AULA Calls for Yes Vote on the Protect Life Act, to Get Tax Money Out of the Business of Subsidizing Abortion

"Money is fungible," says AULA's Dr. Yoest. "Taxpayers should not be involuntary donors to the abortion industry and health care workers' conscience rights must be protected."

WASHINGTON, Oct. 13, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Americans United for Life Action President and CEO Dr. Charmaine Yoest called on members of the U.S. House today and eventually the U.S. Senate to pass the Protect Life Act -- a bill that addresses anti-life and anti-conscience threats in the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the health care law enacted in 2010. The measure is designed to deal with loopholes in the health care law that would allow some monies to subsidize abortions. AULA has been active on Capitol Hill on behalf of the bill to deal with the deficiencies in the health care law.

On Wednesday, White House advisors released a statement saying that they would recommend that the President veto the measure that is expected to pass the House later today. That would be a mistake, said Dr. Yoest.

"This vote applies longstanding federal law and policy to the pro-abortion health care law. It would ensure that no funds authorized or appropriated through the health care law can be used for abortion or insurance plans that provide abortion coverage," said Dr. Yoest.  "We hope the Senate will follow suit."

The Protect Life Act applies the principles of the Hyde Amendment – which prohibits federal funding for abortion and federal funding for insurance plans that cover abortion – to the ACA.  It replaces the ACA's accounting gimmick in the state insurance exchanges (which the ACA requires be in place by 2014) and closes the loopholes in other funding streams that lack any statutory restrictions on using their funds directly for abortion.

"This bill also requires the pro-abortion advocates who claimed that the health care laws does not pay for abortions to prove it," said Dr. Yoest.  "By writing the restriction into the law, the Protect Life Act protects against a court ordering that abortion must be funded, and does not rely on administrative rulings and agency interpretations, which are subject to change, to prohibit abortion funding."

To read further analysis of this important taxpayer protection, click here.

SOURCE Americans United for Life Action