WASHINGTON – A chagrined GOP Chairman Michael Steele has told Republican National Committee staff to immediately stop providing RNC employees with insurance for elective abortions — an option that Republicans strongly oppose as Democrats try to pass a health care overhaul bill.

"Money from our loyal donors should not be used for this purpose," Steele said in a statement late Thursday after learning of the abortion coverage from a news report. "I don't know why this policy existed in the past, but it will not exist under my administration. Consider this issue settled."

Steele instructed staff to inform the insurance carrier that the RNC wanted to opt out of elective abortion coverage, RNC spokeswoman Gail Gitcho said. She said the policy has been in effect since 1991.

A memo earlier from RNC Chief of Staff Ken McKay to the organization's members said Steele was taking the matter very seriously and "has been engaged by phone on this issue."

The GOP platform traditionally includes strong anti-abortion language. All House Republicans, except one, voted for an amendment imposing restrictions of coverage for abortions in the health care bill that passed the House last Saturday. Inclusion of the abortion restrictions prompted an angry backlash from liberal House Democrats, and some are now threatening to vote against a final bill if the curbs stay in.

The memo said the RNC received a phone call from a reporter on Wednesday asking whether the RNC's health care policy, through Cigna, covered elective abortions for employees. On Thursday, Politico.com published a report citing two sales agents for Cigna who said the RNC's policy covered elective abortion.

The Cigna employees said the RNC didn't choose to opt out of abortion coverage when given the opportunity, Politico.com reported.

"Upon learning of this story, at the chairman's direction, we immediately contacted the Executive Committee," the RNC memo said. "We will be scheduling a call with the Executive Committee in the immediate future to discuss this matter more fully."

The memo said the RNC health insurance policy has been in review for some time.

"Chairman Steele had already called for an official review of our health insurance policy along with a number of other operational items," the memo said.

Remember how hard and bitterly the GOP fought to get all traces of possible abortion funding excised from health care bill on morality grounds? Well, this is gonna bite them in the ***. Remember, abortion is only bad if other people do it. God understand why I'm special and I need to have one.

The Cigna employees said the RNC didn't choose to opt out of abortion coverage when given the opportunity, Politico.com reported.

Perhaps the GOP just needs to read their Bible a bit more carefully.

"So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her." - John 8:7

I fail to see how being late to eliminate abortion coverage while trying to eliminate it from universal health care equates to condemning people for sin.

How about you leave the Bible quoting to the Christians, Aizle?

Put another way, first remove the rafter from your own eye. Either as a group or as individuals, one doesn't have free reign to use moral reasons to push policy when one is violating that same morality themselves--at least, not without looking like a hypocrite.

Why? Most Christians don't know whats in it anyway. Of those that do, most of them selectively ignore whatever they don't like.

I think they did that, did they not? But the passage isn't intended to give somebody license to criticize so long as they're not a hypocrite. Its telling people not to pass judgment (in the form of condemnation) on people.

I wouldn't consider any of the Christians on this board guilty of that.

How about you leave the Bible quoting to the Christians, Aizle?

Ah, so it's a super secret text that only Christian's understand? Riiiiight...

Ah, so it's a super secret text that only Christian's understand? Riiiiight...

More likely it's used by non-Christians in a wholly inappropriate way, using only the parts you want while ignoring the rest. The passage you quoted is followed by "Is there anyone here who condemns you?", then, "Neither do I condemn you. Go, and sin no more." (paraphrased) Sounds like that's what the GOP is doing, don'tcha think?

Not really. The GOP isn't in the position of Jesus in that quote, they are the mob. Perhaps they should spend less time condeming those around them and more time focusing on their own actions.

Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) pledged this morning to defeat healthcare reform if his abortion amendment is taken out, saying 10 to 20 pro-life Democrats would vote against a bill with weaker language.

“They’re not going to take it out,” Stupak said on Fox and Friends, referring to Senate Democrats. “If they do, health care will not move forward.”

Stupak’s amendment prohibits any insurance plan on a potential healthcare exchange from accepting federal subsidies if it covers abortion. Pro-choice lawmakers say that language is too broad and would drastically reduce access to abortion. …

“[T]hat is why Mr. Axelrod is not a legislator, he doesn’t really know what he is talking about.”

Taly have I ever used religion to condemn abortion?