Feinstein Says It’s ‘Morally Correct’ to Force Taxpayers to Fund Abortion

CNS News (Link) - Karen Schuberg (December 9, 2009)

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D.-Calif.) told CNSNews.com that using tax dollars from pro-life Americans to pay for insurance plans that cover abortion is morally correct.

The health care bill put before the Senate by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D.-Nev.) would in fact provide tax dollars to health insurance plans that cover abortion. An amendment to the health care bill sponsored by Sen. Ben Nelson (D.-Neb.) that would have prohibited tax dollars from going to insurance plans that cover abortion was defeated yesterday.

As the Senate was debating the Nelson amendment Tuesday, CNSNews.com asked Feinstein: “Is it morally right to use tax dollars from pro-life Americans to cover insurance plans that cover abortion?”

Feinstein said: “Is it morally correct? Yes, I believe it is. Abortion is legal, and there (are) certain very tragic circumstances that a woman finds herself in. Married, with an unborn baby that’s unable to survive outside of the womb, her doctor tells her it’s a threat to her health. I think she ought to have a policy available to her.”

CNSNews.com asked: “So it’s morally right for pro-life taxpayers to have to help pay for plans that cover abortion?”

Feinstein responded: “Please. We pay for a lot of things that we may or may not agree with, and taxpayers pay for it, for those things, as well.”

Feinstein joined the majority of Democrats Tuesday in voting against the Nelson amendment, which was rejected on a 54-45 vote.

Seven Democrats voted for Nelson’s amendment: Sens. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.); Mark Pryor (D-Ark.); Evan Bayh (D-Ind.); Bob Casey (D-Pa.); Kent Conrad (N.D.); Byron Dorgan (N.D.) and Ted Kaufman (D-Del.).