During Thursday's World News with Charles Gibson, ABC correspondent
Kate Snow held open the possibility that some ObamaCare opponents are
correct in their belief that universal health care will include
taxpayer funding of abortion, although she characterized the truth as
"unclear," during a "Reality Check" during which she brought up the
likelihood that taxpayer funding would be used to purchase private
health insurance plans that cover abortion. Snow:
Will health care reform lead to taxpayer-funded
abortions? Unclear. Current law states federal funds cannot be used for
abortions except in the cases of rape, incest or the life of the
mother. But under health care reform, lower income Americans would have
their health care subsidized by the government, and they will be
allowed to pick a health plan that covers abortion.
She also informed viewers that at least one alternative plan would
try to separate tax dollars from abortion funding -- she contended that
"it might not be the easiest thing to regulate, keeping public and
private money separate," but she also cited "experts" who say that such
a plan "could work." Snow:
One version of the House reform bill would allow health
plans to cover abortions as long as they were paid for entirely with
private funds. It might not be the easiest thing to regulate, keeping
public and private money separate, but experts say it could work.
Below is a complete transcript of the story from the Thursday, August 13, World News with Charles Gibson:
CHARLES GIBSON: And at the town hall meetings, the
subject of abortion is often mentioned. Many questioners maintaining
that reform would put the government in the business of paying for
abortions. Well, are they right? As we continue fact checking the
health care battle, Kate Snow looks at the questions surrounding
abortion.
KATE SNOW: Senator Arlen Specter was asked about abortion at a town hall meeting this week.
SENATOR ARLEN SPECTER (D-PA): Young lady, you have the floor.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: Thank you. I do not want to pay on a health care
plan that includes the right for a woman to kill her unborn baby. Is it
true that this plan is in the health care bill?
SNOW: The basic question there, is the right to abortion included in
health care reform? The facts, the original bills in both the House and
Senate never explicitly addressed the subject, but that doesn't mean it
doesn't come up.
UNIDENTIFEID MAN: I'm referring to section 1714 that talks about family planning services. All right? Starts on page 769.
SNOW: He's not wrong. Section 1714 does talk about family
planning for women on Medicaid. It will allow states to counsel or
provide abortion, using state money. But could federal money be used
toward abortion? That is the question that comes up most often at those
town hall meetings.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: I'm talking about taxpayer-funded abortion. We have to pay for it, okay, whether we agree with it or not.
SNOW: Will health care reform lead to taxpayer-funded abortions?
Unclear. Current law states federal funds cannot be used for abortions
except in the cases of rape, incest or the life of the mother. But
under health care reform, lower income Americans would have their
health care subsidized by the government, and they will be allowed to
pick a health plan that covers abortion. The President has said the government should not pay for it.
BARACK OBAMA: You know I'm pro-choice. But I think we also have a
tradition of, in this town, historically, of not financing abortions as
part of, you know, government-funded health care.
SNOW: One version of the House reform bill would allow health
plans to cover abortions as long as they were paid for entirely with
private funds. It might not be the easiest thing to regulate, keeping
public and private money separate, but experts say it could work. What
version of the House bill may end up being the final version, but
frankly we just don't know yet, and, of course, the Senate is working
on its own version. So, the bottom line is, we don't know yet if
taxpayers could end up funding abortions. It is up to the members of
Congress, Charlie, and the President.
GIBSON: All right, Kate Snow reporting, fact-checking again tonight.
—Brad Wilmouth is a news analyst at the Media Research Center.