In one of the more tragic developments under the new Democrat regime in Congress, pro-abort legislators are working to make sure that the national Children’s Health Insurance Program no longer covers preborn children. The House has already voted to specifically deny benefits, and yesterday, the Senate defeated a motion by Sen. Wayne Allard of Colorado to reassert coverage.

This program has been one of the more vital initiatives by President Bush to restore respect and protection for preborn children. In 2002, the President used his executive authority to allow states providing health insurance for low income children to include those in the womb.

In the 2003 session of the Idaho Legislature, Idaho Chooses Life waged a ferocious battle to take advantage of this tremendous opportunity to help women and babies with medical costs. We saw it as a very real way to offer help to women dealing with crisis pregnancies. The Abortion Lobby in Idaho, which sadly includes a substantial number of the medical community, recognized both the practical and legal implications of extending coverage to preborn children.

Unfortunately, we lost the fight on the House floor by a couple of votes.

The Allard amendment failed 49-50. We presume that Sen. Craig was absent for the vote – which prevented the amendment from narrow passage (with Vice President Cheney casting the deciding vote).

LifeNews.com reports that President Bush is likely to veto the Democrat legislation, in part because their new rules for the Children’s Health Insurance Program will allow for federal tax funding of abortions in states (17) where pregnant women are eligible for elective abortions. We pray so. It is more than ironic that a program designed to provide health care for children would be used instead to kill them.

It is just plain evil.