"The welfare of humanity is always the alibi of tyrants" - Albert Camus

Friday, October 14, 2011

Remember the EO in Lieu of Stupak Amendment? Apparently Obama Does Not!

Those with sharper memories might remember how Obamacare passed in the Congress.  The Stupak–Pitts Amendment was a proposed amendment to the Affordable Health Care for America Act of 2010 (AHCAA). It was submitted by Representatives Bart Stupak (D-MI) and Joseph R. Pitts (R-PA).  Its stated purpose was to prohibit the use of federal funds "to pay for any abortion or to cover any part of the costs of any health plan that includes coverage of abortion" except in cases of rape, incest or danger to the life of the mother.  It was adopted by the House but not included in the Senate version, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).  Many pro-choice representatives said they would oppose AHCAA with the Stupak-Pitts language and proposed to adopt PPACA. Stupak and several supporters said they would oppose PPACA without the amendment but withdrew their opposition after President Obama promised an executive order to bar such funding.  Following the passage of Obamacare (PPACA), Obama eventually (and discreetly) signed the EO on March 24, 2010.

This issue should have been a non-issue since the Hyde Amendment is (a blatantly ignored) law of the land as it stands and it supposedly bans tax payer funding of abortions except in cases of rape, incest, and/or danger to mom's life.  Well, it was established in 2009 that Hyde Amendment did not apply where Obamacare is concerned, thus the reason for the EO that supposedly had the effect Stupak Amendment would have had.

Those of us who are up to the dishonest games that progressives play knew and warned that this EO would never stand.  Executive orders may carry the weight of law but they are also easy to undo.  Well, we were once again proven right. 

Two days ago, the House of Representatives passed the Protect Life Act (HR358), a piece of legislation that bans federal funding of abortions.  The bill was proposed exactly because saner minds in Congress knew that it has been this Administration's intention all along to fund abortions with taxpayer money as they do with their financial support (worth over $365 million tax dollars) of Planned Parenthood now.  The bill passed with fifteen Democrats joining the majority Republicans.  Even before the bill passed, our shameless President made it clear that if the bill reaches his desk, he will veto it because "H.R. 358 goes well beyond the safeguards found in current law and reinforced in the President’s Executive Order by restricting women’s private insurance choices". 

Once again, the Administration deceitfulness is on full display for the public to see.  Somehow, I doubt very much that many will take sufficient notice.

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