An open letter to Cong. Pomeroy

An open letter to Congressman Pomeroy
On the Health care issue
Congressman Pomeroy, please listen to the people of North Dakota. As we and the people of this state have shared with you for months, this bill is not in the best interests of families across the state of North Dakota, your state. In general, we oppose this government take over of health care, and implore you to vote no, endorsing a fresh start. In specific, let us be very clear about the abortion language in the current bill. No matter how those in the pro abortion community attempt to spin this issue, the people of North Dakota know the truth.

Bill HR 3590 Will Greatly Expand Number of Abortions.

Majority Leader Harry Reid’s bill (HR 3590) that passed in the Senate is an elective abortion expansion bill, pure and simple. This 2,409 page, more than two trillion dollar bill, guts the current Hyde Amendment abortion funding ban by explicitly spending federal funds for private plans that cover elective abortion. It also appropriates $7 billion for community health centers and $6 billion for non-profit health care “co-ops”- without any abortion restrictions. Also, President Obama’s recent proposal would maintain abortion funding in the Senate bill, and even increase to $11 billion funds for community health centers with no abortion funding restrictions.

Before the Hyde Amendment was passed in 1976, Medicaid funded almost 300,000 abortions. The Guttmacher Institute, the research arm of Planned Parenthood, has stated that because Medicaid does not fund abortion, almost 30 percent of Medicaid eligible women have their babies. In other words, even Planned Parenthood admits that if the Government were to fund abortion, 30 percent more Medicaid eligible women will have abortions.

This bill would upend over 30 years of settled government policy preventing federal funds from going to pay for elective abortions. If the Senate bill passes without the House adopted Stupak abortion funding ban, this bill will fund abortion and will vastly expand the number of abortions around the country. Rather than reducing the number of abortions, the majority in Congress will have overseen legislation to create the largest expansion of abortion since Roe v. Wade.

Regardless of whether one supports or opposes the legality of abortion, the majority of Americans oppose federal funding of elective abortion, which is exactly what the Senate bill will do.

We urge Congressman Pomeroy to reject the fake-abortion compromise. We need members of both parties to renew their energies to ensure every health bill includes the Stupak provision. This will prevent a massive new wave of federal funding for elective abortion.

Congressman Pomeroy, listen to the people of North Dakota, in specific oppose abortion, and in general, vote no on this government take over of our health care system.