The Day After Misinterpreting Health Care Bill, Sen. Grassley Said Bill Could Be "Misinterpreted"

Sen. Grassley Announced Finance Committee Would Drop End-Of-Life Provision Because It Could Be "Misinterpreted"

Sen. Grassley:

"We dropped end-of-life provisions from consideration entirely because of the way they could be misinterpreted and implemented incorrectly." [The Hill, 8/13/09]

The Previous Day, Sen. Grassley Himself "Misinterpreted" The Bill

Sen. Grassley:

"In the House bill, there is counseling for end of life...You have every right to fear. You shouldn't have counseling at the end of life, you should have done that 20 years before. Should not have a government run plan to decide when to pull the plug on grandma."  [Iowa Independent, 8/12/09, emphasis added]

Independent, Non-Partisan Organizations: Euthanasia Rumors Are "Ridiculous"

PolitiFact.org: Euthanasia Claims Are A "Ridiculous Falsehood."  In its response to claims made by Betsy McCaughey that the House health care reform bill would encourage euthanasia, PolitiFact.org said: "For our ruling on this one, there's really no gray area here. McCaughey incorrectly states that the bill would require Medicare patients to have these counseling sessions and she is suggesting that the government is somehow trying to interfere with a very personal decision. And her claim that the sessions would 'tell [seniors] how to end their life sooner' is an outright distortion. Rather, the sessions are an option for elderly patients who want to learn more about living wills, health care proxies and other forms of end-of-life planning. McCaughey isn't just wrong, she's spreading a ridiculous falsehood." [PolitiFact.org, 7/23/09, emphasis added]

FactCheck.org: "Government-Encouraged Euthanasia" Claims Are "A Stretch."  FactCheck.org responded to many questions about the inclusion of a euthanasia clause with: "In truth, that section of the bill would require Medicare to pay for voluntary counseling sessions helping seniors to plan for end-of-life medical care, including designating a health care proxy, choosing a hospice and making decisions about life-sustaining treatment. It would not require doctors to counsel that their patients refuse medical intervention. [...] As for the argument claiming that this is the first step on a slippery slope leading to government-encouraged euthanasia, that's a stretch. The right to draw up an advance directive is federally guaranteed, but doctor-assisted suicide is legal in only three states. It would take a lot more than Medicare-funded counseling for voluntary euthanasia to become a standard government recommendation." [FactCheck.org, 7/29/09, emphasis added]

Sen. Grassley Also "Misinterpreted" Bill Regarding Coverage For "Illegal Immigrants"

Sen. Grassley:

"The bill passed by the House committees is so poorly cobbled together that it will have all kinds of unintended consequences, including making taxpayers fund health care subsidies for illegal immigrants."  [The Hill, 8/13/09]

In Reality, The House Bill Specifically Forbids Federal Money From Providing Coverage For Undocumented Workers

House Bill: "No Federal Payment for Undocumented Aliens." According to America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009, Page 143, Line 3, Section 246: "No Federal Payment for Undocumented Aliens.  Nothing in this subtitle shall allow Federal payments for affordability credits on behalf of individuals who are not lawfully present in the United States." [America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009, accessed 7/22/09

President Obama: Health Care Reform Should Not Cover "Illegal Immigrants."  As reported by CBS News, "Asked by CBS News' Katie Couric in an exclusive interview whether illegal immigrants should be covered under a new health care plan, President Obama responded simply, 'no.'" [CBSNews.com, 7/21/09; emphasis added]