Back in June, a new right-wing supergroup was formed. Known as The Freedom Federation, the coalition paired several established Religious Right groups with various several lesser known organizations in an effort to unify the movement for greater political gain.
In August, the coalition announced its opposition to health care reform, but that was the last we had heard of them, until today when it announced, again, that it still opposes health care reform (note also the inclusion of Lou Engle in the press release. It seems as if Engle is now a bona fide Religious Right political leader):
Mathew Staver, Founder of Liberty Counsel and Dean of Liberty University School of Law, remarked: "Abortion is not healthcare. The Senate bill forces the American people to conspire with the federal government in murdering innocent children. This is morally unacceptable."
Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, President of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, Hispanic National Association of Evangelicals, said: "We vehemently and unequivocally oppose any and all healthcare legislation that funds abortion directly or indirectly, explicitly or implicitly without exception. Abortion is not health care. We oppose any and all legislation, language or compromise that surrenders this core value on the altar of political expediency. Any and all statements, endorsements or commentaries outside the canopy of the aforementioned commitment hereby stand rectified. As an organization serving 25,434 congregations, we seek to facilitate a multi-ethnic firewall against the Spirit of Herod and the Culture of Death. Once again, we say to Senator Reid and the leadership in the Senate -- Life cannot be compromised."
Deacon Keith Fournier, Editor in Chief, Catholic Online, said: "Abortion is the taking of innocent human life. Killing is not - and will never be - health care. It is always and everywhere wrong to kill our innocent neighbors. To use federal funds to do so is an egregious violation of fundamental human rights and must never be considered healthcare."
Tony Perkins, President of Family Research Council, commented: "A federal government run health care system will create a nationwide abortion network funded by government dollars resulting in the greatest abortion expansion since Roe v. Wade. Senators Ben Nelson and Robert Casey gave mere lip service to protecting the most innocent among us by placing their stamp of approval on government funding for abortion coverage in direct conflict with longstanding policy. I ask them to reverse course."
Lou Engle, Founder and President of The Call to Conscience, said: "The shedding of the blood of our most innocent citizens, the unborn, can never be a solution to the great social problems of our day. We reject and renounce Sen. Reid's bill being pushed through the Senate, including Sen. Casey's and Sen. Nelson's compromised amendments."
