Contact: Susan Armacost, Legislative Director, 877-855-5007, sarmacost@wrtl.org; Barbara L. Lyons, Executive Director, 877-855-5007, admin@wrtl.org; both with Wisconsin Right to Life
MEDIA ADVISORY, March 24 /Christian Newswire/ -- Unlike yesterday's very public signing of health care legislation, President Obama will sign the so-called abortion "compromise" executive order today privately at the White House. The "compromise" was reached when Rep. Bart Stupak caved and promised his "yes" vote on the health care bill in exchange for a meaningless piece of paper that does absolutely nothing to protect unborn children and leaves medical professionals, who do not want to participate in abortion, with little protection.
Susan Armacost, Wisconsin Right to Life Legislative Director said, "As the most pro-abortion president in the history of our nation signs this bogus executive order, he does so knowing full well that it does nothing to stop the new law's massive government funding of abortion and it does not provide adequate conscience protections for doctors, nurses and other health care professionals who are morally opposed to the destruction of the lives of unborn children through abortion."
The fact is, an executive order (EO) cannot override statutory law. While Stupak and Obama claim the EO will extend the Hyde Amendment abortion funding restrictions and the Weldon/Church conscience rights amendments to the new law, the fact is the Hyde Amendment and the Weldon and Church Amendments only apply to funds appropriated under the Labor, Health and Human Services (LHHS) appropriations bill. The abortion funding provisions in the new health care law and the lack of conscience protections do not come under the umbrella of the LHHS appropriations bill.
In addition, the existence of the Hyde Amendment and the Church and Weldon Amendment are dependent on re-authorization every year by Congress. The Congress could simply decide not to renew them! And when you consider that the leadership of both houses of Congress is stridently pro-abortion and in the pockets of the radical pro-abortion lobby, the reversal of these important amendments is very possible.
"So, thanks Bart Stupak, for trading your vote in exchange for massive government funding of abortion and leaving health care professionals unprotected. And to think..you had the power to stop it!" said Armacost.
