House Passed Abortion Funding Ban

Yesterday the U.S. House of Representatives the so-called “Protect Life Act.” The bill, HR 358 sponsored by Rep Pitts (R-PA), passed on a largely party-line vote of 251-172 after a day of strong debate on the House floor.

HR 358 would amend the Patient Protection and Affordable Care law so that no federal money could be applied to health insurance plans that cover elective abortions, even if the abortion coverage is paid for entirely with private funds. It also states that a federal agency can’t force a health care provider that accepts Medicare or Medicaid to provide abortion services, even in cases when the mother's life is endangered.

The bill has virtually no chance of becoming law in the 112th Congress. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) won’t bring it to the Senate floor and the President has indicated he would veto the measure if it ever made it to his desk.