FRC Condemns U.S. Senate's Failure to Repeal Abortion-Funding Health Care Law

WASHINGTON, Feb. 2, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Family Research Council condemned today's failed vote in the U.S. Senate to repeal the 2010 so-called "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act."

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A Quinnipiac University poll released last year found that more than two thirds of Americans (67 percent) oppose government funding of abortion as part of health care reform. According to a recent Gallup/USA Today survey, only 13 percent of Americans want the law to remain on the books as written.

Recently, a federal judge in Florida ruled that the health care law was unconstitutional. The judge said he relied "heavily" on FRC's amicus brief in his decision to strike down the entire law. FRC submitted the only brief in the case that focused solely on the issue of severability.

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins made the following statement about the failed vote:

"The American people, the House of Representatives, 26 state attorneys general and all U.S. Senate Republicans have called for a repeal of the abortion-funding health care takeover law.

"We call on the Senate to put aside partisan differences and overturn this law that funds abortion with taxpayer dollars and puts bureaucrats between patients and their doctors.

"FRC has been doing all it can to protect taxpayers from this oppressive health care law and the unborn from its abortion-funding provisions. That is why, in addition to fighting the law in both U.S. and state legislative bodies, we filed an amicus brief in the Florida health care lawsuit that Judge Roger Vinson quoted extensively from in his decision.

"FRC commends Minority Leader Mitch McConnell for fighting to overturn this law, and we call on Senate Republicans to continue to fight to repeal this terrible law."

Click here to read FRC's brief in the multi-state Florida lawsuit. http://www.frc.org/fl-hhs

SOURCE Family Research Council