Commentary

The battle is now pitched in Washington over whether and how to repeal ObamaCare. The whole question of repealing and replacing this disastrous take-over of health care is a vital pro-Life matter.  From the beginning of life, to how we deal with Americans facing end-of-life medical questions, the legislative battle is marbled with profound issues.

As the political struggle over numbers and special interests rage, it is important to remember that this fight is about more. It is a reflection on how we view and value human life.

Those central value questions are highlighted by the Congressional Budget Office’s scoring of the proposed Ryan replacement bill. In the midst of its numbers and charts, the CBO takes notes of the bill’s provision to end (at least temporarily) taxpayer subsidy of Planned Parenthood – America’s largest abortion provider.

The number crunchers “warn” Congress that eliminating tax funding of Planned Parenthood will most likely lead to thousands of additional births across the nation each year. This shocking confession is buried in paragraphs about federal budget issues – but the reality is that this official, non-partisan analysis lays bare the nation’s great scandal:

Congressional funding of Planned Parenthood leads directly to the deaths of thousands of innocent babies each year. This horrific reality exists despite the Hyde Amendment and so-called “protections” against direct payment for elective abortion.

The first duty of government is to protect the lives and well-being of its citizens – not destroy us. That must be a central focus of this Congressional action on restoring America’s health care system.  The measure to defund Planned Parenthood is, therefore, not a tangential issue – but a core principle which must be included in any repeal legislation.

We must be in prayer for our national leadership as they wrestle with the exceedingly complex questions presented by trying to replace ObamaCare with a life-affirming, affordable health care system.