Open thread: The Health Care Debate

[Greetings from Torun, Poland where I am presenting at the College of Social and Media Culture's Second International Congress. Given what they do here, they have a very nice internet connection here so I can carry on with my blogging!]

So what's happening in the health care debate right now?

Sen. Harry Reid has released his 2,074 page health care bill into the Senate for debate (full text here).

Unlike the Stupak-amended Speaker Pelosi health care bill, Reid's Senate bill contains massive abortion funding. 

To be specific, it will levy a new "abortion premium" fee on Americans who participate in the government-run plan (yes, Reid has included the infamous "public option" in his version of the bill). 

This abortion premium structure was drafted by Rep. Lois Capps - a huge abortion advocate. It should come as no surprise that she has written an abortion tax into the bill.

Americans United for Life has detailed how Reid's bill funds abortions with American tax money, as well as problems it raises for conscience protection and end-of-life issues.

Bottom line: the US bishops have said Catholics must "vigorously oppose" any health care bill that contains abortion funding. The Reid bill contains abortion funding, therefore Catholics must tell their elected representatives that they vigorously oppose it. Here's one place to do that.

update:

In a speech on the Senate floor, Senator Mike Johanns (R-Neb.) emphasizes that every pro-life senator should cast a no vote on allowing the Senate to consider the Democrats health care reform bill, which would require at least one government-sponsored insurance plan to cover abortion and would allow taxpayer dollars to subsidize such plans. All it would take, Senator Johanns points out, to defeat public funding of abortion is for one pro-life Senate Democrat to stand up for his or her principles and vote no on considering the bill.

I'd like to see readers contribute the names of which Democrat Senators they think would be most likely to join pro-life Republicans in voting against this pro-abortion bill.