By Jennifer Popik, JD, Director, Federal Legislation
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
According to a spokeswoman for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell this afternoon, “It is the leader’s intention to consider Graham-Cassidy-Heller on the floor next week.”
Time is running short as Republicans have about 10 days left to use their 2017 budget reconciliation bill as a vehicle to undo much of Obamacare which requires a simple majority in the Senate.
National Right to Life supports this effort to repeal and replace Obamacare sponsored by Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) Bill Cassidy (R-La.), and Dean Heller (R-Nv.).
Abortion is not healthcare, and the Senate has the chance to protect life by advancing this legislation.
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La)
NRLC vigorously opposed enactment of the Obamacare law in 2009-2010, because of its multiple provisions authorizing federal subsidies for abortion insurance and multiple provisions allowing abortion-expansive federal mandates. According to a report issued by the Government Accountability Office in September 2014, approximately 1,000 federally subsidized health plans nationwide currently cover elective abortion.
The Graham-Cassidy legislation would redirect existing Obamacare subsidies back to states in the form of block grants. The bill would prohibit the use of these dollars for plans that cover elective abortion. The Graham-Cassidy-Heller bill would restore the longstanding principles of the Hyde Amendment with respect to federally funded health coverage. The Hyde Amendment is crediting with saving two million lives.
Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nv.)
Additionally, National Right to Life also strongly supports the language in the bill that would block, for one year, most federal payments to affiliates of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Over one-third of all abortions in the U.S. are performed at PPFA-affiliated facilities.
For additional up-to-date information on the extent of Planned Parenthood’s involvement in abortion, see: www.nrlc.org/communications/ppfamediabackground/
If this effort fails, Obamacare remains, along with its abortion-expanding provisions.