It has been almost one year since Rep. Tom Perriello launched his “Tom in Your Town” series of townhall meetings throughout the 5th District, ostensibly to listen to his constituents’ views on the proposed healthcare reform legislation. Throughout this tour, Rep. Perriello repeatedly assured concerned voters that he would not vote for any incarnation of the bill that provided public funding for abortion. The fact that Perriello campaigned as a pro-life Catholic during the 2008 race made some believe the congressman could be taken at his word. Yet, seven months later, even before Rep. Bart Stupak and his holdout coalition of pro-life House Democrats made an eleventh-hour deal with the Obama Administration, Rep. Perriello dismissed concerns from pro-lifers that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) would provide federal funding for abortion and stated his intention to vote for the PPACA.
Late last month, the non-partisan Congressional Research Service (CRS) released a report stating that the executive order President Obama signed on March 24, 2010 denying federal funding for abortions “does not specifically address high risk pools and the funds provided under section 1101 of (the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act).” These high-risk insurance pools, known as the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan, are completely funded by the federal government and, although they will not go into effect nationwide until 2014, the first state-based pools (in Maryland, New Mexico and Pennsylvania) will begin operating today. Despite assurances from Rep. Perriello, Rep. Stupak and even President Obama that the healthcare bill would not provide public funding for abortion, the first publicly funded abortions would have become available to individuals in these high-risk, state-based insurance pools today had Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius—under pressure from pro-life groups and Senate Republicans—not issued a 60-day moratorium on abortion funding through these PCIPs.
The Charlottesville-based nonprofit defundit.org is advocating the defunding of the PPACA and currently has had 145 candidates—including 5th District Republican challenger state Sen. Robert Hurt—sign its pledge to vote to defund PPACA if elected this November. Defundit.org, in cooperation with the Jefferson Area Tea Party, held a press conference this afternoon to remind the Virginia media of the promise Rep. Perriello made to his constituents last August and the reality that is about to unfold once Secretary Sebelius’ moratorium expires. In a press release, defundit.org’s chairman, Alex Cortes, challenges Rep. Perriello to prove his opposition to publicly funded abortions: “Congressman it is time for you to close that door. If you are actually sincere about upholding your pledge to protect human life you will immediately co-sponsor the bipartisan bill introduced by Democrat Rep. Dan Lipinski and Republican Rep. Chris Smith that applies a government-wide ban on the federal funding of abortion.”
While there are many reasons to oppose the PPACA, both social conservatives and fiscal conservatives should be able to agree that the federal government should not fund abortions. Rep. Perriello should be reminded of this today and if he does not co-sponsor Rep. Lipinski and Smith’s bill, 5th District voters might hold him accountable for his broken promise on November 2nd.
