Posted by
Billy on Thursday, February 04, 2010 11:58:49 AM
In my last article, a somber remembrance of Roe v.
Wade, I called attention to something that shocked readers: I noted that
the Obama administration and Democratic Congress "rejected funding for school
vouchers for poor children in Washington, DC, but supported funding for
abortions for the mothers of those children."
The contrast is breathtaking, but true. It's another jolt to traditionally
minded voters — especially pro-life Democrats and independents — who voted for
"change" on November 4, 2008, and are now absorbing the change they authorized.
In this case, the change stands in stark contrast to previous administrations
and Congresses that prohibited federal funds to finance abortions in the
District of Columbia. It veers well beyond liberals' assurance that abortion
merely be "safe, legal, and rare."
(The above is part of a column written by Dr. Paul Kengor. Read more of the column below.)
If you didn't hear about this until now, don't be surprised. Over 300,000
pro-lifers marched in Washington last month without notice by the mainstream
media. So, I'd like to take a moment to explain what happened:
Last
summer, in July 2009, the overwhelmingly Democratic House of Representatives
narrowly passed (by a vote of 219-208) a bill permitting the DC government to
use locally raised tax revenues to provide abortions, reversing a long-standing
prohibition.
Almost all Republicans voted against the bill. They were
joined by some (but not enough) Democrats. Unfortunately, because of how
Americans voted on November 4, 2008, the extreme left has such a massive
majority in Congress that legislators who think taxpayers shouldn't pay for
abortions couldn't stop the measure from being passed. Worse, because Americans
— who, in recent polls, describe themselves as more pro-life and more
conservative than ever — voted for the most radical abortion-rights advocate in
the history of the presidency, the bill had full backing from the White
House.
And so, the change in favor of abortion funding came via a $768 million
DC Financial Services Appropriations bill that — here's the kicker — also
included termination of school vouchers for poor children in Washington, DC,
forcing those children out of private schools and back into public schools they
fled.
Rep. Joe Pitts, the Pennsylvania congressman who is a stalwart champion for the
unborn. Pitts told me: "It's shameful that Congress has decided to use taxpayer
dollars to fund the destruction of life in our nation's capital but has denied
funding for a successful scholarship program that allows poor children a chance
at a decent education. The juxtaposition in policies could not be more
disturbing."
(Yes it is shameful that our leaders in D.C. will not pay for children to attend private schools but will fund the killing of unborn children. It is not only a shame but an outrage. Shame on every Democrat who has supported these moves. Read the whole column by Dr. Paul Kengor right here.)