Senate Dems Plan For Floor Fight On Abortion Coverage In Health Reform Bill

Main Category: Abortion
Also Included In: Health Insurance / Medical Insurance
Article Date: 13 Nov 2009 - 2:00 PDT

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Senate Democrats are preparing for a fight over abortion coverage when floor debate begins on the chamber's version of health care reform legislation, CQ Today reports. According to CQ Today, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D-Nev.) version of the bill, which is yet to be released, is not likely to include restrictions on abortion coverage that will be strong enough to satisfy antiabortion-rights members. Sens. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) said they have not decided if they will offer an antiabortion amendment to Reid's bill. Nelson on Tuesday said, "I think the Hyde Amendment is fairly clear and it ought to be carried over into any legislation here." He added that the "question of how you do it is of course going to be open. That'll probably be a big debate on the floor."

Abortion-rights supporters are "outraged" over the inclusion of an amendment by Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) to the House health reform bill (HR 3962) that would prohibit public and private insurance plans from covering abortion services if they receive any federal subsidies, except in cases of rape, incest or to save the woman's life (Wayne, CQ Today, 11/11). According to The Hill's "Blog Briefing Room," House Democratic leaders have said that they hope the amendment will be removed during conference with the final Senate version. If the Senate adopts a similar amendment, chances would diminish that the language would be stripped during conference, according to "Blog Briefing Room" (O'Brien, "Blog Briefing Room," The Hill, 11/11).

Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) on Wednesday voiced her opposition to the Stupak language, saying that it goes too far by prohibiting the services private insurance plans can offer. Lincoln, a member of the Senate Finance Committee who is up for re-election in 2010, said she does not think the language is needed, adding, "We went to great lengths in the Finance Committee bill (S 1796) to make sure that we were extremely respectful to the current law, that we didn't add to it or take away from it in any way" (DeMillo, AP/USA Today, 11/11). According to CQ Today, Reid is likely to retain the abortion coverage language included in the Senate Finance Committee's bill, which he has previously said addresses the issue "in a responsible way" (CQ Today, 11/11).

Advocates Fight Amendment, Meet With White House

Abortion-rights advocacy groups are working to fight Stupak's amendment and any similar efforts in the Senate, Politico reports. The Planned Parenthood Federation of America on Tuesday met with 80 progressive groups to create a strategy to prevent the inclusion of Stupak's amendment in the final health reform bill. The meeting included the Service Employees International Union, MoveOn.org, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Center for American Progress and the Human Rights Campaign, among other groups.

Politico reports that NARAL Pro-Choice America plans to initiate calls from abortion-rights advocates in 17 states to their senators' offices next week. An online petition to Reid opposing the Stupak language collected 30,000 signatures in less than 24 hours, and a grassroots e-mail campaign is scheduled to start soon, the group said.

Groups Threaten To Drop Support for Dems Who Voted for Stupak Amendment

In related news, NARAL and PPFA are threatening to withhold their support from Reps. Ciro Rodriguez (D-Texas) and Harry Teague (D-N.M.) for voting for the Stupak amendment, The Hill reports. Both representatives "stood out" as lawmakers who received donations from the two groups last cycle, The Hill reports.

NARAL political director Elizabeth Shipp said the group has "reached out to these members and will inform them that there will be consequences for not standing with us on this vote." She added, "Our expectation is that they will see how the Stupak amendment adversely affects women and reconsider their position if the issue comes before the House again" (Blake, The Hill, 11/12).

Rep. Kennedy, Boston Bishop Postpone Meeting on Abortion Coverage

Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.) and Bishop Thomas Tobin of Providence postponed a meeting that was scheduled to take place Thursday, the New York Times reports. They were scheduled to discuss whether health reform legislation should cover abortion services, an issue that has had them locked in a "bitter rift" for several weeks, the Times reports (Goodnough, New York Times, 11/12).

USA Today Includes Q&A on Abortion Coverage in Health Reform Bill

USA Today on Thursday included a question and answer piece examining the issue of abortion coverage in health care reform (Hall, USA Today, 11/12).

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