Senate Proceeding on Nov 19th, 2009 :: 9:51:05 to 10:07:50
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9:51:01 to 9:51:21( Edit History Discussion )

Sam Brownback: do a bill that will work, that will not eat this country alive. i yield the floor. a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from kansas. mr. brownback: much, mr. president. i'm glad to follow my friend from utah, who i have great admiration and respect for. he's done a lot of good bipartisan legislation, he's done a lot of good bipartisan health care legislation, and

9:51:05 to 10:07:50( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Sam Brownback

9:51:22 to 9:51:42( Edit History Discussion )

Sam Brownback: would really hope my colleagues would heed his words he's -- he's been there, done that and is good to his word, he would be willing to do a bipartisan bill if people would have a mind to do it. and on top of democrat leadership would back up and do a bipartisan bill, the american people would cheer,

9:51:43 to 9:52:03( Edit History Discussion )

Sam Brownback: they would really think this was extraordinary, and we'd get something substantive done and not -- not this monster. i had -- i'm ranking member joint economic committee and we had secretary geithner in today to testify. i disagree with a number of things that he -- he's done.

9:52:04 to 9:52:25( Edit History Discussion )

Sam Brownback: he's a bright man, energic, a lot of experience. but i noted to him -- and he knows this is the case -- we are $12 trillion in the hole, we are hemorrhaging money at the federal level, and why on earth we would do this fiscally insane thing of adding a multitrillion-dollar entitlement program whenou're $12 trillion

9:52:26 to 9:52:46( Edit History Discussion )

Sam Brownback: in the hole, you're hemorrhaging federal money and you've got the president just back from seeing the bankers in china that have nearly a trillion dollars of our debt. and i senator and as an american citizen, i don't like the idea that we're that dependent on the chinese for that much money. yop the american people -- i don't

9:52:47 to 9:53:08( Edit History Discussion )

Sam Brownback: people like that. and why on earth would we do this? he was sairk well, people are -- he was saying well, people are mad out there, aren't they? we were talking ahead of time. he was saying people are upset out in the country. and i said yes, they are, because. this. they're mad and they're scared. and neither of those are situation where you ought to try to force something through on

9:53:09 to 9:53:30( Edit History Discussion )

Sam Brownback: people that are mad and t scared about it. they're mad about things being rammed through. they're scared about this level of debt and deficit and adding this scale of an entitlement on top of an already broken fiscal situation. and the rest of the world is yelling at the get your fiscal house in order and we're going to add a multitrillion-dollar entitlement

9:53:31 to 9:53:51( Edit History Discussion )

Sam Brownback: program when they're all yelling that we ought to be getting our fiscal house in order wn we all know we ought to be getting our fiscal house in order and you're going to add a multitrillion-dollar entitlement program. and then the way it's paid for is you'r half a trillion dollars on a weak economy, so that's really going to hurt the economic expansion and job creation that

9:53:52 to 9:54:14( Edit History Discussion )

Sam Brownback: we need to have. and then you're supposedly going to save $400 billion out of medicare, which i noted to him -- now, that song has been tried in the past. we had these fixes that we were going to reduce payments to providers, to the -- the physicn community. and for four years now in a row, we have changed and we've said okay, yeah, we were going to do

9:54:15 to 9:54:35( Edit History Discussion )

Sam Brownback: this provider cut, a minor provider cut and then congress said on, that's too much, we're not going to do that so we'll just build that back . and for three of four of those, i have voted for that. and then the idea that we're going to somehow cut $400 billion out of medicare that's

9:54:36 to 9:54:56( Edit History Discussion )

Sam Brownback: lord a fiscally irr track, is already going broke and we're goingo take $400 billion out of that? that's not going to happen. and if it did happen, it would wreck medicare. time, and we shouldn't do it. and we shouldn't do it this way.

9:54:57 to 9:55:17( Edit History Discussion )

Sam Brownback: and i want to focus more of my comments on a narrower piece of this that has gotten a lot of focus in the house and should get a lot of focus in the senate and it's the radical expansion of federal funding of abortions that's in this bill. and put it on its bottom line that we should put -- they

9:55:18 to 9:55:40( Edit History Discussion )

Sam Brownback: should put the stupak language in the senate bill and instead the caps language it in the senate bill. the caps language will expand federal financing of abortion, federal taxpayer funding of abortion. the stupak language is the language we've supported around this place for 30 years. it's the hyde language. it's the language that 64

9:55:41 to 9:56:03( Edit History Discussion )

Sam Brownback: democrats voted for in the house house, and instead in here, in this bill, you've got federal taxpayer fundingf abortions. something we haven't done for 30 years and you're going to build it in this bill. the president has said that he wants -- he said multiple times, it's one of his goals of lowering the incidence of abortion.

9:56:04 to 9:56:25( Edit History Discussion )

Sam Brownback: this bill, if we go to it and pass it, will increase, will fund for the first time in 30 years, federal taxpayer funding of abortion and will expand abortions. counter to what the president has said multiple times. nobody that's pro-life should vote for this bill. this is a radical expansion of abortion funding.

9:56:26 to 9:56:46( Edit History Discussion )

Sam Brownback: it is a radical expansion of abortions. i was and remain very disappointed that the senate leadership and the democrat colleagues on my -- and my democratic colleagues here in this body have attempted to insert radical abortion policy through the democrat health care bill. abortion is not health care.

9:56:47 to 9:57:07( Edit History Discussion )

Sam Brownback: any senator that votes on the motion to proceed to this health care bill is voting in favor of abortion and the expansion of abortion and against life. this is the biggest pro-life vote in the u.s. senate in years. this will have more impact on abortions in the united states and expansion of it than anything we've seen in years.

9:57:08 to 9:57:29( Edit History Discussion )

Sam Brownback: and we've been on a trajectory, a downward trajectory on abortions because both sides have agreed, the democrat side has said abortions should be safe, legal and rare. and then the senate, president clinton and a number of people have said for years, this is going to make taxpayer funding of abortion happy and expand it. nothing rare about it.

9:57:30 to 9:57:52( Edit History Discussion )

Sam Brownback: relevant abortion language in the health bill, to which i'm referring, can be found on pages 116-124, national right-to-life committee described the language an accounting gimmick dressed up as an abortion compromise. and they said this -- "it's completely unacceptable." the democrat health bl would explicitly authorize abortion to be covered in the government

9:57:53 to 9:58:15( Edit History Discussion )

Sam Brownback: option and it also mandates that there must be an abortion coverage in every insurance market in the country. the abortion language that was included in the bill is a radical departure of over 30 years of bipartisan -- bipartisan -- federal policy prohibiting federal taxpayer dollars from paying for elective abortions.

9:58:16 to 9:58:36( Edit History Discussion )

Sam Brownback: the language in the senate bill explicitly authorizes the secretary of health and human services to include abortion in the public option and permits government subsidies for plans that pay for abortion. now, we've had a long dispute in this body and in congress about abortions, but we haven't had a dispute to near tha degree -- there's some, but not near that level of

9:58:37 to 9:58:57( Edit History Discussion )

Sam Brownback: funding of abortion, because most people are opposed to that. most people across america are opposed to taxpayer funding. they may say okay, you can go ahead, i'm all right with abortion but i don't support federal taxpayer funding of it. that's been a broad bipartisan support in this body for some period of time. and yet it is explicitly in this bill.

9:58:58 to 9:59:18( Edit History Discussion )

Sam Brownback: it's the capps language, as it's commonly referred to. it's in the senate bill. it contains a clever accounting gimmick that proponents say separates private and public funds for abortion coverage. however, it has been proven that the capps measure would include both abortion coverage and funding in the government-run public option as well as for those plans in the insurance

9:59:19 to 9:59:39( Edit History Discussion )

Sam Brownback: exchange. the only acceptable abortion language is the stupak-pitts amendment, the compromise that passed the house this fall with a quarter of the democrat caucus voting for it. 64 demrats voted for the stupak-pitts compromise language. representative bart stupak, democrat author of the compromise in the house,

9:59:40 to 10:00:00( Edit History Discussion )

Sam Brownback: tailored the true compromise amendment on abortion with the principles set forth in the hyde amendment. it's been the longstanding position of the congress. the hyde amendment says that we will not use federal funds for abortion, which is what a vast majority of americans support. the hyde amendment has always

10:00:01 to 10:00:21( Edit History Discussion )

Sam Brownback: enjoyed bipartisan support since its inception in 1977, over three decades ago. what we should have in the senate health bill is language that applies the hyde amendment just as it already applied to all other federally funded health care programs, including, schip, medicare, medicaid, indian health services, veterans

10:00:22 to 10:00:44( Edit History Discussion )

Sam Brownback: health, military health care programs, and the federal employees health benefits ram. that's what should be in this. representative stupak explained the issue at hand in an op-ed he wrote this year. he wrote this -- quote -- "the caps amendment departed from hyde in several important troubling ways.

10:00:45 to 10:01:05( Edit History Discussion )

Sam Brownback: by mandating that at least one plan in the health insurance exchange provide abortion coverage by requiring a minimum $1 monthly charge for all covered individuals that would go towards paying for abortions and by allowing individuals receiving federal affordability credits to purchase health insurance plans that cover abortion.

10:01:06 to 10:01:26( Edit History Discussion )

Sam Brownback: hyde currently prohibits direct federal funding of abortion. the stupak amendment is a continuation of this policy, nothing more, nothing less. d of quote. mr. president, i want to commend representative stupak for his hard work and ability to reach across the aisle democrat and republican colleagues on this issue.

10:01:27 to 10:01:47( Edit History Discussion )

Sam Brownback: a quarter of the democrats in the house found the stupak-pitts compromise worthy of their support with the majority of the american people support in keeping the hyde principles and the -- in the senate health care bill, a bill that to have the colleagues here to follow mr. stupak's lead in doing the

10:01:48 to 10:02:08( Edit History Discussion )

Sam Brownback: right thing to vote against the motion to proceed. voting for the motn to proceed is to endorse the caps language which is an expansion of federal taxpayer funding of abortions. the american people agree with the stupak compromise, not the phony language in the senate bill that would federally fund abortions. the american people agree it is wrong to smuggle radical

10:02:09 to 10:02:30( Edit History Discussion )

Sam Brownback: abortion policy into this health care bill. the american people believe we shld not allow funds to flow in a u.s. treasury account to reimburse for abortion services. a cnn opinion research corporation poll showed that more than six in 10 americans favor the stupak-pitts prohibition on the use of federal funds for abortion.

10:02:31 to 10:02:52( Edit History Discussion )

Sam Brownback: a recent study conducted by international communications research found that more than two-thirds of americans are opposed to using federal dollars to fund abortions much the american people feel this way because they know that forcing taxpayers to fund abortions is fiscally irresponsible and morally inagainst -- indefensible.

10:02:53 to 10:03:13( Edit History Discussion )

Sam Brownback: the senate bill does not include the codify indication of the hyde-well conscience provision and replaces conscience language that -- organizations and religious institutions that have moral objections to participating in a provision on page 123 reads,

10:03:14 to 10:03:35( Edit History Discussion )

Sam Brownback: no individual health care provider or health care facility may be discriminated against because of a willingness or unwillingness if doing so is contrary to the religious or moral beliefs of the provider or facility to provide paid for, provide coverage of or refer for abortions. end of quote. one other objection for the pro-life community is there is

10:03:36 to 10:03:57( Edit History Discussion )

Sam Brownback: nothing in the bill that would prevent school-based health clinics from referring for abortions or making -- or helpin minors make arrangements for abortions without parental knowledge. the administrators running the medicaid program from 1973 to

10:03:58 to 10:04:18( Edit History Discussion )

Sam Brownback: 1976 funded as many as 300,000 abortions a year until the hyde amendment was enacted in 1976. so in the past, that period of 1973 to 1977 when there was federal funding of abortions, the federal government, the taxpayer of america funded as many as 300,000 abortions per year by taxpayer dollars.

10:04:19 to 10:04:39( Edit History Discussion )

Sam Brownback: that was until the hyde amendment was enacted in 1976 because the american people despe doing this. they disagree with that. whether pro-choice or pro-life, they don't want their taxpayer dollars to go for this. if they're pro-life, they're looking at this saying, that's my taxpayer dollar, i'm funding

10:04:40 to 10:05:01( Edit History Discussion )

Sam Brownback: this that i so disagree with dog. this is a beautiful, dignified human life and my dollars are being used to kill it. the commonwealth of massachusetts recently passed its state mandated insurance, commonwealth care, without an explicit exclusion of abortion. abortions there were also funded immediately. in fact, according to the

10:05:02 to 10:05:22( Edit History Discussion )

Sam Brownback: commonwealth care whip cite, abortion is considered covered outpatient medical care. the federal government should not go down this road. as stated earlier, the president has stated on multiple occasions, that it is his goal of lowering the incidences of abortion. if that is what he really wants to do, if we want to do more

10:05:23 to 10:05:43( Edit History Discussion )

Sam Brownback: than pay lip service t that reality, tn we should consider the fact that when federal funding is not available, fewer abortions occur, or when federal funding is available, as we've seen in the past, many thousands more occur. only the stupak ament would lower the incidences of abortion. the current language in the

10:05:44 to 10:06:06( Edit History Discussion )

Sam Brownback: senate bill would accomplish the opsite and increase abortions. if you're a pro-life senator, you cannot vote for this bill. this is an expansion. you cannot vote for the procedural vote to go to this bill for the expansion that this is going to do. so in summary, i want to make clear tt the stupak language

10:06:07 to 10:06:27( Edit History Discussion )

Sam Brownback: is what we need to fix the shell game that would allow public funds to pay for the destruction of innocent human life in the senate health bill. unfortunately, the language currently within the senate health bill is a nonstarter and is wrong. and it does not apply to the longstanding principles of the hyde amendment. let's maintain the status quo.

10:06:28 to 10:06:49( Edit History Discussion )

Sam Brownback: let's not get into the business of publicly funding abortions in america. i urge my colleagues to think seriously about the precedent being lined out in the health bill if the senate decides it is going to force the american public to pay the government to pay for abortions, whether they agree or not. i urge my colleagues to vote against the motion to proceed to this health care bill, the

10:06:50 to 10:07:11( Edit History Discussion )

Sam Brownback: motion to proceed is not just a procedural vote. it is an enormously important vote because it is the important opportunity for the united states senate to stand for life and against taxpayer funding of abortion. voting in favor of this motion to proceed is a vote for abortion and against life. i remind my colleagues this is the biggest vote on abortion in the united states senate in years.

10:07:12 to 10:07:33( Edit History Discussion )

Sam Brownback: let's not change our current federal policy to force the american public to pay for government subsidized abortion. please. i yield the floor. note the absence the presiding