Below is the kind of responses I receive from my Senators when I contact them with a specific question or remark. They always come back with; I did this, he did that, I wanted to change it but I couldn't, or nobody agrees with poor little me, yada, yada, yada!!!! Why they can't just give a yes or no answer or let you know exactly where they stand on an issue befuddles me. They always have to give you the run around so that in the future they can say; that's what I meant, or they misunderstood what I was trying to tell them or some other lame excuse. This is old politics and I don't know how all of you feel, but I'm so sick of it I could vomit. Why can't they get the fact that "we" don't want them involved with out Health Insurance planning, all we want is some reform, balance and regulation, not a take over, period, end of story. Your thoughts?

JWLytch
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Dear Mr. Lytch:

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me on abortion funding in the health care legislation in the United States Senate. There is no better guide for making tough decisions than hearing from the people whom I serve.

It has always been my hope that we would be able to adopt a bipartisan health care reform bill to reduce the number of uninsured and bend the cost curve to make health care more affordable for all Americans. I have outlined a number of common-sense proposals which would make significant progress toward these goals. The best way to bring down health care costs is to give consumers more choice and control in their health care decisions. That is why I support allowing insurers to compete across state lines, expanding access to health savings accounts, and reducing the frivolous lawsuits and defensive practices that drive up the cost of care. Instead of incorporating these cost-saving ideas into a bipartisan health care bill, Senator Reid’s bill does the opposite. It will actually drive out insurance competition and impose new restrictions and limits on health savings accounts and flexible spending accounts that millions of families rely on to make health care more affordable.

I am also opposed to any federal mandates that include abortion coverage. I believe that every life is a precious gift, which should be cherished and protected. Forcing federal funding of abortion is fiscally irresponsible and morally indefensible. The federal government has no place subsidizing the destruction of human life. That is why I co-sponsored an amendment to explicitly prohibit abortions from being funded through the health care reform bill. These protections, which have been our federal policy for 33 years under the Hyde Amendment, were adopted in the House of Representatives with broad bipartisan support. Unfortunately, our amendment was defeated in the Senate 45-54.

The last time our federal government funded abortions was between 1974 and 1977, right after Roe v. Wade and before the Hyde Amendment. Over that period of time, Medicaid funded approximately 300,000 abortions annually. I will remain committed to applying the principles from the Hyde Amendment to any health care proposals that come before the Senate.

Again, thank you for contacting me. Rest assured, I will keep your comments in mind as the Senate continues debate on health care reform. I encourage you to visit my website, http://brownback.senate.gov , for the latest information, including my recent articles and speeches on the topic.