Roll Call 789 (10-13-11) H.R. 358 Protect Life Act. To amend the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act [Obamacare] to modify special rules relating to coverage of abortion services under such Act.
Passed 251 to 172, 10 not voting. Died in Senate.
Bill Summary: Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) to prohibit federal funds from being to used to cover any part of the costs of any health plan that includes coverage of abortion services.
Analysis: Under the existing law federal funds cannot be used for abortion services, but they can be used to fund plans that offer abortion services, as long as those services are financed separately. The proposed change would insist that completely clean plans be offered as alternatives and no mixed plans receive federal funding.
GOP leaders used this roll call to position Republicans as determined opponents of both abortion and Obamacare, looking for every opportunity to challenge a piece of the 2010 “health” law. No surprise, H.R. 358 died in the Senate.
However, voters are misled if they think GOP leaders would press seriously for a repeal of Obamacare should Republicans control the White House and Senate. Obamacare was a major step forward toward the complete nationalization of healthcare — a revolutionary socialist and Insider Establishment goal spanning decades.
The leaders of both parties are beholden to that Establishment, and the historical record shows that Republicans have ultimately caved to, and sometimes championed, federal inroads in health care. However, Republicans have positioned themselves as the champions of the conservative resistance, even as they lead that resistance into defeat.
We do not bother to score the Republicans on this easy vote that goes nowhere. However, we do score the Democrats. Those Democrats who support Obamacare and abortion services deserve the red Xs while those 15 Democrats who bucked their party leadership to support the proposed reform deserve appropriate applause.
We have assigned (good vote) to the Ayes and (bad vote) to the Noes. (P = voted present; ? = not voting; blank = not listed on roll call.)