It looks like Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) isn’t happy with Democrat Rep. Bart Stupak’s efforts to make sure that taxpayer dollars do not pay for abortions in any new health care plan and, according to The Hill, “he may work with Republicans to torpedo healthcare reform unless he gets a vote to strip abortion-related provisions out of the House bill.”
From The Hill’s Blog Briefing Room:
During an interview on C-SPAN’s ‘Washington Journal’ show, Stupak (D-Mich.) said he is undeterred in trying to ensure that taxpayer dollars do not pay for abortions. Stupak, who opposes abortion rights, acknowledged that some in his party are upset with his public campaign to change the bill.
‘The Speaker is not happy with me,’ Stupak said.
Stupak has pulled together 40 like-minded Democrats who plan to block healthcare reform legislation from coming to a vote on the House floor if the bill includes federal subsidies for abortions. As The Hill reports, “Stupak wants a vote on the House floor to strike the language, and predicts he would have the votes to pass such an amendment.”
The northern Michigan democrat’s threat to work with Republicans to halt healthcare reform appear tailored to forcing a vote to strip abortion-related provisions from the House bill. From The Hill:
Stupak said one way or the other, there will be a vote on the abortion language, either “though a rule, or on the floor, or on a motion to recommit.”
Why is this an issue?
Even though President Barack Obama pledged, “Under our plan, no federal dollars will be used to fund abortions,” The Foundry previously reported that Obamacare will force the American people to pay for abortions because there is no law to prevent it from happening. What’s more, a provision known as the Hyde amendment, which blocks federal dollars from being spent on Health and Human Services programs, doesn’t apply to the health care reform.
But don’t take our word for it. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops sent a letter to Congress on October 8th writing: “No one should be required to pay for or participate in abortion. … No current bill meets this test.”
