By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Writer
The leader of a major pro-life group who was invited to the White House last Thursday to discuss abortion in health care reform left the meeting “deeply concerned” about the Administrations refusal to explicitly exclude abortion from bills currently circulating in Congress.
Dr. Charmaine Yoest, president of American’s United for Life, a public interest law and policy firm, met with senior White House officials Melody Barnes, a former Planned Parenthood board member, and Tina Tchen, former NOW vice president. Also attending the Sept. 17 meeting was Obama’s “faith-based czar,” Joshua DuBois.
During the meeting, Dr. Yoest asked for a clarification of President Obama’s promise that he would keep abortion out of health care reform.
Apparently, Dr. Yoest did not receive the clarification she sought and said after the meeting that the While remains “noncommittal” on more explicit language that will exclude abortion from health care reform.
“After the meeting, we remain deeply concerned about abortion funding and the abortion mandate in health care reform,” Dr. Yoest said in a written statement. “Ms. Barnes reiterated the President’s statement about opposing abortion funding in his address before Congress last week but the White House would not commit to language that explicitly excludes abortion from health care reform. The reality on the Hill right now is that the health care bills do include abortion funding.”
She added: “Without a specific statutory amendment that includes an explicit ban on federal funding and coverage, taxpayers will be paying for abortion. Including abortion in health care is something the pro-life movement will oppose vigorously.”
Dr. Yoest provided the White House with a brief from the Americans United for Life legal team that documents why anything less than a explicit ban on abortion funding and coverage will allow government-funded abortion.
Dr. Yoest also delivered a petition with over 39,000 signatures from pro-life Americans telling President Obama that they urge him to veto any bill that does not specifically forbid mandating insurance companies to cover abortion. The petition also urges the President to veto any bill that could make taxpayers responsible for directly or indirectly paying for abortion.
To sign the petition, visit http://www.realhealthcarerespectslife.com/
