Perkins pointed out that Republicans had submitted a number of amendments to health care reform legislation that would prohibit federal funding of abortion.
"Tony, I will support your effort to make sure that abortion is taken off the table in this debate," Wallis told his conservative counterpart, "I'm for that. I'll work hard for that. Let's work together on that. And then you support our moral principle that all Americans should be covered by health care – secure, affordable, accessible health care. Let's work together and make sure that both of those things, in fact, are a part of comprehensive health care reform because the system is broken and we have to fix it. And, don't let abortion derail that effort, please."
"Well, ask the president, then, to take it off the table and accept these amendments," responded Perkins, "and then we can have a discussion on how we fix health care in this country, and I'll be glad to work with you on that because we agree - we need to fix health care in this country."
"We do, then let's do it together," Wallis said.
From CNN Politics
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Uh, Perkins, it is not on the table. Quit with your little holier-than-thou games.
Ok so if I do this you will go agree that Health Care is a moral principle that all American should be covered. Wow! What a set up from the adminstration.
I would say NO to Wallis and tell him to take that deal back to Washington. The Govt funded abortions can be won without giving in.
NOBAMA will employ whoever and stoop to whatever level is needed to get his bill passed.
Wallis knows that Christians won't stand for government subsidized abortions. Perkins was smart in agreeing to work on health care reform but intentionally did not agree to Wallis's proposal for socialized medicine. Good job Perkins!
Obama is enslaving America! Playing the religious card is just another obfuscating manipulation of words!
Wallis also obfuscates with his questionable ideology.
This independent Rev., like most Americans, is all for reform but not for a goverment health care option in any form!
Nobody cares what Republicans think anymore, they are useless and don't give a darn about anybody but themselves.
It appears Wallis was willing to negotiate, make concessions but did not see any responsible actions from Perkins.
Am afraid it will be the typical right wing stance, all take, no give.
How anyone cannot support the Health Care Reform our country so desperately needs is beyond me. And those who claim morality
simply CANNOT continue to ignore, disregard the needs of the
American people. Politics should not enter into it, but, unfortunately,
it does.
Somehow, Tony Perkins didn't really sound all that excited to find common ground in the health care debate. One of the reasons I've drifted away from these so-called "compassionate conservatives" is that they seem to only really want to help people if it's no skin off their nose, or they get every little single thing they want. They're like spoiled toddlers.
Blech!
WOMEN'S HEALTH IS HEALTHCARE! No MAN has any right to tell a women what she can or cannot get HEALTHCARE for! SIT DOWN Mr Perkins!
All right, prove your religious beliefs are fact, perfect, or fit for law and then you may make that choice for everyone. Until then, everyone is promised the freedom of making those choices personally. Unless you'd like someone telling you what religion you must believe in, I would suggest not trying to push your beliefs to become law or practice for everyone else.
Either we all choose or no one chooses. That's America and that's part of Freedom, like it or not.
I wonder how many so called Christian leaders oppose the public option form of health care! They are specific on abortion being left out but they won't say OK to the public option.
Shame on them.
The discussion Obama said he wanted back in March of 2008! Imagine where this sort of thing could lead if bothsides would stop playing politics and TALK!
I agree too– except when the life of the mother is in danger, or in cases of incest.
Other than that, lets take abortion off the table, it its too contentious an issue to hold back health care for millions of americans.
that may sound insensitive, but this is a case of the needs of the many outweighing the needs a the few.
I don't think the Federal Government should pay for elected abortions, but I think there ought to be an exception in the case of abuse/rape. A woman should not have to go through the pains of childbirth as the result of a sexual assault. That would be my only thing. But if some stupid 16 year old girl and her boyfriend get drunk and have sex and she gets pregnant, then absolutely she should pay for the abortion out of pocket – if that is what she decided to do.
Medicare for all now!!!
There was never federal funding of abortion under health care reform in any version of the bills making there way through congress.
This rumor has been just another of the lies and deceit campaigns by the opponents of reform.
However perhaps these gentlemen can talk some sense into either of thier extremes on this very important issue.
A liberal agreeing to take abortion of the table concerning the health care reform debate? Imagine that! I guess anything is possible when you reall listen to what the other side is saying and take the emotion out of it and clearly LISTEN! Washington DC, are you LISTENING???
Obama is so smitten with himself, his own ego that he looks down his nose at God; therefore any ressemblance he's trying to encourage of a "Progressive evangelical leader," is again, another facade. It's all about winning the votes of the gullable....and his voter and supporter base is living proof of that.
Since they feel that laws should be based on their religious teachings, I hope they will next start to work on starting up the movement to outlaw divorce -except for reasons of unfaithfulness – in America. After all, the Bible expressly says that what God has joined no man should put asunder and that anyone who divorces except for reasons of unfaithfulness is committing adultery. This means that people that divorce except for reasons of unfaithfulness are breaking one of the Ten Commandments and so they are equivalent to murderers!
NO DIVORCE – the biggest threat to Marriage since...well...since ever!
There is NO abortion options on the table......
Perkins was lying through his teeth. The Repukes will oppose any reform even if the Dems capitulate to all of their demands. Repukes want to weaken health care reform so it is meaningless, then when it doen't work they will say "you see we were right the government can't do anything right".
Abortion is legal. If a woman chooses to have one the government cannot tell her not to just because of a health care bill. What happened to the argument about keeping the government out of health care decisions? The health care reform bill is not 'funding abortions.' This argument is twisting the facts – the government is trying to provide healthcare and since abortions are legal and a medical issue between a woman and her doctor, that is part of providing healthcare. If you believe it is wrong then feel free to voice your opinion, but leave the separation between church and state intact.
By asking for abortion funding to be removed from health care reform, these religious leaders are asking their religious faith to trump our nation's law (Roe v. Wade).
The First Amendment of the Constitution, which includes the establishment clause ("Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion"), expressly prohibits our government from this kind of mixing of politics with religion.
If a person doesn't want an abortion (a legitimate medical procedure), they should not seek it out. If a law-abiding citizen seeks an abortion, it should be funded.
Tony Perkins is such a "sham" ... don't let women get abortions, but then deny the baby healthcare! What kind of Christian is this creep?!!
To think CNN. I used to think so much about the USA. Untill just one year ago. Now I hope you go the same way of Russia. You gamled with the worlds securiy electing Obama. He has caulsed all kinds orf problems in just six months. But you still live in denial..
Nice job guys.
The womb should be the safest place in the world, until you come into the world. Once we are born we have the constitutional right to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. How unnatural it is to have to be 'outside' the mother's womb to be protected in this country.
Did you know that a pre-born baby has finger prints as early as 3 months in the womb? We are fearfully and wonderfully made.
There are over 40 million babies who never got to be held in their mothers' arms. Who were they? We need to find out by first protecting the sanctity of 'human' life, then by nurturing it, then by
giving them liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
I would like to know about how many Americans oppose abortion? Is it a majority? Because if it isn't, majority rules and if majority wants abortion as part of health care reform, let it be. I am not saying I agree with that, but the democratic process says majority rulses.
Trust Tony Perkins? This guy knows what will happen to him if he supports anything put forward by the President. Republicans are the party of NO. That will not change until the currant republican leadership is replaced.
You nitwits think that by agreeing that all housing, or gold and diamond jewelry, or cars, or vacations... should be affordable and is not, that there should be some sort of federal control to make it so. WELL, you know, we can't afford our politicians' antics either, so let's put a cap on them and limit their exposure to what really matters in our lives.
Either religions need to do their jobs and support national health care like their messiah would have wanted, or they need to shut up.
What kind of crap is this?!?!? I personally would never have an abortion but I feel that it is NOT MY PLACE to tell others that they can not have one. Do NOT take my RIGHT TO MY OWN BODY away from me.
PEACE
Caryle Tylerkays
(CNN will not post as it goes against its corporate sponsors)
The Health Care Bill should specifically prohibit Abortion. That makes it clear.
I'm not sure why either of these religious leaders feel entitled to be to determining public policy. While I am a supporter of the Obama administration, I find the Reverand Wallis's comment "Let's work together on that (taking abortion funding out of the healthcare reform discussions)...then you can support our moral principle that all Americans should be covered by healthcare" to be, at best, presumptuous and, at worst, the clergyical equivalent to the old "smoke filled rooms".
I am also a faithful Baptist and I find that having spiritual leaders politically wheeling and dealing like this to be demeaning to faith. It lowers the work of the church to gutter politics.
I think most Americans Christians can agree that our spiritual lives are better served when our church leaders are "in the world, not of it". So, gentlemen, I suggest you read both our constitution and John 17:14-15.
Where is the rest of the input on this issue from representatives of other religions, of women's groups, and other organizations. A male "progressive" Evangelical Protestant and the (male) head of the Family Research Council hardly represent a cross-section of the American public.
As an american woman who supports pro choice. IF its for a medical procedure,Then it should be covered.
Republicans have already said Major reform will happen with healthcare regardless...but here's the catch. If you watch the interviews, the tactic they are taking is to do nothing now, they would rather wait til they have the majority then just continue to deregulate and let the insurance industry solve the problem. Same method they used for Medicare D and Iraq...given their comments they don't want to support any gov sponsored healthcare which means medicare as well. Democratic proposal may not be perfect, but if they win their strategy of do nothing til they are in a position to do everything, America is going to despise the outcome.
If Wallis thinks he can deal with Perkins on anything he really needs professional counseling.
And here's something to think on: who is more likely to be getting the public-provided insurance? Hmmmm? See any racial undertones here? Any disparate effect in the works? I mean, let's face it, preventing abortions for low-income inner city young women forces them to be saddled with the additional financial burden of the child. Ergo, it helps keep them and their families from rising above the station certain people would like them to stay in. Moreover, it increases their need for other forms of public assistance, perpatuates the burdens on inner city school systems, and a whole host of other societal ills. And yet, she has the right to choose whether to have that abortion...so what is the LEGAL reason for not funding them if she has public-provided insurance? What's that? There isn't one? Oh yeah.
But hey, it's all part of the plan, "God's" supposed plan as interpreted by you, right GOPers?