[This article was written by Tim Haile for the Parkway church of Christ.]

President Obama and his democratically controlled congress are now in a frenzy to pass their national health care plan. An effort is currently under way to get the plan passed in the House of Representatives, then use a “budget reconciliation” procedure to pass it in the Senate. This procedure requires a simple majority of only 51 votes for passage. This reconciliation procedure is now being pursued, for since the election of Scott Brown, the Senate lacks sufficient votes to pass the bill with a 60-vote majority.

I strongly object to the nationalized health-care plan on several grounds, but my primary concern involves the practice of abortion. The Senate health bill, in its present form, provides for taxpayer funding of elective abortions through federal funding of Community Health Centers. The House bill originally provided 7 billion dollars for these centers, but Obama raised the amount to 11 billion. Because this funding is a part of the actual bill, it will not be subject to the Hyde Amendment that bans federal funding of abortions. The wording of this bill will have to be changed by Senate procedures in order for abortion funding to be prevented.
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