The major pro-life news this week was the introduction of a reconciliation bill in Congress that repeals some of Obamacare and defunds Planned Parenthood. The bill does not mention Planned Parenthood by name, but here are excerpts from section 103 of the bill:
SEC. 103. FEDERAL PAYMENTS TO STATES.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding (a number of specific sections of various legislation), or the terms of any Medicaid waiver in effect on the date of enactment of this Act that is approved under section 1115 or 1915 of the Social Security Act, for the 1-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, no Federal funds provided from a program referred to in this subsection that is considered direct spending for any year may be made available to a State for payments to a prohibited entity, whether made directly to the prohibited entity or through a managed care organization under contract with the State.
(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
(1) PROHIBITED ENTITY.—The term ‘‘prohibited entity’’ means an entity, including its affiliates, subsidiaries, successors, and clinics that, as of the date of enactment of 6 this Act:
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is an organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from tax under section 501(a) of such Code;
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is an essential community provider, that is primarily engaged in family planning services, reproductive health, and related medical care; and provides for abortions, other than an abortion (I) if the pregnancy is the result of an act of rape or incest; or (II) in the case here a woman suffers from a physical disorder, physical injury, or physical illness that would, as certified by a physician, place the woman in danger of death unless an abortion is performed, including a life-endangering physical condition caused by or arising from the pregnancy itself;
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and for which the total amount of Federal and State expenditures under the Medicaid program under title XIX of the Social Security Act in fiscal year 2014 made directly to the entity and to any affiliates, subsidiaries, successors, or clinics of the entity, or made to the entity and to any affiliates, subsidiaries, successors, or clinics of the entity as part of a nationwide health care provider network, exceeded $350,000,000.
Of course, we do not condone the inclusion of the exceptions in this bill. They are unneeded and unnecessary. The explanation we are getting is that this is the wording that got through the House and Senate two years ago (and Obama vetoed). They do not want to change any wording at this time. I just wish they would stop adding this kind of wording to every bill. We need to write bills that save all the babies.
You can find out more about the bill at housegop.leadpages.co/healthcare/.