Contact: Virginia Cline, Heartbeat International, 614-885-7577, ext 112

WASHINGTON, Sept. 10 /Christian Newswire/ -- Less than 15 hours after President Obama denied that his health care plan would include abortion funding, Heartbeat International joined the launch of Void the Abortion Mandate Virtual Rally to educate President Obama and Congress about how the current health care legislation will pay for abortions.

Last night, Obama addressed a joint session of Congress stating, "under our plan, no federal dollars will be used to fund abortions."

Today, Heartbeat joined with U.S. Representatives Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Joe Pitts (R-PA) along with other national pro-life organizations who are members of the Stop Abortion Mandate Coalition for a press conference at the U.S. Capitol Building to oppose H.R. 3200's abortion mandate. 

Even though President Obama denies his plan will fund abortion, every amendment to explicitly exclude abortion funding was voted down.  Mainstream media, including the Washington Post and Factcheck.org, are indicating his plan will fund abortions.

Heartbeat International President Peggy Hartshorn, Ph.D. represents a network of 1,100 pregnancy help centers providing true reproductive health care that reduces the number of abortions at no cost to the taxpayer.  Heartbeat, the first pregnancy center network in the U.S., was founded in 1971 to provide alternatives to abortion. 

"If Congress does not explicitly exclude abortion from the health care reform legislation, then Americans will be forced to pay for the taking of innocent human life.  Abortion is an assault on the dignity of the human person.  Abortion does not improve anyone's health," said Hartshorn.

"In May, President Obama pledged to 'reduce the number of women seeking abortions by reducing unintended pregnancies, and making adoption more available, and providing care and support for women who do carry their child to term'," said Hartshorn.  "I ask President Obama and Congress to acknowledge that government funding will increase the number of abortions."

"A government that pays for aborting babies loses sight of the importance of providing alternatives to abortion," said Hartshorn.  "No woman should ever feel forced or pressured to abort her child."

"Today Heartbeat is pleased to encourage all Americans to VOID the abortion mandate by contacting their representatives so that each woman faced with an unexpected pregnancy receives the care and support she needs to welcome her child into the world," said Hartshorn.  "Our life-affirming network that works so hard to strengthen the American family is firmly opposed to government funding for abortion."