Mat Staver: Better Care Reconciliation Act Does Include Pro-Life Provisions

As more people finish reading through the 142-page Better Care Reconciliation Act, we’re getting a better idea of what is and isn’t in the legislation.

Although Senate Republicans who crafted the bill haven’t touted them, Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver says it does include pro-life provisions. Specifically, he said, the bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act—also known as Obamacare—will:

• cuts off federal family planning funds for birth control, STD testing and cancer screenings from going to organizations that also provide abortions, a provision that would result in federal funding being cut off from organizations like Planned Parenthood;
• disqualifies any health plan that provides coverage for abortions from being a qualified health plan eligible for Obamacare tax credits;
• disqualifies any employer-provided health plans that provide coverage for abortion from receiving employer tax credits; and
• cuts off funding to Planned Parenthood for one year.

Staver was among the pro-life leaders who converged on the White House and expressed concerns about protecting unborn life in the health care plan. Liberty Counsel also launched the first private lawsuit against Obamacare on the day it was signed into law.

“We are grateful to have an administration in Washington that wants to stop the murder of unborn babies with taxpayer money through Obamacare,” he said. “People with sincerely held religious beliefs should not be forced to fund or support abortion.

“Although the Senate’s ‘discussion draft’ of the American Healthcare Act is certainly not perfect, it strikes an important blow to giant abortion providers such as Planned Parenthood. We encourage the Senate to keep these pro-life provisions within the bill and help defund Planned Parenthood. We must fight to make the womb a safe place again.” {eoa}