special issue
bush watch
WHAT’S UP? HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson created a stir earlier this month by announcing plans to expand a federal health program to cover the preborn children of eligible mothers. The announcement drew a pained response from abortion advocates who claimed it would undermine Roe v. Wade by assigning personhood to preborn children. Since then, however, it is reported that the Bush administration has taken no formal action on the proposal.
In recent days, Thompson is said to have told members of Congress that he would seek a compromise to “mitigate the harshness of the rhetoric.” The “harsh rhetoric” in question involves the use of the term “unborn child.”
Colleen Parro of the Republication National Coalition for Life reports, “It is our understanding that government regulations are typically announced and published in the Federal Register, whereupon public comment is sought for a period of 30 to 60 days. Thereafter, the regulation is either adopted or rejected. This regulation appears to be unusual, in that the announcement was made on January 31, 2002, but the regulation has yet to appear in the Federal Register and public comment has not been sought.”
COMMENT: Why not? Has the supposedly pro-life Bush administration capitulated to the abortion industry and pro-abortion members of their own party?
ACTION: Call or e-mail Secretary Thompson (877-696-6775 or ) and ask him what’s going on.
(Reading: “Is something fishy at HHS? SCHIP regulation still awaiting publication,” Republican National Coalition for Life FaxNotes, 2/15/02; “Pro-lifers, don’t jump to conclusions,” American Life League news release, 2/2/02)