Steele ends abortion insurance for RNC employees

Hypocrites! The Republicans are working to make abortion illegal but they offer abortion coverage to their employees? It goes to show you how principled this party really is, demonstrating once again why I left the party.

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.

You know the only reason they are ending coverage is because they got caught and are worried that pro-life Republicans would stop sending money to the RNC when they found out.

And of course it gives the opposition ammunition against them:

There is no indication that any RNC employee used the abortion coverage, but Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards said it's "no surprise" that the RNC had been offering it.

"It's an employer that wants to provide standard health benefits for its employees," she said. "That's why the Stupak amendment goes too far in taking away benefits that women have today, and that's why women won't allow the Stupak amendment to become law."

Too bad the Republicans aren't her main opponents (that would be pro-life Democrats) on the issue. Their hypocrisy would have made excellent issue ads.

BTW, if I were the Steele I would be finding another insurance provided since they were outed by Cigna agents.