Life Links 12/9/09

After the defeat of the Nelson amendment in the Senate, National Right to Life issued this press release noting their opposition to health care reform legislation in its current form.

A majority of senators today voted to keep abortion covered in the proposed federal government insurance program, and to subsidize private insurance plans that cover abortion on demand. Now, the vote on cloture on the bill itself will become the key vote on whether to put the federal government into the abortion business. We will oppose cloture on the bill, which would require 60 affirmative votes. In addition, a number of pro-life Democrats in the House, who supported passage of health care legislation on November 7, will not vote for the Senate bill in its current form. So, this is a long way from over.

Towanda Wimms is going public with her disappointment that her pregnant daughter’s alleged murderer isn’t also being charged for the death of her unborn grandchild. Niasha Delain was allegedly stabbed 6 times in the stomach by her boyfriend Derrick Redd after refusing to have an abortion.

"It's like this baby is not being looked at as a victim and that's ridiculous," said Wimms, 43. "There were two victims here. This baby was intentionally stabbed."

The New York Times has published an editorial by Bart Stupak regarding his health care amendment.

Some opponents of the amendment have tried to argue that it would effectively end health insurance coverage of abortion in both the private and public sectors. This argument is nothing more than a scare tactic.

The language in our amendment is completely consistent with the Hyde Amendment, which in the 33 years since its passage has done nothing to inhibit private health insurers from offering abortion coverage. There is no reason to believe that a continuation of this policy would suddenly create undue hardship for the insurance industry — or for those who wish to use their private insurance to pay for an abortion.

For example, the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program provides health insurance through a variety of companies to more than eight million Americans — but it does not allow abortion coverage in any of its policies. Yet the same companies that offer these abortion-free plans to federal employees also offer plans with abortion coverage to non-federal employees. Given that insurance companies are able to offer separate plans with and without abortion coverage now, it seems likely that they would be able to continue to do so on the newly established health insurance exchange.

For some reason, Barbara Boxer think this is a good argument for why abortion should be covered in a public health insurance plan.

If healthcare reform covers Viagra, it should cover abortion services, Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) said yesterday.

Wesley Smith notes a scary development in Uganda where the government is thinking about imposing the death penalty on HIV-positive homosexuals.