WASHINGTON (August 27, 2009) — This is an update from the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) Department of Federal Legislation.  Please send this along to appropriate pro-life lists.

As the debate intensifies over the pro-abortion provisions of the Obama-backed health bills, NRLC continues to provide updated resource materials for affiliates and other activists.  On August 26, NRLC issued a new factsheet, “Key Points on Pro-Abortion Provisions in Obama-Backed Health Care Bills.”  This document provides the most important talking points regarding the current bills, especially H.R. 3200 as revised by the “phony compromise” Capps-Waxman Amendment.  This factsheet is designed to be copied, if you desire, on the front and back of a single sheet.

You can download this new document in the PDF format from here:

http://www.nrlc.org/AHC/TalkingPointsAbortionHealthCare.pdf

[If you have any trouble downloading the current version of this document (you should see the date August 26 at the bottom of the second page), simply send an email to Legfederal@aol.com and we will send you a copy as an email attachment.]

Also, be sure to check out the important report issued by FactCheck.org on August 21, titled “Abortion:  Which Side is Fabricating?”  It is found here:

http://www.factcheck.org/2009/08/abortion-which-side-is-fabricating/

NRLC has an updated set of talking points available for download over on the “Health Care Reform” Info page (pdf file). Print off a copy and use it to familiarize yourself with the issue, and spread around to any and all interested parties. For more detailed background information, read over the action packet on the page, or go to www.nrlactioncenter.com for exhaustive legislative resources.

The independent FactCheck.org has examined President Obama’s August 19 claim that it is “not true” and “a fabrication” that his health plan will “mean government funding of abortion.”  FactCheck.org concludes:

“. . . it’s likely that any new federal insurance plan would cover abortion unless Congress expressly prohibits that.  Low- and moderate-income persons who would choose the ‘public plan’ would qualify for federal subsidies to purchase it.  Private plans that cover abortion also could be purchased with the help of federal subsidies.  Therefore, we judge that the president goes too far when he calls the statements that government would be funding abortions ‘fabrications.’ . . . The NRLC’s Johnson said ‘the bill backed by the White House (H.R. 3200) explicitly authorizes the government plan to cover all elective abortions.’  And our analysis shows that Johnson’s statement is correct.”

Read the full FactCheck.org article here.

Listen to then-Senator and presidential candidate Barack Obama promise abortion as part of a public health care plan.