Abortion Issue May Derail ObamaCare
With all the controversy and debate over President Obama’s attempt at health care reform, it appears that the remaining obstacle is going to be abortion – this issue may well be the critical hinge to the passage of health care legislation.
As reported in today’s The New York Times:
Abortion opponents in both the House and the Senate are seeking to block the millions of middle- and lower-income people who might receive federal insurance subsidies to help them buy health coverage from using the money on plans that cover abortion.
And the abortion opponents are getting enough support from moderate Democrats that both sides say the outcome is too close to call. Opponents of abortion cite as precedent a 30-year-old ban on the use of taxpayer money to pay for elective abortions.
On the other hand, abortion-rights supporters say such a restriction would all but eliminate from the marketplace private plans that cover the procedure. They stress that this in effect, would force women who have such coverage to give it up.
The sticky wicket is President Obama’s campaign pledge to support abortion rights but to seek middle ground with those who do not. He has, however, promised for months that the health care overhaul would not provide federal money to pay for elective abortions.
Strong support for restrictions is emerging from moderate Democrats. For example Rep. Bart Stupak, D-MI, said he had commitments from 40 Democrats to block the health care bill unless they have a chance to include the restrictions.
This does not bode well for Pelosi and her health care zealots.
In the Senate, the Finance Committee is expected to vote this week on a proposed amendment from Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-UT, to restrict the use of federal subsidies for abortion.
According to the Times, Democratic abortion-rights opponents, Sen. Bob Casey, Jr. of Pennsylvania and Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska, are pushing the issue.
“Senator Nelson does not believe that taxpayer dollars should be used in any way to fund abortion,” his spokesman said.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, opposes the bill unless it bans the use of subsidies for plans that cover abortion.
“We have said to the White House and various Senate offices that we could be the best friends to this bill if our concerns are met,” Richard M. Doerflinger, a spokesman for the bishops on abortion issues, said in an interview. “But the concerns are kind of intractable.”
