Roundup: Abortion and Health Care, Part 327
The health care reform lawsuit brought by nineteen states against the federal government opened yesterday, and the anti-choice press is all over it. Plus another county removes abortion from a health care plan.
States who opposed the health care reform bill are having their day in court. Oral arguments began yesterday in the federal lawsuit brought by nineteen states against the federal government over the health care bill.
The plaintiffs, the states, argue that the health care law illegally requires all citizens and legal residents to have health care coverage or pay a tax penalty, which they say is a violation the U.S. Constitution’s Commerce Clause. The plaintiffs also say the law runs afoul of the states’ rights guarantee in the 10th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
Also joining the suit: the National Federation of Independent Business and Florida residents Mary Brown and Kaj Ahlburg.
The defendant, the U.S. Justice Department, counters that overturning the health care law would unduly expand judicial review of Congress and other government branches. More specially, the DOJ argues that Congress has the power to determine how federal money appropriated for Medicaid may be spent and can give states an option of setting up their own health exchanges or having the federal government do so.
And Lifesite.com could not be more excited about it! They explain the anti-choice interest in the lawsuit:
Under the ObamaCare health care bill, there is no ban on abortion funding. While some states can opt out of funding abortions under the plan, taxpayers in other states will be forced to pay for them.
But the bill contains other pro-abortion problems that are concerns for pro-life advocates.
The bill requires that at least one health care plan be promoted across the country that pays for abortions, more abortion funding would come via the affordability credits, and many of the so-called limits on abortion funding in the Senate bill are temporary and could expire or be overturned at a later date.
The Senate health care bill also pays for abortions under the Indian Health Service program.
And it contains the Mikulski amendment that would allow the Obama administration to define abortion as preventative care and force insurance plans to pay for abortions.
Finally, the Senate bill does not contain language needed to offer full conscience protection for pro-life medical workers and facilities.
And while we are talking about abortion in health care, county employees in Kent County, MI, may soon lose that coverage in their health care plans.
A county commission panel (the Legislative and Human Resources Committee) voted unanimously today to ask the county’s 13 labor unions to voluntarily give up abortion coverage.
Commissioner Stan Ponstein says it’s not a question of money. He says it’s a question of ‘right or wrong’.
“I think in the county we live,” says Ponstein, “I think the majority of taxpayers, obviously the majority of commissioners, feel that this is something that shouldn’t be in the plan.”
Kent County’s 13 labor unions currently have a choice of two health care plans. One plan includes coverage for elective abortions. The other plan does not.
The commissioners directed Kent County’s county administrator to make the abortion coverage an issue in future contract talks with the unions that don’t voluntarily agree to drop the coverage.
Mini-Roundup: “Choose Life” license plates are now available in Delaware.
Sep 15
- Reason to rejoice over drop in maternal deaths – The Guardian
- Blackburn birth centre praised by top midwife – Lancashire Telegraph
- Preventing mothers from dying and babies from becoming infected with HIV – UNAIDS
- Be specific when telling teens about safe sex – DesMoinesRegister.com
- Ex-doctor sentenced to prison in death of abortion patient – Boston Globe
- Delaware becomes 23rd state to allow pro-life specialty license plates – Georgia Bulletin
- Lincoln question to Boozman may have backfired – Arkansas News
Sep 14
- Too close to call Lamontagne leading Ayotte in GOP race for US Senate – Foster’s Daily Democrat
- Pregnancy prevention plan kaput – The Augusta Chronicle
- Anti-Abortion sentiments remain a big topic for Tea Party Candidates – Examiner.com
- Lynch, Stephen head to gubernatorial showdown – The Union Leader
- Is Sex Education in Oregon Schools Effective? – KEZI TV
- Students in hot pursuit of sex education – Xinhua
- Does the VA pay for reproductive care? – OhMyGov! (blog)
- Helena tweaks sex ed policy following criticism – ABCMontana
- Judge allows closed abortion clinic to reopen – WXVT
- Parental outrage can protect our kids from ‘progressive’ sex-ed – Washington Times
- ‘Teen Mom’ Show Sparks Interest – KJCT8.com
- Social conservatives stay in fray despite economy election year – Washington Times
- Disaster votes? Right to choose? Lt. gov. race heats up – San Francisco Chronicle (blog)
- Mass. doc gets 6 months in abortion patient death – The Associated Press
- Kent County Commissioners vote to remove abortion benefits – WZZM
- UN Women: Bachelet Popular Choice but Job Ill-Defined – Huffington Post (blog)
- Bridging the Pro-Life, Pro-Choice Divide – Catholic.net
- Mom Helps Teenagers Get Secret Abortions – The Stir (blog)
- Maryland sanctions three abortion doctors – BP News
- Cervical cancer dominates gynaecology clinics – research – New Vision
- Handle maternal, child mortality with urgency – New Vision
- African medics converge in Uganda to discuss cervical cancer – African Press Agency (subscription)
- Is high cholesterol linked to mom’s smoking? – Reuters
- Number of abortions dropping in India – Times of India
- Gay Students and College Employees Face Significant Harassment, Report Says – Chronicle of Higher Education (subscription)
- New moms, dads show increased depression risk – Reuters
- Man-Made: Baby Boy’s Development May Predict Young Man’s Success – Scientific American
- The Right of Every Woman to Survive Childbirth – Huffington Post (blog)
- AR-Sen: John Boozman’s Problem With Women – Blue Arkansas (blog)
- Neb. researchers working on AIDS virus fighter – KTIV
- Abortion: The View From Both Sides of the Street – Huffington Post (blog)
- State-by-State Gay Marriage Acceptance – Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies
- Hearings Begin on Lawsuit States Filed Against Pro-Abortion Health Care Law – LifeNews.com
- Dick Armey Declares War on Choice – Care2.com (blog)
- “The Kids Are Alright”: Family Life and Family Law on the Big Screen – FindLaw
- On This Day in History: September 14 Birth Control Crusader Born – Brooklyn Daily Eagle
- Antiabortion exhibit comes to U. of Maryland – Washington Post (blog)
- Kenya shifts focus to family planning – Capital FM
- Double Standard In Ads For Sexual Arousal Aids – MediaPost Publications
- 56th District rivals share views on abortion, guns – Chicago Daily Herald
- Over 50s urged to don condoms in FPA campaign – The Drum
- Woman admits prostitution while knowingly infected with HIV – KSPR
- New study finds computers excel at sex education – Atlantic Drugs
- Oral arguments begin in federal healthcare law case – MiamiHerald.com
- Teen pregnancy on the rise – Independent Online
- Another blow to Egypt’s sex education – Bikya Masr
- Sperm storing method offers hope of fatherhood – Times of India
- Kent County board members pushing to remove abortion from employee health plan – MLive.com
- New campaign looks to sex in the 70s – Sunderland Echo
- Planned Parenthood line taken by Register – DesMoinesRegister.com
- Candidates Eschewing Party Labels in New Hampshire’s US Senate Campaign – Bloomberg
- ADWATCH: Ads attacking health plan miss some facts – Las Vegas Sun
- Putting sexuality on the development map – The Guardian
- Doctor pleads guilty in 2007 abortion death – Cape Cod Times