65,000 Sign Petition Demanding that Congress Exclude Abortion Services from Health Care Legislation

“The American people understand that mandatory coverage for abortion services should not be a part of any health care legislation.” - Jay Sekulow, ACLJ chief counsel

WASHINGTON, July 28, 2009—In just one week, 65,000 Americans have joined with the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) by signing a national petition calling on Congress to exclude abortion as a mandatory health benefit as part of any health care legislation being considered. 

"The opposition to defining abortion services as a mandatory health benefit is clear.  It's time that Congress gets the message: When it comes to mandatory health benefits, Americans don't want their tax dollars-or forced private insurance plans-used to fund abortion," said Jay Sekulow, chief counsel of the ACLJ.     "We will continue to push for a legislative remedy that explicitly excludes abortion from any government mandated coverage or taxpayer funded health plan."

The online petition is available here: https://www.aclj.org/Petition/Default.aspx?sc=3466&ac=1.

The ACLJ is also providing new legal analysis of the problem to members of Congress.  In its memo to lawmakers, the ACLJ argues that it "is vital that any health care reform plan explicitly exclude abortion services from any national health care coverage mandate."  The memo also notes that "any amendment to health care reform legislation that seeks to exclude abortion must protect both private insurers from having to provide coverage for abortion and ensure that taxpayer funds are not used to pay for abortion." 

In addition to needing a clear ban on the use of public funds for abortions, the ACLJ warns in its memo legal analysis that the pro-abortion health care push could also jeopardize existing state abortion laws:  "Congress must make clear that any reform passed will not preempt and invalidate state laws regulating abortion.  Portions of the proposal would allow the federal plan and its administrators to determine that state laws restricting abortion, such as parental notification laws or informed consent laws, ‘prevent the application of a requirement' of the plan.  In such instances the requirements of state law would be preempted.  Such an outcome needs to be avoided and state laws respected."

The ACLJ memo on the House legislative action is posted here: http://www.aclj.org/media/pdf/HR3200_Memo_072809.pdf.

Led by Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow, the American Center for Law and Justice focuses on constitutional law and is based in Washington, D.C.  The ACLJ is online at www.ACLJ.org.  The ACLJ's online newsroom-which includes high-resolution, downloadable graphics, principal bios and ACLJ fact sheets-can be accessed at www.DeMossNews.com/ACLJ.

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