Posted Friday, July 31, 2009
ProLife Update from Congressman Lee Terry
I am working on the Obama health care bill in my Energy and Commerce Committee as I write and send this message to you.
I note from news reports this morning that much confusion exists about the health care bill and whether it will cover abortion. After several amendments last night, the simple answer is clearly YES it will!
The bill creates a new federal health insurance exchange where all health insurance plans, before they can sell to someone, must comply to all rules and regulations mandated by the newly created Health Choices Commission. An amendment PASSED last night (Capps D-CA) that mandates at least one insurance plan cover abortion, and that HHS Secretary Sebelius determines if abortion must be covered by the government run “public” option. The Secretary staunchly favors abortion rights as does the President who chose her. Obviously, the government run option will cover elective abortion.
After the Capps amendment passed. Bart Stupak (D-Mi) and Joe Pitts (R-PA) and myself offered an amendment to ban abortion in these plans and ban any federal tax dollars from paying any cost of an abortion. After much debate many democrats including Bart Gordon (D-TN) joined with every Republican and the amendment actually passed by 1 vote. Hurray! It was a fantastic pro life victory!
But…Chairman Waxman, who is very pro-abortion, pulled a procedural maneuver later in the night and brought the Stupak-Pitts amendment back for reconsideration and the committee re-voted the amendment and this time the amendment LOST! Bart Gordon changed his vote from his previous “yes” to a “no”. I’ve never seen such a thing before!
So, the bottom line in the bill, for now, is that the insurance exchange can mandate abortion coverage in both private insurance plans and the single government run plan.
I can assure you we will keep fighting for life through out the day!
One piece of good news for life is that the Stupak-Terry (me) conscience clause PASSED protecting doctors/nurses who believe in life, from being forced against their conscience, from having to perform or assist with an abortion. This was critical to our many religious- based hospital and clinics.
Congressman Terry’s simple and affordable plan for healthcare reform:
Healthcare in America has become too expensive and too many people cannot afford the healthcare they need. My plan for reform is simple and won’t break the bank to get it done. I propose letting the uninsured opt into the federal employees plan with no restrictions for pre-existing conditions. The federal employees plan, offered to all government employees, gives individuals and families many choices for coverage through various private insurance companies. This plan allows you to choose the coverage you want at a price you can afford. For those who cannot afford health insurance my plan would let those individuals opt in to the plan with some government assistance. This plan:
Would not create any new, massive and expensive government agencies
Would allow people to keep the insurance plan they currently have
Would not raise taxes
Does not hurt the doctor-patient relationship. My plan allows you the right to choose your own doctor and choose the care that meets you or your families needs.
Does not place medical decisions in the hands of bureaucrats and politicians
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Posted Monday, July 20, 2009
Health Care Reform
To read a summary of America’s Affordable Health Choices of 2009, H.R. 3200,…
Click here
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Posted Thursday, July 16, 2009
It’s Not An Option
<http://www.ibdeditorials.com/default.aspx>
By INVESTOR’S BUSINESS DAILY
Congress: It didn’t take long to run into an “uh-oh” moment when reading the House’s “health care for all Americans” bill. Right there on Page 16 is a provision making individual private medical insurance illegal.
When we first saw the paragraph Tuesday, just after the 1,018-page document was released, we thought we surely must be misreading it. So we sought help from the House Ways and Means Committee.
It turns out we were right: The provision would indeed outlaw individual private coverage. Under the Orwellian header of “Protecting The Choice To Keep Current Coverage,” the “Limitation On New Enrollment” section of the bill clearly states:
Click Here to Read Full Article
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Tuesday, July 7, 2009
“Of NICE and Men” (The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board)
Page A14 of the Wall Street Journal
Speaking to the American Medical Association last month, President Obama waxed enthusiastic about countries that “spend less” than the U.S. on health care. He’s right that many countries do, but what he doesn’t want to explain is how they ration care to do it.
Take the United Kingdom, which is often praised for spending as little as half as much per capita on health care as the U.S. Credit for this cost containment goes in large part to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, or NICE. Americans should understand how NICE works because under ObamaCare it will eventually be coming to a hospital near you.
Click Here to Read Full Article
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Thursday, July 2, 2009
H.R. 2454, American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009
Click here to read.
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Friday, June 26, 2009
Congressman Terry speaks on the House floor about the devastating impact of cap and trade:
Click here to view video.
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View Article Archive Here
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I am working on the Obama health care bill in my Energy and Commerce Committee as I write and send this message to you.
I note from news reports this morning that much confusion exists about the health care bill and whether it will cover abortion. After several amendments last night, the simple answer is clearly YES it will!
The bill creates a new federal health insurance exchange where all health insurance plans, before they can sell to someone, must comply to all rules and regulations mandated by the newly created Health Choices Commission. An amendment PASSED last night (Capps D-CA) that mandates at least one insurance plan cover abortion, and that HHS Secretary Sebelius determines if abortion must be covered by the government run “public” option. The Secretary staunchly favors abortion rights as does the President who chose her. Obviously, the government run option will cover elective abortion.
After the Capps amendment passed. Bart Stupak (D-Mi) and Joe Pitts (R-PA) and myself offered an amendment to ban abortion in these plans and ban any federal tax dollars from paying any cost of an abortion. After much debate many democrats including Bart Gordon (D-TN) joined with every Republican and the amendment actually passed by 1 vote. Hurray! It was a fantastic pro life victory!
But…Chairman Waxman, who is very pro-abortion, pulled a procedural maneuver later in the night and brought the Stupak-Pitts amendment back for reconsideration and the committee re-voted the amendment and this time the amendment LOST! Bart Gordon changed his vote from his previous “yes” to a “no”. I’ve never seen such a thing before!
So, the bottom line in the bill, for now, is that the insurance exchange can mandate abortion coverage in both private insurance plans and the single government run plan.
I can assure you we will keep fighting for life through out the day!
One piece of good news for life is that the Stupak-Terry (me) conscience clause PASSED protecting doctors/nurses who believe in life, from being forced against their conscience, from having to perform or assist with an abortion. This was critical to our many religious- based hospital and clinics.
