House Healthcare Bill's Abortion Provisions Anger All Sides
By Dan Gilgoff, God & Country
An abortion provision in the just-passed House healthcare bill that was designed to bring crucial antiabortion Democrats on board has not only outraged major abortion rights groups but has also incensed abortion foes. "This was a very cynical move on the part of the Democrats," says Marjorie Dannensfelser, president of the antiabortion Susan B. Anthony List, who doubts the House's strict restrictions on abortion coverage in government-subsidized health insurance will survive.
Many antiabortion groups expect the so-called Stupak-Pitts amendment, which prohibits a public health insurance option or private plans participating in a government-sponsored insurance exchange from offering abortion as part of basic coverage, to be stripped during negotiations between the House and the Senate, should the healthcare bill make it that far.
But abortion rights groups sound less confident of that outcome.
Democratic-allied faith groups, meanwhile, fear the House bill's sweeping abortion limits set up a showdown between abortion rights supporters and opponents that could torpedo healthcare reform.
Antiabortion groups winced as they released weekend statements applauding the inclusion of an amendment offered by Democratic Michigan Rep. Bart Stupak and Republican Pennsylvania Rep. Joe Pitts in the House bill. In addition to doubting the inclusion of Stupak-Pitts language in the final healthcare bill, most antiabortion groups oppose that bill on other grounds, like cost and concerns about end-of-life care.
"This has accomplished one goal," Dannensfelser said of the Stupak-Pitts amendment's inclusion in the House bill. "To worry the conservative base and to sort of confuse them."
Under the Stupak-Pitts provision, women would have to buy a separate insurance rider with their own money to cover abortions, a prospect that abortion rights groups call unlikely. Most women, they point out, don't count on unplanned pregnancies.
As abortion opponents voiced skepticism over the amendment's ultimate survival, abortion rights groups launched broadsides against its inclusion in the House bill. "It is extremely unfortunate that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and antichoice opponents were able to hijack the healthcare reform bill in their dedicated attempt to ban all legal abortion in the United States," Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said in a statement Saturday night. "We will work with [pro-abortion rights] members to rectify this travesty."
In a weekend Twitter post, Jehmu Greene, president of the Women's Media Center, wrote: "Hate that Dems are selling us out by basically banning access 2 abortions. They better wk this out in conference."
Left-leaning religious groups, for their part, are privately fuming at the Democratic House leadership for forgoing a compromise on abortion provisions that would have brought some antiabortion Democrats on board but would have been more palatable to abortion rights groups and Democrats.
The Stupak-Pitts amendment won support from 64 House Democrats, about a quarter of the party's caucus, and from most Republicans. The final healthcare bill, by contrast, had backing from a single GOP member.
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Tags: healthcare | House of Representatives | religion
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Reader Comments
WHAT???
Abortion is in no way in the same category, not even the same galaxy as a motorcycle accident or an obese person. How many motorcyclists do you know that go out trying to kill people? And overweight people? Do they wake up in the morning wiht the intention of harming themselves or OTHERS? No, neither of those are correct. Abortion is the INTENTIONAL MURDER of an innocent helpless child, that has a beating heart within 21 days of conception. I will rot in jail if i have to. i refuse to pay taxes supporting this ridiculous KILLING of children. 1/3 of our kids generation is dead because of abortion. Thats ridiculous! No one should have the right to kill. NO ONE. In this free country every person has the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, correct? Thought so. The children that lie in the palm of God's hand never got to have the right to life because we are taking it from them. And I, among others refuse to sit back and watch it happen.
I think everyone is missing the point (and me at the end where i rant too)
whether or not you like paying tax money that goes into something you believe in or dont, the truth is we all pay for all of societies costs. think about it, when overweight people become more prevalent and have more health issues and when motorcyclist get into ridiculous accidents for not wearing helmets or riding like an hell-raiser, then whether or not its paid for by the govt or the insurance companies, our premiums go up because those entities will never bear the cost alone. in effect no matter what you call it, we're always going to be paying for things we don't agree with. that is the nature of living in country of freedom. the main issue is not whether or not we want to pay for something, because we will either way. we already do. it's that there are many people who don't have health care coverage that forgo medical treatment. well hello, does jesus want all of the sick people to die? of course not, so just agree on something already and get a move on it.
and by god it should be every american's right to health care. we get education, why not good health. what happens when good people lose their jobs? they lose their health care too!!! or what if you want to start a business, you got it. health insurance will not be easy to afford. it could be you... but then again it's probably not...AHEM to the me myself and i BS above. so you stop being selfish. and if i'm wrong and you are uninsured, well then you're just an self-righteous idiot! but again, that's really not the point here...
and to the ding dong about the father's wishes being important, well i have one thing to say about that: if you are a man having sex with a woman and that's really important to you then you should probably have that conversation before jumping in bed with someone. if the woman doesnt agree then go have sex with someone else who does. quite simple actually.
YOU want the free rights to do what ever YOU want?
We live in a society of Me, Myself and I. With no regards to those around you or (in you). God has given each of us the privilege of liberty (as long as it's within his boundries of rightiousness, outside of this is where all this mess of "I" has it's roots,SIN). Liberty is a gift of God for his honor and glory. You think all that YOU are and all that was created revolves around YOU. (YOU/WE will have all the attention on judgement day soon enough (believe it or not), YOU/WE will give an account). Our society is a mess because of each one of us wants to excercise THEIR rights to do whatever THEY feel is right in THEIR own eyes. Jesus has called all of us to live a life crucified to self to the love and glory of Him who created us. Then, we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. What we say, do, the motives of our hearts should be to the edification of others. Please hear with your hearts not with your own understanding. Tommorrow is promised to no one.
You may say, "Another religious fantic spouting off". If I'm wrong you lose nothing, but if Jesus is right, tremble, and seek his face and repent. While you still have a breath of life in your body. God Bless you as you seek him.
Folks, it's not about Me, Myself, and I. We, as his creation need to repent from our sins, if we are going truly going to experience a life of love, peace and joy.
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