By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
President Obama’s latest proposal for health care reform contains only the watered down language restricting abortion coverage found in the Senate’s bill rather than the total ban that passed in the House version.
FoxNews.com is reporting that in the president’s plan, released this morning, “Language on abortion funding restrictions remain part of the bill, but more stringent language that passed the House on the urging of Democratic Rep. Bart Stupak did not make the cut.”
In response, House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) pledged to stand with the American people “by calling for health care reform to protect human life and not use taxpayer money to fund abortion. The Republican bill would codify the Hyde Amendment and prohibit all authorized and appropriated federal funds from being used to pay for abortion, which the President’s proposal would allow. Pro-life Democrats in the House have already pledged to vote against this provision. Health care reform should be an opportunity to protect human life – not end it – and the American people agree.”
In addition to lacking a public option, the president’s proposal also eliminates the controversial “Cornhusker Kickback” which would have given the state of Nebraska a special deal enabling the state to have its medicaid bills covered by the federal government.
The White House claims its plan will:
? Reduce the deficit by $100 billion over the next twp years – and “about $1 trillion over the second decade”
? Help insure more than 31 million more Americans by reducing premiums costs for “tens of millions of Americans and small business owners” who can’t otherwise afford it.
? Give Americans the same choises of insurance carriers that members of Congress have.
? Prevent insurance industry abuses and denials of care
However, Republican leaders say the president’s proposal amounts to nothing more than another government takeover plan.
“The President has crippled the credibility of this week’s summit by proposing the same massive government takeover of health care based on a partisan bill the American people have already rejected,” Boehner said. “This new Democrats-only backroom deal doubles down on the same failed approach that will drive up premiums, destroy jobs, raise taxes, and slash Medicare benefits.”
Calling this week’s summit “a Democratic infomercial,” Boehner says this proposal is just an excuse to continue “on a partisan course that relies on more backroom deals and parliamentary tricks to circumvent the will of the American people and jam through a massive government takeover of health care.”
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