Senate GOP To Reintroduce Abortion Amendments During Floor Debate On Health Reform

Main Category: Abortion
Also Included In: Health Insurance / Medical Insurance
Article Date: 15 Oct 2009 - 4:00 PDT

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Senate Republicans plan to reintroduce amendments regarding abortion and other controversial issues when health care reform legislation reaches the chamber's floor for debate, CQ Today reports. The Senate Finance Committee and the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee rejected the amendments during panel markups.

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), who is a member of both committees, said he will offer two abortion-related amendments that the Finance Committee rejected on Sept. 30. The first amendment would ban insurers that receive federal subsidies from covering abortion services except in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the woman. The other amendment would prohibit federal or state governments or health plans that receive federal subsidies "from discriminating against physicians or health facilities that do not offer abortion services," according to CQ Today.

GOP senators also are expected to introduce amendments related to coverage for undocumented immigrants, tax provisions and medical malpractice lawsuits. Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) said he would offer an amendment that would limit medical malpractice damages related to obstetrical and gynecological services. Gregg said the amendment is a "cost saver" that would attract bipartisan support.

Republicans say reintroducing the amendments is one of the few ways they can shape the debate and emphasize their political positions. There are 58 Democrats in the Senate and two independents who usually vote with the Democrats.

Senate Democrats say the GOP minority is offering the amendments as a way to stall reform. "The numbers of amendments and the types of amendments offered have clearly told us the Republican strategy, and that is to slow this down as much as possible and try to delay passage of health care reform," Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) said (Hunter, CQ Today, 10/13).

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