More Broken Promises on Health Care Reform?
Report Pinpoints Holes In Ban on Federally-Funded Abortions
Washington, D.C. – Citing a new report by the Congressional Research Service, U.S. Senator Mike Enzi, (R-Wyo), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) today called on Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius for immediate action to ensure that federal dollars will not be used to pay for elective abortions.
In a letter to Sebelius, Senator Enzi and Senator Coburn, joined by 11 other Senators said the report, “confirms our concern that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) lacks any restrictions prohibiting states from using federal funding to pay for abortions in the newly-created Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plans.”
The report also highlights steps Secretary Sebelius should take to prevent inappropriate use of federal dollars and uphold the President’s promise that no federal taxpayer funds will be used to pay for elective abortions. “According to CRS, neither the restrictions in PPACA, Presidential Executive Order 13535 nor the recently released HHS contract materials actually prohibit a state high risk pool from covering elective abortions,” the letter states.
