Abortion And The Democrat Health Care Bill

Floor Speech

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Mrs. SCHMIDT. Thank you so much, my good friend from New Jersey. I'm having a display brought up.

I would like to talk a minute about something that happened to me over the weekend, and I would like to go back 35 years ago because, well, in the exact same environment, a similar situation occurred.

I'm Catholic and I go to mass. Every weekend, I go to mass. In fact, I go everyday, but 35 years ago when I went to mass, it was right before election, and I remember my Catholic priest, Francis Buttlemyer, said something that really shocked me.

He said, when we went to the polls that Tuesday, we had a choice to make for a Member of Congress--and yeah, we had a Catholic running and we had a non-Catholic running, but the Catholic was pro-choice and the non-Catholic was pro-life. He said that you have to vote for the person who will protect the unborn. I remember coming home and saying to my mother how surprised I was that this priest had been so bold.

Well, last Saturday night, I didn't go to my Catholic church. I went to a different one in my community. During our litany of prayers, they mentioned the fact that Congress would be voting on a bill, the health care bill, and that, in the bill, there were some issues that the Catholic church had with it--abortion, our elderly and the conscience clause for our health care professionals--and that we must pray that they resolve these before we vote on this legislation. I was blown away by that, but what came next stunned me more.

The priest stood up and said, Look, I've got to talk about this for a minute. He did. Then he said, There will be an insert in the bulletin. This was the insert: ``Health care reform is about saving lives, not destroying them.'' The second part of it is a letter from the Catholic conference of bishops: ``Tell Congress: Remove abortion funding and mandates from needed health care reform.''

So they're in favor of health care reform but not of this health care reform. In fact, I want to put these two things into the public record. I was stunned because I hadn't in 35 years heard from the pulpit this strong of a message.

So, when I got in the car, I started to make some phone calls to some of my relatives around the city. What had they heard? The same thing. The priest had said something, and yes, it was in the bulletin. In my own home parish, yep, our priest said something, and yep, it was in the bulletin. It made me think that, if this moved the Catholic church after 35 years in my district to speak again publicly about abortion, this is something that is truly serious because, Madam Speaker, it is a game changer.

So, today, when I read the Roll Call, Madam Speaker, I read: Activists gear up for fight.

I thought, Ooh, what's this about? I'd like to read it.

It reads: Lately, Donna Crane hasn't been making it home early. The policy director of NARAL Pro-Choice America has been lobbying nonstop to ensure that the House does not slip antiabortion language into its health care legislation, which the Chamber is expected to vote on this weekend.

We're working a lot of late nights, Crane said.

Then it goes on to talk about how various lobbyists are trying to have input into this, but it ends by saying that NARAL and the other pro-choice groups are comfortable with the Capps language and are comfortable with the Ellsworth language. The reason they are is that it really doesn't prohibit the funding of abortion. It's a ruse--it's a game--because what it says is that at least one plan has to have it, but we're going to have this little magical thing over here that's going to allow it to be funded in a different way before it comes through the public fund system.

Madam Speaker, the language in this bill, either the Capps amendment or the Ellsworth amendment, will not only allow the public funding of abortion for the first time with Federal dollars since the Hyde amendment in 1976, but it will also expand it, and that's the dirty, little secret in this bill.

This Saturday, we are to vote on this bill at right about the same time that I was in church last Saturday night, at right about this same time that the priest stood up and said, Tell your Member of Congress.

Let me tell you, Madam Speaker, that it made me a little nervous because they kind of were looking at me, and I wanted to put up a sign and say, I get it, but I couldn't.

At right about this same time, we're going to be making a decision, not just on the health care for Americans and on the game changer that that is, but on a point that for the last 35 years has been protected, and that is not allowing the public funding of abortion.

Madam Speaker, we cannot allow the public funding of abortion to occur in any way in this bill. It is truly a game changer, and until it is corrected, no one should even contemplate anything but a ``no'' on this bill.

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Nationwide Bulletin

Tell Congress: Remove abortion funding and mandates from needed health care reform.

Congress is preparing to debate health care reform legislation on the House and Senate floors. Genuine health care reform should protect the life and dignity of all people from the moment of conception until natural death. The U.S. bishops' conference has concluded that all committee-approved bills are seriously deficient on the issues of abortion and conscience, and do not provide adequate access to health care for immigrants and the poor. The bills will have to change or the bishops have pledged to oppose them.

Our nation is at a crossroads. Policies adopted in health care reform will have an impact for good or ill for years to come. None of the bills retains longstanding current policies against abortion funding or abortion coverage mandates, and none fully protects conscience rights in health care.

As the U.S. bishops' letter of October 8 states: ``No one should be required to pay for or participate in abortion. It is essential that the legislation clearly apply to this new program longstanding and widely supported federal restrictions on abortion funding and mandates, and protections for rights of conscience. No current bill meets this test. ..... If acceptable language in these areas cannot be found, we will have to oppose the health care bill vigorously.''

For the full text of this letter and more information on proposed legislation and the bishops' advocacy for authentic health care reform, visit: www.usccb.org/healthcare.

Congressional leaders are attempting to put together final bills for floor consideration. Please contact your Representative and Senators today and urge them to fix these bills with the pro-life amendments noted below. Otherwise much needed health care reform will have to be opposed. Health care reform should be about saving lives, not destroying them.

Action: Contact Members through e-mail, phone calls or FAX letters. To send a pre-written, instant e-mail to Congress go to www.usccb.org/action. Call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at: 202-224-3121, or call your Members' local offices. Full contact info can be found on Members' web sites at www.house.gov and www.senate.gov.

Message to Senate: ``During floor debate on the health care reform bill, please support an amendment to incorporate longstanding policies against abortion funding and in favor of conscience rights. If these serious concerns are not addressed, the final bill should be opposed.''

Message to House: ``Please support the Stupak Amendment that addresses essential pro-life concerns on abortion funding and conscience rights in the health care reform bill. Help ensure that the Rule for the bill allows a vote on this amendment. If these serious concerns are not addressed, the final bill should be opposed.''

When: Both House and Senate are preparing for floor votes now. Act today! Thank you!

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Health Care Reform Is About Saving Lives, Not Destroying Them

Abortion is not health care because killing is not healing.

For over 30 years, the Hyde Amendment and other longstanding and widely supported laws have prevented federal funding of elective abortions.

Yet health care reform bills advancing in Congress violate this policy.

Americans would be forced to subsidize abortions through their taxes and health insurance premiums.

We need genuine health care reform--reform that helps save lives, not destroy them.

Tell Congress: ``Remove Abortion Funding and Mandates from Needed Health Care Reform!''

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