WASHINGTON, D.C. (03-21-12) – Speaking at a Capitol Hill news conference on Wednesday, Americans United for Life President and CEO Dr. Charmaine Yoest said that the federal power grab and misuse of governmental force in support of abortion “stands in complete opposition to the views of a majority of Americans. The HHS Mandate is an abortion mandate. At issue is whether the government can force people to do something – anything – against their values and beliefs.”
Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) invited a number of key leaders in the healthcare debate to address the growing problems with the law at a news event.
Dr. Yoest made the following statement:
“The rules issued by the Obama Administration last week make it clear that Americans United for Life was right when we argued that the passage of Obamacare was the largest expansion of abortion since Roe v. Wade. As we predicted, the state exchanges do cover abortion and force Americans to pay for abortion regardless of their personal beliefs. Americans will be compelled by law into a plan that covers abortions, and then they will have to pay the separate premium that will directly pay for abortions. Plans will collect a $1 abortion surcharge from each premium payer.
“The HHS Mandate is an abortion mandate. At issue is whether the government can force people to do something – anything – against their values and beliefs. Conscience rights are a fundamental check on the misuse of government power.
“Already Planned Parenthood receives more than $1 million in taxpayer dollars each day. Requiring every American to pay for an abortion mandate is a violation of the First Amendment rights of conscience of all and puts every American in business with the abortion industry.
“Currently, 47 states have laws preventing the coercion of conscience in the case of abortion – an effort that AUL has championed. But now, the Administration has stated that where Americans have stronger protections of their conscience rights at the state level, those protections must be dropped in favor of the administration’s own views.
“AUL will continue our efforts to ensure that states have proper conscience protections in place and work to ensure that the federal government does not force its pro-abortion views on millions of Americans regardless of their conscience.”
“AUL has launched a nationwide effort to empower Americans to protect their rights of conscience. We have released an online video that asks, ‘Who put ‘The Con’ in Contraception?’ For those who want to learn more, go to aul.org/the-con/.
