearney (308) 293-5818, South Sioux City (402) 209-3595
link to email

North Dakota
Sen. Kent Conrad
DC Phone: (202) 224-2043
Local Phone: Bismarck (701) 258-4648, Fargo (701) 232-8030, Grand Forks (701) 775-9601, Minot (701) 852-0703

link to email

Sen. Byron Dorgan
DC Phone: (202) 224-2551
Local Phone: Bismarck (701) 250-4618, Fargo (701) 239-5389, Minot (701) 852-0703, Grand Forks (701) 746-8972
link to email

South Dakota
Sen. Tim Johnson
DC Phone: (202) 224-5842
Local Phone: Aberdeen (605) 226-3440, Sioux Falls (605) 332-8896, Rapid City (605) 341-3990

link for email

Virginia
Sen. James Webb
(202) 224-4024
1-866-507-1570

West Virginia
Sen. Robert C. Byrd
DC Phone: (202) 224-3954
Local Phone: Charlestown (304) 342-5855, Eastern Panhandle (304) 264-4626

link to email

Dr Marty's suggested talking points:

Senator,

I ask you to vote no on cloture and refuse to support current Senate healthcare reform bills which will wreak untold havoc on our nation. These bills, and whatever a merged bill looks like, are a massive intrusion into a market that the government has already proven it cannot manage. Medicare, Mediciad, the VA, Tricare and Indian Health Services would be bankrupt and defunct without a continuous infusion of our tax dollars. The Bills will require rationing, starting with enormous cuts in Medicare services. The bills completely overstep any Congressional authority in mandating federal insurance exchanges. All bills mandate support for women’s services including abortion through accounting mechanisms which sidestep the Hyde amendment. Lastly, these bills, any of them, will bankrupt our nation.

The Senate has refused any transparency on these bills. Senator Reid and a handful of others now have the fate of American healthcare in their hands. Senator Baucus reported that it would “take too long”, perhaps two weeks, to get his bill on line. Why would we want politicians who can’t figure out how to post the text of the bill on the internet running our healthcare system? The fact is Democratic leadership and the President don’t want us to see these bills. In fact they will be voted on without being fully written. The Baucus bill has not been made available to the public in its legal language, leaving a “select” group of Senators the power to determine the true details and actual cost of the Bill. The CBO reports that its cost is uncertain.

A real discussion on restructuring American healthcare requires national discussion that includes a tax breaks for insurance purchase, delinking employment and insurance, real tort reform, and a release of the death grip government currently has on healthcare via price fixing and mandates. We have the best healthcare system in the country. If we wish to serve the 10-15,000,000 who actually need it much more effectively, lets honestly do so.

Do not destroy what no other country has achieved, especially under the yoke of an enormous underclass created by previous government misadventures, in order to abet the power addiction of a misguided administration.

The consideration of “reconciliation” to pass a merged bill, or portions of it, that circumvents the ever diminishing restraints on the majority in Congress will be a clear sign to the nation that a number in Congress have sold their souls and no longer feel an obligation to serve the people they supposedly represent. Supporters of these treacherous "reforms" beware, 2010 is not far away.

Don't be fooled; Obamacare covers abortion!

Democrats stealth tactics to pass abortion funding health care bill

from Charmaine Yoest of Americans United for Life
I wanted to give you an update on where we stand on fighting abortion in health care reform and let you know what we can do together in this tough battle. This week, the Senate Finance Committee, chaired by Sen. Max Baucus (D-Montana) will report the latest health care bill out of committee, becoming the fifth Committee to reject language like the Hyde Amendment that would prevent federal funding and coverage of abortion..
The Baucus bill is completely unacceptable to pro-lifers. It requires the government to spend $6 billion establishing co-ops that could cover abortion. The bill would also enable individuals to receive refundable, advanceable tax credits to purchase health insurance that covers abortion, and require at least one plan in each premium rating area to cover abortion.
As I told President Obama’s top domestic aides at AULA’s White House meeting last month, only an explicit exclusion of abortion funding and coverage, can prevent administrative agencies and the courts from mandating abortion funding and coverage in health care legislation.
The abortion lobby keeps saying the Hyde Amendment takes care of our concerns: but the Hyde Amendment is attached to each year’s Medicaid funding bill and doesn’t apply to the new proposals.
Even worse, when an amendment like the Hyde Amendment was proposed last week by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), it was defeated by a vote of 10-13. The Committee also defeated an amendment by Sen. Hatch that would have prevented discrimination against any individual or organization that refused to provide, pay for, provide coverage of, or refer for abortions.
Next, the Senate Finance Committee bill will be reconciled with the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee (HELP) health care reform bill in the Senate backrooms, while the House reconciles the amendments added in three different Committees to the House bill (H.R. 3200).
At this key moment in health care reform, your senators and congressman are hearing confusing rhetoric about abortion funding and coverage as debate moves from committee rooms to backrooms. They are being told by the Democratic leadership that the Capps Amendment added to H.R. 3200 and incorporated into the Senate Finance Bill is a pro-life compromise, when in reality it is a pro-abortion approach in disguise. You need to tell your congressman that the “Capps Amendment approach” is NOT a compromise and that only putting Hyde in Health Care will be acceptable.
We must fight for every last vote to get an absolute exclusion of abortion coverage and funding. This new administration has talked a lot about transparency, and Congress continues to talk about compromise, but no pro-life members of Congress have been invited to the discussion.
Also available is our pro-life analysis of the Capps Amendment, showing how the amendment, which has been touted by abortion advocates as a “compromise,” would actually mandate abortion coverage and allow federal funding to go to private insurance plans that cover abortion. And of course, much more information is available on our Web site RealHealthCareRespectsLife.com.
Many news sources are reporting that politicians are starting to fear the repercussions of offending pro-life voters especially after a new Pew Research poll shows that Americans’ support for legalized abortion has dropped dramatically since President Obama took office. You can make a difference by letting your elected representatives know you are among the millions of Americans who believes that “Real Health Care Respects Life.”

New Catholic Vote video on health care

Hatch amndment defeated; abortion funding in health care bill

Despite our best efforts, the Senate Finance Committee today voted down the Hatch Amendment which would have prohibited abortion funding in the health care bill.

"This action leaves no doubt that the health care bill that will come to the Senate floor in a few weeks will contain provisions that would result in massive subsidies for abortion coverage," Douglas Johnson of the National Right to Life Committee said.

Johnson told LifeNews.com after the vote the battles to stop abortion funding are not over as "the full Senate will have to vote on the pro-abortion subsidies, and other pro-abortion components as well."
We must continue to oppose any version of this bill since innocent lives will be ended with our tax dollars.

Read the entire story at Life News.

Why do swine flu vaccine providers need immunity?

Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sibelius has not only given immunity to the makers of Tamiflu and Relenza for injuries stemming from their use against swine flu, she has granted immunity to future swine flu vaccines and “any associated adjuvants”. The last time the government embarked on a major vaccine campaign against a new swine flu, thousands filed claims contending they suffered side effects from the shots. This time around, they will have no recourse. The 2006 Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (the PREP Act) allows the DHHS Secretary to invoke almost complete immunity from liability...
I saw a news broadcast stating that this vaccine has not been fully tested. However, the health cared workers of New York State have no choice. They must have the shot or be fired, according to CBS news.

Urgent call to action; keep abortion out of health care

from Americans United for Life Action
Tomorrow is an important day in health care reform for pro-life America. The U.S. Senate Finance Committee will continue mark up of Sen. Baucus’s health care bill. Currently, Sen. Baucus’s bill allows qualified health plans to provide coverage for all abortions and mandates that at least one plan in each state exchange provide coverage of all abortions. Thankfully, we have another chance to protect and defend life in health care reform.
Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) has filed several amendments that would prevent government funding for abortion and would protect current conscience laws for health workers.
Here are the pro-life amendments being considered for a vote tomorrow (for a more detailed explanation, please go to the AUL blog):
Hatch Amdt. #C14 (355): Prohibits authorized or appropriated federal funds under this bill from being used for elective abortions and plans that cover such abortions.
Hatch Amdt. #C13 (354): Protection for the right of conscience.
Hatch Amdt. #C12 (353): Prohibits federal funds under this bill from being used to pay for assisted suicide and offers conscience protections to providers or plans refusing to offer assisted suicide services.
Please CALL the Finance Committee Senators today and urge them to support Sen. Hatch’s amendments to exclude abortion funding & protect conscience rights for health workers:
MAX BAUCUS, MT (202) 224-2651
JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER IV, WV (202) 224-6472
KENT CONRAD, ND (202) 224-2043
JEFF BINGAMAN, NM (202) 224-5521
JOHN F. KERRY, MA (202) 224-2742
BLANCHE L. LINCOLN, AR (202) 224-4843
RON WYDEN, OR (202) 224-5244
CHARLES E. SCHUMER, NY (202) 224-6542
DEBBIE STABENOW, MI (202) 224-4822
MARIA CANTWELL, WA (202) 224-3441
BILL NELSON, FL (202) 224-5274
ROBERT MENENDEZ, NJ (202) 224-4744
THOMAS CARPER, DE (202) 224-2441
CHUCK GRASSLEY, IA (202) 224-3744
ORRIN G. HATCH, UT (Sponsor of Amendments) (202) 224-5251
OLYMPIA J. SNOWE, ME (202) 224-5344
JON KYL, AZ (202) 224-4521
JIM BUNNING, KY (202) 224-4343
MIKE CRAPO, ID (202) 224-6142
PAT ROBERTS, KS (202) 224-4774
JOHN ENSIGN, NV (202) 224-6244
MIKE ENZI, WY (202) 224-3424
JOHN CORNYN, TX (202) 224-2934

"Abortion is NOT health care" protest on Martha's Vineyard

Isabella and I went to Martha's Vineyard while President Obama was there on vacation. We were there to protest the inclusion of abortion in the health care bill. Although the island was overrun with inside the beltway types, we protesters were surprised to have more thumbs up from passersby than thumbs down. Wonder if Cindy Sheehan across the street had the same reaction!
See interviews with Rev Pat Mahoney and Chris Slattery on their pro-life activism, courtesy of Fra Roderick, the Roving Reporter.
See the video at AirMaria.com

New York nurses refuse swine flu vaccine; will be fired

Baucus bill funds abortion; Obama broke promise

from the Family Research Council
Debate over health care reform and funding abortion continues, and today we expected votes on amendments in the Financial Services Committee to keep abortion coverage out of Senator Max Baucus' (D-Mont.) health care bill, but the vote was delayed until next week. While the President said that under his plan the government would not fund abortions, the Baucus bill explicitly includes abortion and would subsidize health plans that cover all elective abortions. Such subsidies for plans covering abortion goes well beyond the status quo of preventing federal funds either from paying for abortion or subsidizing plans that cover abortion, as under current laws governing Medicaid, the Federal Employee Health Benefits Plan and the State Children's Health Insurance Plan. The Capps amendment inserted government funding of abortion into the House bill, and now the Baucus bill would add abortion as well.

If government-subsidized abortion is to be excluded, and conscience protections for health providers who object to abortion are to be maintained, then Senators on the Finance Committee should simply adopt Senator Orrin Hatch's (R-Utah) amendments. His amendments would prevent funding for abortion consistent with the Hyde Amendment without precluding women from purchasing abortion policies that are separate from any government subsidized plan. Women wanting abortion insurance coverage would have a choice to purchase it, a choice supposedly essential for all women.

We oppose abortion, but in this health care debate, this amendment would ensure that the government, as under current law, does not endorse abortion. Senator Hatch's other amendment would simply protect current conscience laws when it comes to preventing the government from discriminating against health plans and providers who object to abortion.
If President Obama does not intend for his proposed health care reform to expand government-funded abortion then he should get on the phone with Sen. Baucus and Senator Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and make sure they support these Hatch amendments unequivocally. Senator Orrin Hatch is calling their bluff.

That is if he intends to keep his word to Catholics that his health care plan does not include abortions.
Don't stay awake waiting.

Abortion raises risk of premature births

An obvious way to save on health care costs in Obamacare would be to eliminate the hidden abortion funding that we know is in the plan, but this would save money in more than one way. According to a Canadian study abortion raises the risk of premature birth. Medical costs for preemies is astronomical, and my lead to lifetime of disabilities.
"Women who had undergone more than one abortion had a 72 per cent increased risk of having low birthweight children and a 93 per cent increased risk of having a premature baby. The study also found that women who had an abortion in the first or second trimester had a 35 per cent increased risk of giving birth to a low-weight baby and a 36 per cent increased risk of having a premature baby."

Premature births. Low birthweight babies, disproportionately among minority women who have double to triple the number of abortioins, thanks the the eugenic practices of Planned Parenthood whose clinics are in poor neighborhoods by design.
Where are the false feminists who claim to defend women's health? Their cover is slipping.. .
they want abortion for abortion's sake.
They don't care about women.


Read the entire story here.

Obama needs Catholics on board with health care plan

The Obama Adminstration knows what we know; in order to pass health care reform, Catholics must be on board.US News states,
"That antiabortion, pro-universal healthcare stance—and the fact that a full quarter of the U.S. population is Catholic—make the bishops and the wider Catholic community a key swing constituency in the escalating healthcare reform battle. If they can allay Catholic concerns on abortion, Obama and the Democrats stand to enlist the church as a powerful ally in the fight. But if the bishops and other Catholic institutions wind up opposing the Democrats' healthcare plan because of its abortion provisions, they can help bring down the whole effort. Says Doerflinger: "People on both sides of the issue want us to join their coalition."However, the problem is, there is a divide among Catholics, we are split nearly down the middle, between those who favor the Obama plan and those, like this group, who do not trust Obama to exclude abortion funding and death panels for the disabled and elderly in the legislation."

On Fox News today Fr Jonathan Morris made an important clarification. He corrected the host who said that the USCCB wants universal healthcare. He said the US bishops want universal access to health care, not necessarily this bill. There are many ways to improve access to health care, for example health care savings accounts, tax deductions for premiums, a group plan for the uninsured to buy into, etc.
Fr Morris assured the viewers of Fox News that the bishops are not sold on the current health care plan because of the threat of abortion funding. Obama will be working hard to seal the deal, and courting Catholics in various ways (Kennedy funeral, Notre Dame, Georgetown, visiting the Pope, etc). Don't be used by an administration who is expert at manipulation.Catholics are a necessary part of Obamacare. Let's remember that and use our power unilaterally instead of cancelling one another's votes!