Document: /pub/resources/text/breakpoint: BPT.94.04.05.TXT
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This is an UNOFFICIAL transcript made from the radio broadcast. Mistakes
in it are mine, not Mr Colson's nor Prison Fellowship's. Comments,
corrections, questions are welcome; send to <mcmeans@dtedi.wpafb.af.mil>.
*
Tuesday, April 5, 1994
BREAKPOINT with Chuck Colson
The air crackles with suspense. One man stands alone against a hoard of
bullies riding into town, their guns blazing.
No, I'm not talking about the movie High Noon. I'm talking about Governor
Casey of Pennsylvania who is standing up to the federal bureaucracy to
defend his state's laws on abortion.
The countdown began three months ago when the Clinton administration
unveiled its latest ploy to advance abortion. Sally Richardson, director
of the Medicaid Bureau, decreed that all pregnancies resulting from rape
or
incest will henceforth be considered "medically necessary" and that
state's
are required to fund them through medicaid.
The directive was based on a new version of the Hyde Amendment allowing
states to pay for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest. But
Richardson took the language "allowing" state funding and turned it into a
"requirement" for state funding.
Across the country state officials were stunned. After all, every state
has its own laws on abortion funding. Most states do not allow tax payer
money to cover abortions except when necessary to save the life of the
mother. The few that do cover rape and incest cases - states like
Pennsylvania - require the woman to fill out a report to police or health
authorities.
But administration officials rode into town with their black hats on and
shot down all existing state laws. They even shot down requirements that
rape and incest be reported. The directive says reporting requirements
must be waived if the abortionist states that the woman is physically or
psychologically unable to file a report.
When they saw the feds coming, some state officials scurried for cover.
But about thirty states have drawn a line in the sand declaring their
intent to protect democratically passed state laws. Governor Casey of
Pennsylvania has even filed suit in federal court asking to have the
medicaid directive rendered null and void.
In a letter to President Clinton, Casey argued that administration
officials are directing governors to ignore validly enacted state laws,
while on their side they haven't even followed fundamental procedures
necessary to preempt state laws. What's more, there is no federal
statutory basis to preempt state law in this case.
Sally Richardson responded by threatening federal action. The government
deadline was this past weekend, but Casey isn't budging. The shoot out is
about to begin.
If the states let the feds get away with this power grab, no state law
will
ever be safe again, nor any federal law for that matter. In an arrogant
display of double talk, the feds have taken language making something
optional and announced that it really means mandatory.
If language can be twisted and distorted into meaning the exact opposite
of what it says, we will enter an Orwellian world where words mean
whatever
any bureaucrat says they mean.
You need to find out where your state officials stand, and urge them to
stand up to the federal bullies as Governor Casey has done so courageously
in Pennsylvania. The administration should not be allowed to impose its
own social and political agenda by bureaucratic fiat.
Otherwise, we will see democracy itself go riding off into the sunset.
<<Here is Chuck's first mention of this issue.>>
Thursday, February 10, 1994
BREAKPOINT with Chuck Colson
Lisa seemed in many ways like a typical teenager, but there was something
about her that was not so typical. She kept showing up at abortion
clinics. By the time she was fourteen, Lisa had had 7 abortions. Seven
abortions by age fourteen? Where were Lisa's parents while she was
getting
pregnant again and again.
Her father, it turns out, was well aware of his daughter's pregnancies.
In
fact, he was responsible for them. Lisa was a victim of incest and the
abortions only served to cover up the horrible abuse.
Well, thanks to the current administration, your tax dollars will now be
financing cover-ups just like this. The director of the National Medicaid
Bureau, Sally Richardson, recently instructed all states that the revised
Hyde Amendment which allows Medicaid payments for abortion in cases of
rape
or incest is not optional, it is mandatory. In other words, states are
henceforth required to pay for Medicaid abortions in cases of rape or
incest.
Currently, most states restrict state funding for abortion. Even the
states that do allow state funding in case of rape or incest require that
the abuse be reported to the police. But everyone of these laws has just
been overturned by bureaucratic fiat. From now on any woman covered by
Medicaid can simply show up at an abortion clinic, claim she was raped and
there is no way to check up on her claim. Tax payers will foot the bill.
Under this new directive, the number of rape claims is certain to
skyrocket. Let me give you an example why. Pennsylvania used to allow
women receiving Medicaid abortions to simply claim rape or incest. Then
later the state passed a requirement that they report the assault to the
police first. Immediately, the number of women claiming rape dropped from
400 a year to only 50.
What makes this situation so incredible is that when the Hyde Amendment
was
revised to allow states to fund rape or incest abortions administration
officials denied they would ever make funding mandatory. We only want
flexibility, they said. We would never override a state's own laws or
force them to use state funds for abortion.
Well, now with stunning arrogance, federal officials have made a complete
about face brazenly insisting that the law means exactly the opposite of
what they said less than a year ago. This is an outrageous sleight of
hand.
The good news is that some states are not taking this lying down. Several
governors argued that the new directive is an abuse of federal power, and
they're ready to fight. Pennsylvania governor Robert Casey has openly
challenged President Clinton. "This I cannot do," Casey wrote, "and I
will
not do." Well, three cheers for governor Casey and other state officials
who are standing their ground.
But they ought not to fight this battle standing alone. Please contact
your state officials and ask them to oppose this federal directive.
This is one time we have to stand up to the federal bureaucrats, and more
important, we ought to stand up for girls like Lisa. There is no excuse
for the government to pay for abortions that are simply cover-ups for
sexual abuse.
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David S McMeans amUous Mind Puzzles
<dmcmeans@iclnet93.iclnet.org> Dayton, OH BreakPoint with Chuck Colson