The Obama Administration scrambled into “clarification” mode following a revelation that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) approved $160 million in taxpayer funds going to Pennsylvania that could be used to fund abortions. 

In a speech to a joint session of Congress last September, President Obama made the following promise, “Under our plan, no federal dollars will be used to fund abortions.”

Attempting to assuage fears, HHS responded with a statement on July 14, saying the president’s executive order would prevent taxpayer-funded abortion in Pennsylvania, as well as in other states.

However, Mary Harned, staff counsel with American United for Life, sees the assurances as a mere diversion from the actual language.

“When you look in the fine print,” said Harned, “and really read the language, there are loopholes in there that would actually allow funding for abortions.”

“We asked from the beginning that the health care reform add a broad prohibition on federal funding for abortion. That was included in the House bill in the Stupak-Pitts Amendment, but it was not in the final law.”

Representative Mike Pence, R- Ind., said a federal response is needed and said this revelation is deeply disappointing to millions of Americans who took the president at his word. “We need to repeal the president’s health care bill lock, stock, and barrel,” he said, “and replace it with health care reform that respects the common sense and the common values of the American people.”