Despite President Obama’s callous veto, California Family Council applauds the U.S. House of Representatives for approving a budget reconciliation bill that would cut off funding for abortion providers like Planned Parenthood and repeal certain provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, popularly known as “Obamacare.”
The Restoring Americans’ Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act (HR 3762) would redirect hundreds of millions of dollars in Medicaid funding that goes to abortion providers like Planned Parenthood. The bill would also repeal certain provisions of Obamacare, the 2010 healthcare reform law that subsidizes abortion coverage throughout the country and threatens the conscience rights of millions of American insurance purchasers.
Sadly, as he had threatened, President Obama vetoed this bipartisan legislation and refused to acknowledge the overwhelming support for stopping federal funds from flowing to Planned Parenthood’s scandal-plagued organization.
California Family Council’s President Jonathan Keller issued the following statement:
By passing this bill, Congress forcefully expressed the will of the American people: our taxpayer dollars should not fund abortion, corrupt organizations like Planned Parenthood do not deserve taxpayer largesse, and individuals and businesses should not be compelled to subsidize abortion through forced insurance purchases.
Planned Parenthood is a billion-dollar corporation that neither needs nor deserves taxpayer funding. They have been credibly accused of covering up the statutory rape of underage girls, and are under investigation for allegedly profiting off the body parts of the very children they kill. Planned Parenthood performs over 300,000 abortions every year, and receive hundreds of millions in taxpayer funds annually.
For almost four decades, members of both parties have acknowledged that the American people should not be forced to pay for abortions. Due to the deep moral objections of millions of Americans, Congress has abstained from funding abortion since 1976. Obamacare struck at the heart of this long-held understanding, requiring all individuals and employers to purchase insurance plans that either directly cover or indirectly subsidize abortions. By repealing these provisions of Obamacare, HR 3762 simply reaffirms that federal taxpayer dollars should not be used to subsidize the murder of unborn children.
We are saddened, but not surprised, that the President has chosen to veto this life-saving bill. The House and Senate have acted. Now, the responsibility for Planned Parenthood’s funding rests with President Obama alone. We pray he realizes the moral culpability of having blood on his hands and rethinks his support for the legalized trafficking of baby body parts.
In spite of President Obama’s veto, HR 3762 has set a critical precedent by showing that Congress can work with a future pro-life president to defund Planned Parenthood and dismantle the pro-abortion pillars of Obamacare. You can watch Speaker Paul Ryan’s excellent response to the veto here outlining the next steps for pro-life advocates.
For their courage in defense of life, we sincerely thank those members of Congress who voted in support of the bill, particularly those in our California delegation.
