Moments ago, the House Republican leadership pulled their Obamacare replacement bill, called the American Health Care Act (AHCA). Before they pulled the bill, Sister Keehan attacked the ACHA as a pro-life “disaster.”
Sister Keehan is difficult to take seriously given her public opposition to the Bishops in providing cover for Obamacare, particularly when the threats identified by the Bishops, including funding of abortion and attacks on religious liberty materialized. Keehan traded these foundational issues, along with phony protections, for the promise of increased coverage, which has proven unworkable in its present form.
We can’t forget that Obamacare has failed miserably on almost every level. Even the touted coverage of the formerly uninsured is threatened by the insolvency of the program, the abandonment of markets by insurers, and the skyrocketing premiums for much of the middle class. There is nothing ‘pro-life’ about a program destined for failure, particularly for those that rely on it the most.
As to the pro-life elements that were included in the new bill, we wholeheartedly support the effort to de-fund Planned Parenthood. Doing so and re-directing those funds to community health centers is a win-win for pro-lifers and people who authentically care about women’s health.
The difficulty in unwinding Obamacare will not be easy. The transition, in any form, is going to involve difficult situations that partisans will exploit. Surely we can find a way to provide coverage to the most vulnerable, while allowing markets and competition to drive down premiums for everyone else. Whether it be tax credits, more market competition, block grants, or whatever. We now know a one-size, government-first solution for the entire country must be repealed as quickly as possible.