A Law Up For Grabs

During the health care debate, pro-lifers were reassured that the proposed law would have more than sufficient conscience protections and abortion restrictions. Anyone who raised concerns about a big, messy, and very complicated bill was accused of “crying wolf” .

Well, here comes the wolf. One  pro-abortion group is now advertising for a newly created position designed to influence the “implementation of the new health care law” in order to advance “reproductive rights.” Pro-abortion groups, at least, seem to think the law’s interpretation and implementation is very much up for grabs:

Health Policy Advocate

The National Women’s Law Center is seeking a health policy advocate to work in the Center’s Health and Reproductive Rights program. The person will be responsible for developing and working with state based health advocates and policy-makers on health reform implementation including reproductive health issues. The person will use a variety of advocacy strategies and provide technical support to state groups on state legislative, administrative and executive developments on implementation of the new health care law.

Additionally, the person will educate state advocates on federal level issues. The role will include analyzing, legislative and administrative proposals, writing fact-sheets and reports, gathering and summarizing research and data, and developing and engaging in public education. The person will also work with national women’s health advocates and policy-makers.

Legal scholar Helen Alvaré has documented the health care law’s  insufficient conscience protections , while Ryan T. Anderson and I have  pointed out how the law’s alarming ambiguities and omissions pose a threat to the unborn.

This past July, pro-life advocates Chris Smith (R - NJ) and Dan Lipinski (D - IL) introduced bill in the House a  that would patch these holes . As long as their effort remains stalled, pro-abortion groups will seek out and exploit the opportunities this law has handed them.

Matthew Schmitz is the managing editor of Public Discourse .