Optimistic Stupak Thinks Dems Will Actually Include Abortion Ban in Health Bill

Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) now says he is "more optimistic" that negotiations with top Democrats in the House could lead to adequate language banning abortion funding in health care reform, the Associated Press reported Monday.

"I'm more optimistic than I was a week ago," Stupak told the AP in an interview in Michigan.

"The president says he doesn't want to expand or restrict current law (on abortion). Neither do I," he said. "That's never been our position. So is there some language that we can agree on that hits both points - we don't restrict, we don't expand abortion rights? I think we can get there."

Stupak, the author of the House health bill's abortion funding ban, maintains that leaders will not have enough votes to pass the Senate bill if it is not fixed to ban government funding of abortion with language reflecting the famous Hyde amendment, which includes an exception for rape and incest.

Although Stupak claims that at least a dozen House Democrats will also vote "no" on a bill without the Hyde-like language, it is unclear how such language could be brought to bear on the measure. In order to avoid sending another version of the bill back to the Senate, where Democrats no longer maintain a supermajority, House leaders have been pursuing avenues to pass the Senate bill in the House unamended.

story here

Obama's Abortion Mandate in Healthcare Would Increase Breast Cancer Deaths, Premature Births

The Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer today sharply rebuked President Obama, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi and others in Congress for aggressively pursuing an effort to include an abortion mandate in healthcare reform, despite having been informed of overwhelming evidence showing the U.S. National Cancer Institute deliberately misled women with its 2003 workshop that purported to conduct a "comprehensive review" of  an abortion-breast cancer (ABC) link. [1]  On January 20, 2010, the Coalition sent a letter to Obama and members of Congress which notified them of the NCI's misconduct and called for a Congressional investigation of the agency. [2]


"It is despicable that Obama and others in Congress are striving to force taxpayers to pay for abortions, even though an abortion mandate would result in more breast cancer deaths and premature births among women with abortions," said Karen Malec, president of the Coalition. "Obviously, they don't care if women die and babies develop cerebral palsy.

"The NCI has declared the ABC link 'non-existent,' but research last year by NCI branch chief Louise Brinton revealed that she and her colleagues at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center are convinced the link exists (and they found that women using oral contraceptives have a four-fold increased risk of the deadly triple-negative breast cancer). [5] Three studies last year (and dozens of studies since 1957) reported an ABC link. [3-5] Additionally, medical texts admit that childbearing sharply reduces breast cancer risk. No one can deny that abortion causes women to lose that protective effect.

"Three systematic reviews and meta-analyses last year confirmed a link between abortion and premature birth. [6-8] The Institute of Medicine identifies abortion as a risk factor for premature birth. [9] Premature birth puts babies at risk for neonatal death, cerebral palsy, mental retardation, epilepsy and difficulties walking, seeing and hearing."

"Why do Obama, Reid and Pelosi hate women and children? Terrorists have not caused as many injuries and deaths among the American people, as have abortion enthusiasts in our government and the abortion industry," charged Malec.

Source