Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The leader of the Republican party in the House and pro-life organizations are wasting little time in slamming the Obama administration over revelations that it has approved the first set of taxpayer-funded abortions under the new health care law President Barack Obama signed.

The language of the law, and an executive order accompanying it, were supposed to prevent taxpayer funding of abortions Obama and his allies told the public.

But the National Right to Life Committee has uncovered an authorization for a new high risk insurance program in Pennsylvania that will be directly paid for with federal funds via the new health care system -- and the funding will cover abortions.

House Republican Leader John Boehner sent a statement to LifeNews.com responding to the news that Department of Health & Human Services is providing $160 million to the state of Pennsylvania to set up a new high-risk insurance pool program that would cover virtually any abortion.

“This is the boldest admission yet from the Obama administration that the President’s Executive Order on taxpayer-funded abortion was a sham. The fact that the high-risk pool insurance program in Pennsylvania will use federal taxpayer dollars to fund abortions is unconscionable," he said.

“Just last month at the White House I asked President Obama to provide the American people with a progress report on the implementation of his Executive Order, which purports to ban taxpayer-funding of abortions. Unfortunately, the President provided no information, and the American people are still waiting for answers," Boehner added.

The GOP House leader promised Republicans, if they gain control of the House following the November elections, would press for legislation to repeal the pro-abortion health care law.

Family Research Council Action also responded to the NRLC discovery, with Tom McClusky, its senior vice president, telling LifeNews.com, "Never have we so regretted being right on an issue."

He said the "$160 million for an abortion insurance program in Pennsylvania validates the arguments FRC Action made throughout the health care debate: Taxpayer dollars will fund abortions."

"For our efforts to remove the bill's abortion funding, we were called 'deceivers' by President Obama and 'liars' by his allies," McClusky continued. "Now we know who the true deceivers and liars really are."

"This action by the Obama Administration also exposes the worthlessness of President Obama's Executive Order that supposedly would prevent federal funding of abortion, but which both sides, including Planned Parenthood, agreed was unenforceable," McClusky said.

"While the American people deserve an apology from President Obama for his deception, we should only be satisfied when this Pennsylvania abortion funding is rescinded and the health care law repealed," the FRC leader said. "Unfortunately, until the law is repealed, this will not be the last federal approval of abortion funding."

Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List, also chimed in, telling LifeNews.com: “If there was any doubt that the health care reform bill included taxpayer-funded abortions, those doubts are now laid to rest."

“So-called ‘pro-life’ Democrats pushed politics over principle when they supported a sham executive order that wasn’t worth the paper it was printed on," she said.

"An executive order was signed alongside the bill to appease the pro-life majority in America, but this latest report shows that the order lacks the proper force of law. The insurance pool program funded by taxpayer money will provide for abortions and the Obama administration’s executive order has not prevented this," she added.

And Congressman Joe Pitts of Pennsylvania added, “Today, we see exactly why the Executive Order signed by President Obama will not prevent federal funding for elective abortion. I’m sad to see my own state of Pennsylvania cover abortion through the new high risk insurance pool."

“This clearly illustrates the need for strong legislative language to prevent federal funding for abortion coverage. Poll after poll shows that the American people don’t want the federal government to subsidize abortion. Gov. Rendell and President Obama can’t hide the fact that this new plan deeply offends the conscience of millions of Americans," he said.

 

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