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Pro-Life Issues

AFA of PA ACTION ALERT

December 23, 2009

Yes, it’s two days before Christmas, but the battle in the Senate to impose socialized medicine on America continues. Senator Reid is hoping we are too busy with last minute Christmas preparations to pay attention to what’s going on in D.C. Lets prove him wrong!

Issues (check corresponding number in ‘Details’ and ‘Action’ Sections)

1.) Health Care Bill Makes Death Panels Permanent

2.) Senator Specter

Details

1.) Pro-life Senators have raised a Constitutional Point of Order on the Senate floor against Section 3403 of Senator Harry Reid's manager's amendment that the Senate adopted Tuesday morning and is now part of the pro-abortion, government-run health care bill. The section, on page 1020, says "it shall not be in order in the Senate or the House of Representatives to consider any bill, resolution, amendment, or conference report that would repeal or otherwise change this subsection." That would be a problem for any section of any bill but the language is especially worrisome because it is the so-called death panels section where regulations are imposed on doctors and patients by the Independent Medicare Advisory Boards. Click here to watch Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) explain how the section containing death panels can never be changed or repealed by future Congresses.

2.) Received an e-mail from Senator Specter, as many of you may have, in it he says, “This legislation is an important step in seeing to it that adequate health care becomes a right in America and not just a privilege. It is not the bill that I would have preferred and there is an opportunity to improve it in conference. I would like to see a strong, robust public option. I would like to see more clear-cut language on a woman’s right to choose. . . . I consider the legislation similar to the Civil Rights Act of 1965.” (emphasis was in the original e-mail)

Since when is health care a right in America or anywhere else! The Constitution does not give the federal government the authority to get involved in health care – period. Americans have been ‘asleep’ at the wheel for too long! The Declaration of Independence say, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” I don’t see health insurance listed as a right nor did the Founding Fathers intend in their vision of a limited federal government to include mandated health insurance coverage for all Americans. (The "individual responsibility" provision in Section 1501 of the Senate healthcare bill (H.R. 3590) requires anyone who fails to buy a "qualifying" health insurance plan to pay an annual tax penalty of $750 per adult family member and $375 per child, or up to a maximum penalty of $2,250 per family. The House bill requires purchase of insurance or a fine and imprisonment of up to one year.)

Action Steps

1.) There will be a vote TODAY on the constitutionality of that section of the health care bill which would prohibit future Congresses from overturning that section. It will take 60 votes to clear the constitutional hurdle in the Senate. Contact both Senator Arlen Specter and Senator Bob Casey, Jr. and ask them not to support this unconstitutional language. Click here for contact info. While you have them on the line go ahead and ask them once again to vote ‘no’ on the entire bill – HR 3590. The final cloture vote – requiring 60 votes to pass – will be Wednesday afternoon. With the final vote –requiring on a simple majority to pass -- being Christmas Eve.

2.) Perhaps Senator Specter needs reminded what the Declaration of Independence and Constitution really say.