The Government Shutdown Is More Than Politics – It’s About Forcing Taxpayer-Funded Abortion Through Obamacare

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Shared by Laura Strietmann, Executive Director, Cincinnati Right to Life

As the federal government grapples with a partial shutdown, the real fight isn’t over budget lines or political egos. It’s over whether American taxpayers — including those right here in Ohio — will be forced to underwrite abortion coverage and radical gender ideology  through the “premium tax credits” embedded in Obamacare.

This is not hyperbole. It’s the direct result of extending COVID-era “temporary” subsidies that Democrats now seek to make permanent — without any pro-life safeguards. The so-called “Affordable Care Act” has become a Trojan horse for taxpayer-funded abortion.

Obamacare’s Premium Tax Credits: A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

Advocates of expanding the Affordable Care Act’s premium tax credits argue that they make health insurance “affordable.”  But beneath that veneer lies a dark reality: these subsidies can flow into health plans that include elective abortions and gender transition procedures, all indirectly funded by hardworking taxpayers.

According to the Congressional Budget Office,  extending these enhanced credits will cost taxpayers an estimated $350 billion over the next decade.  But the true cost is moral. Americans should not be forced to pay for procedures that end innocent lives or violate deeply held beliefs about biological truth and human dignity.

Pro-Life Lawmakers Sound the Alarm

Pro-life senators  and advocacy groups have made it clear: any extension of Obamacare subsidies  must  come with explicit prohibitions against funding abortion.  Nearly 100 pro-life organizations, including Cincinnati Right to Life, have called on Congress to anchor these subsidies to the Hyde Amendment, which bars most federal funding of abortion.

And in an interview with  Laura Ingraham, Ohio’s own Senator Moreno  put it plainly:  “The Democrats want to fund abortion on demand.”  Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) captured the stark reality in a recent Fox News report: Democrats’ drive to entrench these subsidies stems from the fact that  “they want to kill babies in the womb.”

It’s tempting for local voters to dismiss these fights as distant political maneuvering. Without explicit abortion barriers, taxpayer dollars from Ohio might flow into plans in our communities that cover elective abortions or fund gender procedures. The moral burden is real: those who vote, give, and advocate in our city could inadvertently legitimize taxpayer-funded abortions unless safeguards are in place.

If the federal government reopens under a deal that extends subsidies without abortion safeguards, we will be complicit in imposing a nationwide system of forced taxpayer funding for abortion.

Our voices must be heard!

Contact our lawmakers, including President Trump!

Some key points you can share or model:

“Many Americans don’t realize that Obamacare’s subsidies can fund abortion coverage. We must ensure that every healthcare dollar respects life, not destroys it.”

“Healthcare assistance should never mean funding abortion. Please protect taxpayers from being forced to violate their conscience.”

“A subsidy without Hyde-level protections is a blank check for abortion expansion. Please close that loophole.”

“I urge you to oppose any subsidy extension that lacks Hyde-level safeguards. No taxpayer should ever be compelled to fund abortion.”

“The Hyde Amendment has saved millions of lives. Any federal funding bill must include its same protections—no exceptions.”

“Your vote on this issue will tell us whether you stand for life or for government-funded abortion.”

Thank you Cincinnati Right to Life Community!

Because of you, we continue to be a steadfast voice for every single preborn child — thank you for standing with life.

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