People of Faith Aim to “Set the Record Straight” about Abortion Funding Myth

Local members of the group Catholics United joined other members of the faith community at a public gathering today to support Congressman Steve Driehaus' vote for health care reform, and to debunk the false claim that the reform act allows federal funding of abortion. This event responded to an earlier event held by the Republican-affiliated Susan B. Anthony List, which falsely claims that elective abortions are being funded through health care reform legislation passed earlier this year. Numerous health care policy experts, including the Catholic Health Association, have determined that health care reform does not permit abortion funding.

"It saddens me to watch opponents of health care reform use the abortion issue to score political points while overlooking the progress reform makes toward building a culture of life,” said Sr. Monica McGloin, a Dominican Sister of Hope, a nurse by profession, and a resident of Cincinnati's Over the Rhine neighborhood. “The health care reform bill that passed earlier this year extends affordable health insurance to some 30 million uninsured Americans, curbs wasteful spending, provides needed support to pregnant and parenting women, and does not include taxpayer funding of elective abortion. I'm proud to stand behind Congressman Steve Driehaus, and I commend him for having the courage of conviction to support this important pro-life legislation."

Anti-reform voices are also claiming that elective abortions are being funded through high-risk health insurance pools in several states. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued clear directives prohibiting such funding, and the Pulitzer Prize-winning news organization PolitiFact has debunked these charges.

“Despite ample evidence to the contrary, the religious right continues to spread lies about federal funding of abortion in service of a partisan agenda,” said Chris Korzen, executive director of Catholics United. “These anti-health care reform activists are either woefully ignorant of the legislation or willfully misleading the public. In either case, this behavior has a corrosive effect on our public debate.”

Today's event is part of a broader Catholics United campaign to set the record straight on health care reform and defend the records of leaders like Congressman Steve Driehaus. More information can be found at www.catholics-united.org/defend.

An abortion funding myth fact sheet is available at www.catholics-united.org/facts.