Senate Passes Health Care Bill

The Senate passed its version of health care on Christmas Eve morning by a vote of 60-39.  The next step in this legislative process sends lawmakers to a conference committee where differences in the Senate and House versions of health care must be addressed.

The House bill includes protections for the unborn and prohibits federal health care dollars from being used to subsidize elective abortion.  The Senate bill does not.  The pro-life Democrats in the House will be tested as this process unfolds. And we urge them to stand-firm and do not waver in their commitment to protecting the sanctity of human life.

The Senate vote on Christmas Eve culminates a week of procedural votes that set up passage of this bill.  Sadly, this measure fails the American people.

There are many problems with this flawed bill including the scheme that gives a green light for federal funds to pay for elective abortions.

There's also serious questions about the constitutionality of the Senate's measure - especially the individual mandate requiring nearly every American to purchase insurance or face a penalty.

The ACLJ's legal analysis shows that any such mandate would represent an unprecedented form of federal action that would end up at the Supreme Court of the United States.

The Christmas Eve vote underscores what's wrong with the legislative process and efforts to reform health care.  Under the cover of the holiday, when most Americans have their attention elsewhere, the Senate adopted a very disturbing measure that puts the federal government at the center of what should be private and personal health care decisions.

Most Americans don't want the kind of health care 'reform' approved by the Senate - and we're grateful to the nearly 200,000 supporters who stood up for life and voiced their opposition to using federal dollars to fund elective abortions.

The passage of this dangerous Senate bill is just one more step in the process.  We will continue to work with our legal and legislative teams in the weeks ahead as this legislative process continues. 

We remain dedicated to protecting the sanctity of human life and demand that the final version of health care reform include real pro-life protections while providing affordable and sensible health care to Americans.

Without significant changes, Congress should reject this government-run, pro-abortion effort.  It's time to stop the political deal-making and posturing and listen to the American people who understand that abortion must never become a health care benefit.