GOP Seeks To Rally Opposition To Health Reform Over Abortion, Other Issues

Main Category: Abortion
Article Date: 23 Oct 2009 - 4:00 PDT

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To counter mounting Democratic momentum on health reform, House Republicans are increasingly working to rally critics of reform proposals, including through a renewed focus on abortion coverage in House legislation (HR 3200), The Hill reports. The GOP efforts also include stepped up opposition over taxes and what they call a "skewed" poll showing that most U.S. residents support a public option.

On Wednesday, Rep. Lincoln Davis (D-Tenn.), a member of the Blue Dog Coalition, said that he would vote against the House health reform bill if it "allowed taxpayer dollars to pay for abortions." Several conservative Republicans -- including House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (Va.), House GOP Conference Chair Mike Pence (Ind.) and Sen. Sam Brownback (Kan.) -- joined Davis as he made the announcement. Abortion-rights opponents lobbying against the House health reform bill also put forth a petition against including federal funding for coverage of abortion services that they say includes 150,000 signatures, The Hill reports.

Conservative Rep. Joe Pitts (R-Pa.) noted that the issue wasn't about "the legality or illegality of abortion -- it is about keeping the government out of the business of promoting abortion as healthcare." Pitts and Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) collected 181 signatures to a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and House Rules Committee Chair Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) in late September requesting that they allow a vote on their amendment to ban federal funds to plans that cover abortion services. The Energy and Commerce Committee bill had been modified to add significant abortion restrictions, but the changes did not satisfy Stupak, who was one of five panel Democrats to reject the measure (Hooper, The Hill, 10/21).

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