Americans United for Life: Critical House Vote on Pro-Abortion Health Care Bill This Week

      

WASHINGTON, Nov. 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. House health care overhaul bill H.R. 3962 could receive a vote as early as Thursday. H.R. 3962 would create a new stream of federal funding not covered by the restrictions of the Hyde Amendment prohibiting federal funding of abortion.

Americans United for Life President and CEO Dr. Charmaine Yoest said, "If this week's House health care bill passes without an amendment to explicitly exclude abortion coverage and funding, the American taxpayer will be funding abortion on demand. The status quo of over 30 years of banning taxpayer-funded abortions will be replaced by an unprecedented era of federal abortion funding."

This week, Americans United for Life and its legislative arm AUL Action are informing citizens about pro-abortion politicians who are working to ram through taxpayer-funded abortion in health care reform:

    --  Webcast: Americans United for Life joined the largest coalition of
        pro-life organizations Stop the Abortion Mandate in hosting a critical
        webcast last night to unify the pro-life movement in fighting abortion
        in health care reform.  Thousands of pro-life activists participated in
        this important webcast last night.
    --  New TV Ad: AUL Action is premiering a new :30 second TV ad on CNN in
        collaboration with the Stop the Abortion Mandate coalition. This TV ad
        dispels the myths about abortion in health care reform.
    --  New Online Video Ad: AUL Action's new online video ad "Don't Be Fooled:
        Abortion is in Health Care Reform" is spreading across the online world
        to raise awareness among the pro-life grassroots about federally funded
        abortion in the current health care reform proposals.

    --  Score Letter to Congress: A letter sent by AUL Action to members of the
        House of Representatives states that if the Stupak-Pitts amendment to
        remove abortion funding is not given a vote under the Rule governing
        Floor debate on the House bill, AUL Action will oppose the Rule and
        record the roll call vote on the Rule in our annual scorecard. 
        Furthermore, if the final language of the bill does not adequately meet
        any of AUL Action's concerns expressed in our letter, AUL Action will
        oppose final passage of the bill and will record the roll call vote on
        final passage in our annual scorecard as well.

Americans United for Life is the first national pro-life organization in America. In 1980, AUL successfully defended the Hyde Amendment before the U.S. Supreme Court in Harris v. McRae. AUL's legislative arm AUL Action recently met with the White House to discuss abortion funding and coverage in health care. Visit AUL Action's RealHealthCareRespectsLife.com, for background from our legal team about the current health care reform bills threat to the right to life and rights of conscience.

SOURCE Americans United for Life