Republican Nat'l Committee's Insurance Covers Abortion!?!

Republican Nat'l Committee's Insurance Covers Abortion!?!
www.salon.com...

By the reasoning behind the Stupak amendment, the committee might have paid to terminate employees' pregnancies
By Tracy Clark-Flory

Holy hypocrisy, GOP: The Republican National Committee's health insurance plan covers abortion. This news comes by way of Politico's Meredith Shiner and Jonathan Allen, who appropriately point out the obvious conflict here: "The party’s own platform calls [abortion] 'a fundamental assault on innocent human life.'" The RNC didn't opt out of abortion coverage, though, even though that is allowed by Cigna, its insurer. Worse yet, though, is the fact that 176 House Republicans voted for the Stupak amendment, which restricts federal funds from going toward insurance plans that cover abortion. God forbid the government help you to get an insurance plan just like the one enjoyed by the RNC.

When Politico called up RNC spokeswoman Gail Gitcho to ask about this funny little wrinkle, she explained that, oh, uh, the policy was instituted before Michael Steele became the RNC chairman. What about philosophical consistency, though? According to the reasoning behind the Stupak amendment, by paying for a plan that covers abortion, the RNC itself just might have paid for abortions.

This is why I'm concerned with the direction of the Republican Party. For too long now it's been "do as I say, not as I do." I don't really believe that the RNC actually changed it's stance on abortion. But this shows their hypocrisy. They are so quick to point out that certain procedures should not be covered under a government insurance option (because even though it is a legal procedure, it is not moral in the eyes of many Americans), yet forget to look to see if they themselves are funding and providing coverage for that same procedure under their own insurance plans.


[edit on 13-11-2009 by Artephius Abraxas Helios]

Good find!
The Repubs will spin this as their insurance covers abortions, but Repub women don't get them! If they do, they immediatly ask Jesus to forgive them, write a tell all book about their guilt and it's like it never happened!
Seriously, the abortion issue is settled folks, its legal, has been for decades and isn't going to change. repubs use abortion to get the religious right out to vote. Name one Repub who has made a serious attempt to change the law.
Six years of Bush and a Repub Congress and what did they do? Zip.
If you think abortion is murder, don't get one! BUT, learn to mind your own freakin business!

Think about who the figurehead of the Republicans is right now. Now ask yourself, do you really think this is a competent functioning political party and not a laughing stock?

...And don't get your flower print panties in a bunch, I think Democrats are just as #ed. I'll go ahead and anticipate all the tear stained keyboard posts about how evil Obama and the dems are.

reply to post by OldDragger
The way I see it, the personal politics shouldn't even enter into it.

This is about an organization that has for years stood up and said that abortion IS murder... yet, when they select their insurance policy at the party HQ.... they choose a plan which covers abortion. I realize that they do not have to get abortions themselves, in fact, most if not all, would not; but, the premiums they pay every month are, in some small way, funding someone else's legal abortion. Thus, the very argument they so vehemently direct against a public option (The Stupak proposal) is made moot by their own conduct. Again, it is always "do as I say, not as I do" with these folks.

I miss the days of Intellectual Conservatism. Where are the Buckleys of today? Reasoned arguments made without hyperbole or fear mongering rhetoric... that was the party I joined, and until it returns, they can count me out.

As much as I understand the hypocrisy of this, I must ask if the republican national committee has any government funding in their health insurance?

As it stands now the hyde bill is supposed to prevent this. If the rnc is independent of funding from the government, it is different, but still hypocrisy.

reply to post by Artephius Abraxas Helios


The thing you may have missed is, Cigna is private insurance. Not saying they didn't make a mistake in choosing that plan, but it is private, none the less.

The idea of choosing a private insurance coverage for a corporation, such as the hospital I work for, I never asked if they pay for abortions. I don't care if they do, because I don't need that coverage. It never even occurred to me.

When you start talking about government provided health insurance that is covered by tax payers money, then it becomes a different ballgame.

If someone feels strongly in not supporting abortion, regardless of if it is legal or not, then they have the right to refuse to support that. It means, whether they like it or not, the blood of innocents is on their hands. That should not be forced on anyone, IMO.

I only wish we had the same option to decide when it came to other things like bail outs and rescuing Wallstreet, and war.


I still feel it should be self covered, no matter who is getting the abortion.

reply to post by CuriousSkeptic
We see those posts every hour of every day. Most are frivolous fluff or intentionally misleading hit pieces. But don't get me wrong... the Dems are their own worst enemy, any party that is this disorganized has no business at the helm of the Nation. There are loons and moderates aplenty on both sides of th aisle. It just seems the ones with the (R) after their name have been more vocal as of late.

edit for reply to error and spelling



[edit on 13-11-2009 by Artephius Abraxas Helios]

reply to post by Seiko
I was not trying to claim that it is the same "exact" thing, only to point out the hypocrisy of saying one thing yet doing another. As for the "similarities' see below.

reply to post by Libertygal
No I understand completely that it is private insurance. However, the public option of which you speak is not "supposed" be funded with "Tax" money that we all pay, but rather, instead, it is funded only by those that choose that option and then pay their premiums into it. In other words, the only people who pay in are the ones who use that insurance.... hence, it operates the same as a private carrier but is not burdened by being "for profit" thus, it has no incentive to deny coverage for pre-existing conditions and the like. It is supposed to compete with private carriers. Thus, your distinction is not as relevant as you first supposed.

edit for spelling and grammar

[edit on 13-11-2009 by Artephius Abraxas Helios]

Originally posted by CuriousSkeptic
Think about who the figurehead of the Republicans is right now. Now ask yourself, do you really think this is a competent functioning political party and not a laughing stock?

...And don't get your flower print panties in a bunch, I think Democrats are just as #ed. I'll go ahead and anticipate all the tear stained keyboard posts about how evil Obama and the dems are.

The current RNC leadership (read=Steele & Newt) showed their true colors in NY 23.
They are short timers.

They'll go broke.. the highest abortion rates are in red states.. as well as divorce and pornography consumption. Just saying...

FAIR WARNING.... It's Friday night and getting awfully late to be at the office on ATS!!! Soooo.... if you reply in this thread and I don't get right back with you, it's because I'm out. I'll be back to check things late night before bed, and promise I'm not ignoring anyone. Have a good weekend everybody


-Peace
AAH

reply to post by Artephius Abraxas Helios


The taxes are seperate from the proposed government option. There is a tax on *everyone* to support the government option that you can then choose to purchase, or to purchase a seperate private option.

This is my understanding of it. They need the tax to support the people who cannot afford to purchase anything.

reply to post by Artephius Abraxas Helios


There's no real hypocrisy here. They are funding their own personal insurance plans through a private insurance provider. On the other hand, that government-run plan making its way through Congress would affect everyone in this country, whether they believe in abortion funding or not.

So no, I really don't have a problem with it. I really don't care if their own private plans cover abortions, as long as they aren't trying to use my tax dollars for someone else's elective abortion procedure.

Originally posted by Artephius Abraxas Helios
reply to post by CuriousSkeptic

 

We see those posts every hour of every day. Most are frivolous fluff or intentionally misleading hit pieces. But don't get me wrong... the Dems are their own worst enemy, any party that is this disorganized has no business at the helm of the Nation. There are loons and moderates aplenty on both sides of th aisle. It just seems the ones with the (R) after their name have been more vocal as of late.

edit for reply to error and spelling



[edit on 13-11-2009 by Artephius Abraxas Helios]

Couldn't agree with you more. When I said "You" earlier, I mean You as in anyone who might have that opinion, not you personally Art. I tend to agree with your free thinking ways.

It's to the point where the Republicans to me are like a circus sideshow. It's almost a matter of excitement to see which freak or horrid monstrosity they're going to peddle next. George W Bush, Sarah Palin... what's next in this evolution (yes I know most republicans don't believe in evolution) I'm guessing a retarded tele-evangelist zebra.

Generic equalizing paragraph about how bad democrats to keep anyone from bitching and crying.

reply to post by Artephius Abraxas Helios


I guess this could be surprising to some folks. Not to me, however. Why, you ask? Well, Republicans push the anti-abortion agenda to garner support and votes. However, with a Republican president, with 6 years of Republican control of both houses of congress, never did an anti-abortion bill of any sort ever see the light of day. Even while it was often proclaimed in the news that the SCOTUS was heavy on conservative ideology. You get it, don't you? It's just one of those issues to keep us divided while the government critters keep on working for the same results, no matter what party is in power in the U.S.