[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 165 (Friday, November 6, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2733-E2734]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              DEMOCRAT HEALTHCARE BILL: ABORTION COVERAGE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. MIKE PENCE

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, November 6, 2009

  Mr. PENCE. Madam Speaker, for 30 years, the pro-life beliefs of 
millions of Americans have been protected by the federal government. 
Congress passed the Hyde Amendment in 1976 which bars federal funds 
from paying for elective abortions. This amendment must be renewed 
yearly in the annual Labor, Health and Human Services Appropriations 
bill.
  However, the programs included in the Pelosi health care bill, 
including the government-run plan, are not funded by or beholden to 
this annual appropriations bill and are therefore not subject to the 
Hyde amendment.
  Legislation of this magnitude must contain clear and decisive 
language that makes certain that federal funds are not used to pay for 
elective abortions. References to provisions in current law that are 
susceptible to being stripped in the annual appropriations process is 
not any kind of protection at all.
  The Pelosi health care plan is also a clear departure from the long-
standing federal policy against federal funding of health plans that 
cover abortions. The Pelosi bill explicitly permits federal funds to 
subsidize health plans that cover abortions.
  The bill's proponents will claim that public dollars are separated 
from private insurance premiums, but this is nothing more than a slick 
accounting gimmick rejected by the pro-life community at-large.
  According to the non-partisan Congressional Research Service, any 
outlay by a government run plan for abortions or health care services 
would by definition be federal funds. The Pelosi health care bill also 
includes a mandate requiring at least one insurance plan offered in the 
federal exchange to cover abortions.
  The bill before us is a clear departure from the longstanding Hyde 
law and violates the beliefs of millions of pro-life Americans who find 
abortion morally unconscionable.
  I urge Speaker Pelosi to allow an up-or-down vote on a truly pro-life 
amendment--the Stupak/Pitts amendment. The Stupak/Pitts amendment would 
prevent federal dollars from funding abortion and preserve the long-
standing federal policy of protecting the unborn. In a last-ditch 
effort to garner votes, the Democrat majority plans to propose a rule 
for considering the legislation that claims to ``fix'' the pro-life 
concerns in the bill, but the new language still allows federal funding 
for abortions. This is little more than a political scheme, and the 
language has been rejected by every major pro-life group in the 
country.
  I urge the Speaker to include genuinely pro-life language into one of 
the most important pieces of legislation we will likely consider in our 
lifetime. A vote on the Stupak/Pitts amendment must be allowed to 
ensure the protection and safety of America's future--our children.

[[Page E2734]]



                          ____________________