Letter to the President

I just sent a letter to President Obama via Susan B. Anthony List. In the letter are the facts concerning the funding of abortion in the current congressional health care bill. Because this form letter has such good information, I posted it here for you to read. If you would like to send a letter to the President demanding the truth be told, you may write your own or go to http://www.sba-list.org/obama.

Dear President Obama,

As one of your constituents, I am disappointed that you have chosen to mislead the American people in regard to abortion funding in the health care bill.

On August 19th, you stated: “You've heard that this is all going to mean government funding of abortion. Not true. This is all, these are all fabrications that have been put out there. . .”

President Obama, you are misleading the American people. Here are the facts:

The Capps Amendment, as passed by the House Energy and Commerce Committee, explicitly requires every enrollee of a government-subsidized health insurance plan to be charged an extra fee to cover abortions. The federal agency administering the health care plan will collect the premium money, receive bills from abortionists, and send the abortionists payment checks from the federal Treasury account.

In response, many pro-abortion politicians are hiding behind the Hyde Amendment, but the truth is the Hyde Amendment does not apply because federal subsidies for private plans and start up money for the public plan are directly appropriated under H.R. 3200.

Therefore, I demand that you oppose any health care bill unless abortion is explicitly excluded from the scope of any federally mandated, federally subsidized, or federally defined health insurance plans.

President Obama, my concerns are not fabrications, they are facts. They are facts that even the mainstream media confirms. Consider these quotes:

“The health-care reform proposed by House Democrats, if enacted, would in fact mark a significant change in the federal government's role in the financing of abortions. […] So in effect, anyone who wanted to sign up for the public option, a federally funded and administered program, would find themselves paying for abortion coverage. […] Nonetheless, the new system differs markedly from the old federal policy of not involving the government in abortion services unless issues of rape, incest or the life of the mother are at play.” - TIME, August 24, 2009, “How Abortion Could Imperil Health Care Reform.”

“Health care legislation before Congress would allow a new government-sponsored insurance plan to cover abortions, a decision that would affect millions of women and recast federal policy on the divisive issue.” -The Associated Press, August 5, 2009, “Gov’t Insurance Would Allow Coverage for Abortion.”

“Obama has said in the past that ‘reproductive services’ would be covered by his public plan, so it’s likely that any new federal insurance plan would cover abortion unless Congress expressly prohibits that… Therefore, we judge that the president goes too far when he calls the statements that government would be funding abortions ‘fabrications.’”-Factcheck.org, August 21, 2009, “Abortion: Which Side is Fabricating?”

President Obama, the current health care reform proposals, if enacted, would result in the greatest expansion of abortion since the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision imposed abortion on America in 1973.

Polls consistently show that the overwhelming majority of Americans are pro-life. Abortion must be explicitly excluded to ensure the pro-life views of Americans are properly reflected in any health care reform effort.

Susan B. Anthony List Activist

The Tip of the Healthberg

There is so much to say regarding the Health Care Plan in Congress that I will have to do it a portion at a time. The bill is H.R. 3200 with the "short title" being ‘‘America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009’’ and it is 1,017 pages long. You can read it online. I urge you to request your Congressman to read it as most have not and seem to have no intention of doing so. I have begun to read it in its entirety as well as having read sections of it.

What is the purpose of the Congressional Health Care Plan?
To begin the statement of purpose is "To provide affordable, quality health care for all Americans and reduce the growth in health care spending, and for other purposes." The emphasis is mine because when I read that, I immediately wondered what other purposes are in this health care bill?

Will you be able to keep your current health insurance plan?
On page 16, Section 102, ironically titled "Protecting the Choice to Keep Current Coverage", states that individual health insurance issuer cannot enroll new individuals on or after the first day of Y1 (which is 2013) except for new dependents of current individuals who are already covered. Neither can the health insurance issuer change any of its terms, conditions, benefits, or cost-sharing. If a health insurance company is so regulated as to be unable to accept new clients or make any changes whatsoever that company will be put out of business. No new clients equals a dying business. Page 19, lines 1-5 states that individual insurance coverage offered on or after the first day of 2013 must be "an Exchange-participating health benefits plan". What is that? Page 116, line 10-12 tells us that an Exchange-participating health benefits plan is referred to as "public health insurance option." Some "option" that is! The answer is that if you have individual health insurance coverage, you may be able to keep it for awhile but it won't be long before your insurance company would be forced out of business and your only option would then be the public option.

Who will run the "Public Option"?
There are many people listed in just the first 40 pages who will be responsible for portions or all of the government run insurance plan. There will be a Health Benefits Advisory Committee which will include: the Surgeon General (who is appointed by the President) will be a member and the chair of this Committee, 9 non-federal employees appointed by the President, 9 non-federal employees appointed by the Comptroller General of the United States (who is appointed by the President), and an even number (up to 8) of Federal employees and officers appointed by the President. At this time there is both an Acting Comptroller General of the United States and an Acting Surgeon General who will be replaced by a President Obama appointee. 2/3 of this Health Benefits Advisory Committee will be directly appointed by the President and 1/3 of the Committee will be appointed by a person who was himself appointed by the President. The job of the Committee is to recommend covered benefits and essential, enhanced, and premium plans to the Secretary of Health and Human Services as stated on page 32, line 22-25.
The Secretary of Health and Human Services is to establish the office of ombudsman for the public health insurance option. (I have not yet read what the ombudsman is supposed to do.) Page 116, line 14-17 tells us that the Secretary designs the "options" of the Exchange benefit levels: basic, enhanced, premium, and premium-plus. (Is that supposed to be the "competition" I hear about?) The Secretary shall collect such data as required to establish premiums and payments rates for the public option as stated on page 118, lines 4-9.
Then there is the establishment of the Health Choices Administration, an independent agency in the executive branch of the Government, which will be headed by the Health Choices Commissioner who is appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. Read this for yourself in Section 141 on page 41. The Commissioner shall collect data for the purposes of carrying out Commissioner's duties... and may share such data with the Secretary of Health and Human Services. (page 43, lines 19-24) The Commissioner, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the Secretary of Labor shall conduct a study of the large group insured and self-insured employer health care markets. (page 21, lines 23-26) Page 42, line 12 states the Commissioner is responsible for the establishment and operation of a Health Insurance Exchange which is the Public Option. (page 116, line 14-17)
To sum up, the Public Option will be run by a newly established government agency in the executive branch, a Commissioner appointed by the President, the Surgeon General appointed by the President, the Secretary of Health and Human Services appointed by the President, and a Committee which is 2/3 appointed by the President and 1/3 appointed by a presidential appointee. Does anyone else see a massive power grab by the Executive Branch of the Government?

Who will choose your coverage?
In all these 1,017 pages, the specific coverage and exceptions of benefits and the cost to us is not specified but instead power is given to the above listed people (most of whom are yet to be appointed) to choose insurance for you instead of you having the power to choose your own plan, or choose not to be insured, or the amount of coverage you want for yourself.

Just as you only see the tip of a massive iceberg, so the health care bill only shows us portions of what is its entirety. The rest will be determined after power has been handed over to the Government. Will the United States choose a collision course with this monstrosity? I hope not.

If this posting makes you feel overwhelmed, just consider that I've only partially commented on the first 40 pages and those pages to which they referred. There is much more to come.... another day.

Big Pushes - Stand Firm

"You never want a serious crisis to go to waste," said Rahm Emanuel, President Obama's chief of staff on November 21, 2008.

It seems that Obama and his team are trying to push through so much legislation and nominations as quickly as possible to overwhelm and/or prevent people from realizing what is being crammed down our throats.

President Obama has nominated four people to the Justice Department who have horrible records on pro-family issues. These are David Ogden, Dawn Johnson, Thomas Perrelli, and Elana Kagan. David Ogden opposes restrictions on abortion and pornography. He filed a brief before the U.S. Supreme Court in support of child pornographer, Steven Knox. Dawn Johnson is the former legal director for NARAL Pro-Choice America. Thomas Perrelli, Obama’s nominee to serve as associate attorney general, represented Terri Schiavo’s husband as he fought to have food and water withheld from his disabled wife. He was successful and she died a horrible death. Elana Kagan lacks the qualifications for solicitor general as she has never argued a case to the supreme court which is the solicitor general's function. Apparently, she has not even tried a single case. She does qualify as a far-left liberal though.

The stimulus bill just passed in the Senate. The House and the Senate still will need to reconcile the bill. It contains grievous governmental growth and interference. President Obama has claimed it there are no earmarks in this bill. I guess he hasn't read it or even been briefed on it. Why are groups like ACORN (which is being investigated for voter fraud) being given 4 billion dollars? Why is there $600 million stipulated for preparation for universal healthcare? $50 million to the National Endowment of the Arts? $650 million to switch from analog to digital TV? $600 million for "climate change" research? The list goes on extremely long. This bill gives money to special interest groups, groups that supported Obama's campaign. Earmarks, pork, special interests, whatever you want to call it, it is wasteful and not stimuli.

Universal healthcare was inserted into the so-called stimulus bill. They want to oversee your doctor's care of you and computerize all your health records. Good-bye privacy. Tom Daschle has said that senior citizens need to just grow old instead of seeking treatment. This is outrageous that people would use the fear of recession to further their own agenda.

The worst offense to me is the provision in the stimulus bill that attacks religious freedom. The provision reads: "PROHIBITED USES OF FUNDS. - No funds awarded under this section may be used for - (C) modernization, renovation, or repair of facilities - (i) used for sectarian instruction, religious worship, or a school or department of divinity; or (ii) in which a substantial portion of the functions of the facilities are subsumed in a religious mission." This is religious discrimination and an affront to freedom of speech. Christian groups such as Campus Crusade, Christian Athletes, Catholic Student Ministries and others could very well be banned from campuses and facilities that would remain open to other non-religious organizations.

This is our nation. We the People of the United States are ultimately responsible for what our nation and what our government does. We must be vigilant. We must pray. We must take a stand for our rights and freedoms. We must not be silent.

"And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." Galatians 6:9

"Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving." Colossians 4:2

CALL YOUR SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES. Let them know where you stand. Both your representative and your two senators can be reached at 1-202-224-3121. Find more contact information for your congressional representative and senators here.

Free Health Care?

Everyone wants something for free. Why not? It's free, right? Or is it? Somebody is going to pay. What makes you think it won't be you?

Hawaii tried providing health care for children. It failed. Why? Because those that were buying their own health care stopped doing so in order to get the free health care. Hawaii couldn't afford to pay for every child's health insurance and so had to end the program.

I hear people say Canada has free health care. Norway or Switzerland too. It brings to mind how the ancient Israelites asked for a king "that we may be like all the other nations." They didn't know how good they had it. Samuel warned them what a king would do. A king would take the best of all you have: sons, daughters, servants, land, crops, and livestock. In their desire to be like the other nations, Israel gave up their freedoms. They got their king and they got their wealth and freedom taken as foretold. 1 Samuel 8.

What is the cost?

• Higher taxes.
  Are you ready to bring home 30% of your paycheck? You are already only bringing home roughly 70%. 30% will be less than half of what you bring home now. This is what the other nations do.


• Loss of privacy.
  With government running things, you can bet your privacy will be invaded. Just ask WIC recipients. How much do you eat? How much do you weigh? What is your iron count? How many ounces of juice do you drink? Are you drinking from the proper cup?
  Do you like to be micro-managed? I think I'm a grown-up and can make my own decisions but when you expect government to be your sugar daddy, you give up liberties and decisions to your new parent.


• Lack of choices.
  Who decides which doctor you can see? Which medicines will be best? What treatment to pursue? What about alternative medicines? You? Your doctor? Not if you give government a foothold.


• Medical advances will dwindle.
  What happens to the motivations of scientists and doctors to invest in new medical advances? Who in government is qualified to decide which avenues should be pursued? Which medical breakthroughs will be missed or abandoned?


• Long waits
  Every country that has government run health care has notoriously long waits for procedures. Are we willing to wait 6 months to get a lump examined? What if it's cancerous? Then you may have sacrificed your life. That's not free.


• Morally objectable procedures
  When government pays for health care, they pay for it with taxpayer's money. (Our money, yours and mine) When government then pays for procedures such as abortions, sex changes and assisted suicides, they force a huge percentage of people that find such things morally wrong to participate in them by paying for them. That's not free.
  

This story was shared with me recently. A boy broke his leg. It was a spiral fracture. These are very painful and require more care. At the hospital, the doctor decided to put his leg in a cast even though he thought the leg may require surgery. Sure enough, two weeks later they had to return and have surgery. The belated surgery caused more pain and a longer healing time than if it had been done right away. Why would the doctor not just do the surgery in the first place? This boy is covered by ACCESS. ACCESS is government paid health insurance and the doctors and hospitals first try the less expensive route since they must accept whatever the government will pay.

I've never heard anything good about an HMO. Everyone seems to hate them. Yet people want the government to run their health care system? That is one colossal HMO.

Value Voting

Will you vote your morals?

This is an extremely important election. Our nation is at a crossroad. We have a clear choice. Lives are at stake.

The most important issue to me is the protection of innocent lives.

Abortion kills babies. Some would say an abortion terminates a fetus. That’s just a change in terms. Terminate means to end; conclude; finish. Fetus is Latin for baby.

Recently, I came across someone who was convinced that they could be both pro-Obama AND pro-life. This is a deception.

Barack Obama says that the first thing he would do as President is to enact the Freedom of Choice Act. This act would erase all boundaries on abortion. This would override states rights making abortion available at any time for any reason at any age.

Some would say that I shouldn’t impose my values on others.

Impose values? I would suggest that the Freedom of Choice Act is a massive imposition of the values of the abortion industry on us. According to NOW, this legislation would “sweep away hundreds of anti-abortion laws and policies.” Laws and policies that elected officials and everyday people have voted on and passed. The will of the people to limit and reduce abortions. That would be laws and policies protecting girls and women from an uninformed decision regarding a medical procedure that kills an innocent baby and often causes mental and/or physical harm to the mothers. Laws that require the consent of parents before an underage girl can be given an abortion. A Ban that put a stop to stabbing the head of a baby before she is completely born and sucking her brains out.

The biggest imposition is that Barrack Obama wants government to provide health care for everybody. That means that my tax dollars and your tax dollars will pay for abortions.
If that’s not cramming something down my throat, I don’t know what is.

Here are some medical facts to consider:

• At week 5, only 3 weeks after conception, the baby’s tiny heart begins to divide into chambers and beat and pump blood. This is when most women can find out whether they are pregnant.
• At week 6, the nose, mouth and ears are beginning to take shape. His heart is beating 100 to 160 times a minute and blood is beginning to course through his body. His pituitary gland is forming, as are the rest of his brain, muscles, and bones.
• At week 7, hands and feet are emerging from developing arms and legs.
• At week 8, in her brain, nerve cells are branching out to connect with one another, forming primitive neural pathways.
• Week 9, your baby’s organs, muscles and nerves are kicking into gear. The external sex organs are there but won’t be distinguishable as male or female for another few weeks.
• Week 10, he's swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm. Vital organs — including his kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver (now making red blood cells in place of the disappearing yolk sac) — are in place and starting to function, though they'll continue to develop throughout your pregnancy. If you could take a peek inside your womb, you'd spot minute details, like tiny nails forming on fingers and toes (no more webbing) and peach-fuzz hair beginning to grow on tender skin.

These facts are all from the week-by-week development pages at babycenter.com. There are many more. The ones I listed are all by the time you are two months pregnant.

This is what God says.

• “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you…”[1]
• “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward.”[2]
• "Thus says the Lord who made you and formed you from the womb, who will help you: fear not…"[3]
• “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days.”[4]
• “Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”[5]
• “For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.”[6]

These are just a few. God has a lot to say about people of all ages. He loves us. He wants us to choose life. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”


[1] Jeremiah 1:5
[2] Psalm 127:3
[3] Isaiah 44:2
[4] Deuteronomy 30:19-20
[5] Philippians 2:4
[6] Psalm 139:13-16