Senators Introduce Bill to Exclude Abortion Funding From New ObamaCare Law

Senators Introduce Bill to Exclude Abortion Funding From New ObamaCare Law: "Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- With the health care plan President Barack Obama signed into law having no protections against taxpayer funding of abortions, and with a dustup weeks ago that saw three instances of abortion funding exposed, a coalition of senators have introduced a bill to ensure no ObamaCare funds go towards abortion.

Senators Tom Coburn, an Oklahoma Republican, and Orrin Hatch, a Utah Republican, introduced the new bill with 23 original cosponsors today.

Their legislation would prevent by the force of law coverage of abortion services under the new health care law.

The “Excluding Abortion Coverage from Health Reform Act of 2010” guarantees that no federal taxpayer dollars can be used to pay for elective abortions. Their bill is a companion measure to the House bill sponsored by Rep. Joe Pitts, known as the “Protect Life Act,” H.R. 5111.

Coburn, an OBGYN, commented on his new legislation in a press statement LifeNews.com obtained.

“Forcing Americans to pay for abortion services with their own dollars is a grave abuse of government authority. The administration’s track record of ambiguity in this area underscores the need for federal legislation clarifying, once and for all, that public funds will not be used to pay for abortion services under the new health law,” he said.

Hatch added: “The American people are overwhelmingly opposed to footing the bill for elective abortion. The President has promised that federal dollars will not pay for elective abortions, but the loopholes in the health legislation clearly leave the door wide open for that to happen. Our bill slams that door and effectively guarantees that won't happen.'

Coburn said that, contrary to the Obama administration's claims, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) does not prohibit taxpayer dollars from funding elective abortions or subsidizing coverage for such abortions.

'Obama’s Executive Order 13535 regarding abortion funding merely restates accounting loopholes in the legislation, but fails to restrict abortion coverage in the newly-created health insurance Exchanges or protect against other federal subsidies for abortion,' he said.

Coburn offered several ways in which the health care law Obama signed funds abortions and how his bill would prevent it.