House Democrats' Abortion Battle on Healthcare Down to the Wire
By Dan Gilgoff, God & Country
In recent days, Indiana Rep. Brad Ellsworth has emerged as the key player in the House Democrats' effort to win antiabortion Democrats over to healthcare reform. Those Democrats, including Ellsworth, had opposed earlier versions of the healthcare bill over its abortion provisions.
But Ellsworth, who has a 100 percent rating from the National Right to Life Committee, is still revising an amendment dictating the bill's abortion provisions in time for a House Rules Committee meeting Friday afternoon.
Antiabortion Democrats "are still wanting to talk about what restrictions will be in place on private plans that participate in the health insurance exchange and the mechanisms for ensuring federal funds are not used to provide abortions," before signing onto the plan, says Ellsworth spokeswoman Liz Farrar.
Ellsworth has not publicly released his proposed amendment, but it has already come under attack from both abortion rights and antiabortion groups. Ellsworth has said his goal is to build a higher wall between private premiums, which would be used to fund abortions under the Democratic healthcare plan, and federal funds, which Democrats say they want to prevent from funding abortions.
Many antiabortion groups say the difference between the two is a technicality under a government controlled healthcare plan. They want to bar the public health insurance option and the private plans participating in the exchange from offering abortion coverage.
With the Rules Committee convening tomorrow at 2 p.m. to consider proposed amendments to healthcare bill, Ellsworth's staff is planning on a late night to craft language that brings more antiabortion Democrats on board. Farrar says she doesn't have a count of how many antiabortion Democrats support Ellsworth's amendment but that "most pro-life Democrats are warm to the idea of a pro-life member working though the issue."
Farrar also said that it's unclear whether Speaker Nancy Pelosi would allow a floor vote on Ellsworth's amendment. "But there is probably no one better that can count to 218," she said, referring to the number of House members it takes to reach a majority. "This is an issue that's a deal breaker for many House members, including my boss."
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Tags: abortion | Democrats | healthcare | religion
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Reader Comments
standing Firm for Love:
Amen to Stupak, Ellsworth, and other great leaders for standing firm on True Love and Care for the mothers, children, and fathers in American.
Abortion is not Health Care. Abortion destroys Life. Health Care should Care, Love, and protect Life.
Abortion is not a solution.
Love is the solution.
America is a great country and we can only stay great by sticking to our morals to love one another and respect Life.
God Bless You And Your Family for Standing Firm for Love!
video "SILENT SCREAM"
In the internet video "The Silent Scream" you can see a fetus avoiding the knife of an abortion doctor. This video can make you scream as you watch with horror the fetus dodging the danger of being evacuated from the home of a mother it did not ask to live in.
The new health bill calls for one hundred and ten new agencies to be formed any of which can order a mother to have an abortion without any proof for a real motive or need for the abortion and no proof of the age of the fetus. Even the new czars can give permission for abortions even though President Obama said he wants the number of abortions to be cut down on in number. Public schools can help students have abortions and one wonders what excuse they use for promoting the abortion?
So who decides and what reasons are given to permit an abortion will not be determined by any new health bills. The fate of babies is in the hands of the beholder.
Still life is so precious that Nasa spends billions looking for life on other planets.Maybe they could realize that human life
is something more valuable than any other strange life they might stumble on far away from earth.
Frank of california.
Opposition to Health Reform
It is indeed disappointing to see our members of congress did not vote on Saturday for Health Care Reform---the reason why?
The private insurance industry sent over 3,000 lobbyist to Capitol Hill and has spent $1.5 million Per Day! to shape health care reform in order to protect their PROFITS and their interest, the hell with the rest of us. I wonder where do our so-called representatives stand---with their constituents or lined up to receive their "contributions" from the private PhRAM and health insurance industry. The opponents of health care reform forget that the majority of seniors paid their dues by paying their taxes, serving their country, paying into Social Security and Medicare. Now we find ourselves being 'gouged' by extremely expensive health insurance plans. How selfish and self-centered of the younger opponents. They complain about seniors when we were the ones working hard to build this country and many of our fathers, brothers and sisters gave their life so the opponents can live comfortably and well. We earned the right to receive good health care, and we are paying up to or over $300 a month for our health care, it is not a given it is being paid for out of our fixed and limited incomes. Those seniors who cannot afford insurance must go without seeing doctors or buying much needed medicine because they are forced to choose between medicine or food. Wait until your turn comes and you find your selfish selves--old, sick and poor. Most of us did not give up working, the greedy and selfish corporation left us with no jobs, no health care and no pensions. We will see how the opponents react when their turn comes next--I can hear the screaming already. I guess it's alright when your neighbor has no health care but it's a big difference when it happens to you. To those hypocrits yelling about killing babies--where are you when mothers and children are lined up at food pantries or are homeless---probably sitting at home stuffing your faces. Abortion is a difficult enough choice, especially when you have no one to turn to.
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