Obama Steps Up Health Reform Message As Stupak Defends Efforts To Tighten Abortion-Coverage Restrictions

Main Category: Abortion
Also Included In: Health Insurance / Medical Insurance
Article Date: 10 Mar 2010 - 2:00 PDT

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As Democratic leaders attempt to resolve differences between the House (HR 3962) and Senate (HR 3590) health reform bills, President Obama on Monday held a rally in Pennsylvania to urge members of his party not to waver in their fight to enact the overhaul, the New York Times reports. During his speech, Obama said his critics have "warned us we may not win" and "argued now is not the right time for reform." He said, "My question to them is: When is the right time? If not now, when? If not us, who?" (Cooper/Herszenhorn, New York Times, 3/9).

Meanwhile, Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) held a town hall rally in his home district to defend his opposition to the Senate health reform bill's language on abortion coverage (Flesher, AP/Google, 3/9). Stupak argues that the Senate language does not go far enough to restrict abortion coverage in health plans that receive federal subsidies. Instead, he is advocating for more restrictive language that mirrors an amendment he sponsored in the House version of the bill. Stupak's amendment would prohibit insurance companies from selling plans that include abortion coverage to any people who receive help from the government in paying their premium. The Senate's language would allow such plans to offer the coverage, but to ensure that only private funds are used to pay for abortion coverage customers would be required to send in two premium payments each month -- one for abortion coverage and one for all other services (Women's Health Policy Report, 3/4).

Stupak said last week that he does not think House leaders have enough votes to pass the Senate version of the bill. However, he said Monday that he is "more optimistic than a week ago" that a compromise is possible. "The president says he doesn't want to expand or restrict current law (on abortion). Neither do I," Stupak said, adding, "That's never been our position." He added that he believes that there is "some language that we can agree on that hits both points."

Stupak said that he plans to resume discussions this week with House leaders on possible changes to the Senates health reform bill's language on abortion coverage (AP/Google, 3/9). According to CongressDaily, Stupak has been in talks with House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) about the language. A Waxman aide said Stupak provided eight pieces of legislation with abortion language Stupak considers acceptable.

House Abortion Opponents Confirm Support for Stupak

Democratic Reps. Dan Lipinski (Ill.) and James Oberstar (Minn.) have confirmed that they will join Stupak in opposing any final bill that includes the Senate language on abortion coverage. Stupak has claimed that there are 11 House members who will vote against health reform legislation because of the Senate language, CongressDaily reports.

The most likely strategy for passing health reform would be to have the House pass the current version of the Senate bill, then both chambers passing a budget reconciliation bill that would include changes to the Senate bill. Procedural rules for using the budget reconciliation process mean that such bills can only include provisions that directly affect the federal budget. Lipinski on Monday said he believes the most likely way to address the abortion issue would be to pass a third bill. He added, "It appears to me that abortion is not an issue that can be dealt with in a reconciliation bill. However, there are things that still surprise me, even though I was a political science professor prior to joining Congress" (Edney, CongressDaily, 3/9).

Associated Press Examines Abortion Coverage Debate

The AP/Yahoo! News on Tuesday featured a question-and-answer piece on the abortion-coverage debate and the possible effect it could have on health care reform efforts (Alonso-Zaldivar, AP/Yahoo! News, 3/9).

Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.nationalpartnership.org. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.

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