Republicans Hail the 64 'Pro-Life' Democrats
By Paul Bedard, Washington Whispers
Blocking government funding of abortions, the major compromise in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's healthcare reform bill Saturday night, was a significant victory for antiabortion Republicans who have long sought to identify "pro-life" Democrats. "This vote locks in 64 Democrats on this precise pro-life language," a key GOP adviser says of the vote on the Stupak-Pitts amendment.
The amendment bars government funds under the Pelosi healthcare plan for payment for abortion except in cases of rape, incest, or when the mother's life is in danger. The Senate, now beginning to debate its version of healthcare reform, is expected to see a similar fight over the abortion language, and President Obama this week suggested that he doesn't want the restrictive antiabortion language in the final bill.
Liberal Democrats who opposed the amendment have suggested that they will fight to insert insurance funding for abortions in the final bill during conference, when the House and Senate get together to cobble together a compromise package. However, Pelosi might have difficulty getting enough votes if the 64 Democrats hold their ground. "If the Senate does pass a bill and conference tries to eliminate this antiabortion provision, the 64 Democrats will have to decide do they maintain continuity with their first, principled vote, or do they not," says the Republican adviser.
Antiabortion groups like the National Right to Life Committee heralded the vote on the amendment. That group and other antiabortion activists plan to keep an eye on the upcoming votes to make sure that the 64 Democrats stick to their position.
The 64 Democrats:
- Altmire, Jason PA-4
- Baca, Joe CA-43
- Barrow, John GA-12
- Berry, Robert AR-1
- Bishop, Sanford GA-2
- Boccieri, John OH-16
- Boren, Dan OK-2
- Bright, Bobby AL-2
- Cardoza, Dennis CA-18
- Carney, Christopher PA-10
- Chandler, Ben KY-6
- Childers, Travis MS-1
- Cooper, Jim TN-5
- Costa, Jim CA-20
- Costello, Jerry IL-12
- Cuellar, Henry TX-28
- Dahlkemper, Kathleen PA-3
- Davis, Artur AL-7
- Davis, Lincoln TN-4
- Donnelly, Joe IN-2
- Doyle, Michael PA-14
- Driehaus, Steve OH-1
- Ellsworth, Brad IN-8
- Etheridge, Bob NC-2
- Gordon, Barton TN-6
- Griffith, Parker AL-5
- Hill, Baron IN-9
- Holden, Tim PA-17
- Kanjorski, Paul PA-11
- Kaptur, Marcy OH-9
- Kildee, Dale MI-5
- Langevin, James RI-2
- Lipinski, Daniel IL-3
- Lynch, Stephen MA-9
- Marshall, James GA-8
- Matheson, Jim UT-2
- McIntyre, Mike NC-7
- Melancon, Charles LA-3
- Michaud, Michael ME-2
- Mollohan, Alan WV-1
- Murtha, John PA-12
- Neal, Richard MA-2
- Oberstar, James MN-8
- Obey, David WI-7
- Ortiz, Solomon TX-27
- Perriello, Thomas VA-5
- Peterson, Collin MN-7
- Pomeroy, Earl ND
- Rahall, Nick WV-3
- Reyes, Silvestre TX-16
- Rodriguez, Ciro TX-23
- Ross, Mike AR-4
- Ryan, Timothy OH-17
- Salazar, John CO-3
- Shuler, Heath NC-11
- Skelton, Ike MO-4
- Snyder, Victor AR-2
- Space, Zachary OH-18
- Spratt, John SC-5
- Stupak, Bart MI-1
- Tanner, John TN-8
- Taylor, Gene MS-4
- Teague, Harry NM-2
- Wilson, Charles OH-6
———
Tags: abortion | Democrats | healthcare
Tools: 
Share
|
| Comments (3) | Print
Reader Comments
Love for Life
Thank You to all the Democrats that Protected Human Life. Thank You to all the Republicans that Protected Human Life. Thank You for standing strong for a culture of Love and Care above a culture of death.
Love and Care for Human Life is more important than party lines is the message that these Great Democrat and Republican Leaders have sent.
We the people as a nation who care about others no longer want abortion. Americans know the Truth that Abortion is holocaustic slaughter of human Life.
Abortion is the greatest detroyer of Life in America. It destroys human life at a rate of more than 3200 babies a day in America.
Americans want Life over death. Americans want Love and Care over death.
Americans want Health Care that Protects Life.
Mr. Bedard, you do not have your facts right
Unfortunately, this post does not report correctly on what the Stupak Amendment seeks to codify into law.
The Amendment does NOT simply block government funding for abortion care. This is something that is ALREADY federal law via the Hyde Amendment. If this is all the House health care reform bill did, pro-choice and women's health advocates would have been fine with it. These organizations repeatedly stated this.
What the US Catholic Bishops lobbied for - and got - was an amendment that, in addition to prohibiting any coverage of abortion in the public option, prohibits *anyone* receiving a federal subsidy from purchasing a health insurance plan that includes abortion. It also prohibits private health insurance plans from offering through the exchange a plan that includes abortion coverage to both subsidized and unsubsidized individuals.
Therefore, millions of women will lose the benefits they already have and millions more would be prohibited from getting the kind of private sector health care coverage that most women have today.
Please correct the post or clarify. What you are writing about is simply the Hyde Amendment - not the Stupak Amendment.
For a detailed overview of what the Stupak Amendment really does, you can read this:
http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/11/09/stupak-amendment-jessica/
Thank you,
Amie Newman
RH Reality Check
Congratulations to THESE Democrats BUT...
They STILL missed the real point.
NO PERSONAL MEDICAL PROCEDURE IS THE BUSINESS OF GOVERNMENT!
To fund or not fund...NOT their business.
To die or not die...NOT their business.
It is NOT the business of OUR Government to provide.
It IS the business of OUR Government to provide opportunity to PROVIDE for ourselves.
Self reliance is what built OUR Nation.
Dependance is what WILL destroy it.
advertisement
