Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos yesterday that President Obama is committed to signing a health care bill that excludes federal funding of abortion.
Stephanopoulos: “So you are saying that he [the president] will go beyond what we have seen in the House and explicitly rule out any public funding for abortion?”
Sebelius: “Well that’s exactly what the president said and that’s what he intends that the bill he signs will do.”
Commenting on this exchange is Catholic League president Bill Donohue:
It is easy to be skeptical given that both President Obama and Secretary Sebelius are rabid supporters of abortion-on-demand, but fairness dictates that we take both of them at their word.
Last Friday night, Ed Schultz asked me on his MSNBC show whether the president was lying when he said there’s not going to be any money for abortion in the health care bill. I replied, “If he’s saying—if it’s interpreted that he said that in H.R. 3200, there’s no provision for abortion, then he’s simply wrong. If the one he puts his imprimatur on—I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt.”
So fine, let’s see what happens. One thing is for sure: After what Obama and Sebelius have recently said, there is no more wiggle room left on this issue. They have both made declarative, straight-up statements, leaving no room for caveats of any kind.
