(February 11, 2009 - Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images North America)
Democratic Senator Ben Nelson is planning to call his fellow Dem’s in the Senate today on their promises not to include language that could potentially lead to federal funding of abortions. He intends to stand firm on his pledge to introduce an amendment similar to the Stubeck Amendment in the House which would definitively prohibit federal money from being spent on abortion related services.
Some see this amendment’s addition as a deal breaker for those in the pro-life camp, but many on the Left see it as equally cumbersome. Even though Lib-Dem’s have time and time again taken the position that said allocation of federal funding is already prohibited under federal statute, they still refuse to cave on adding the language to the bill to ease any concerns for the pro-lifers.
I have to say that it is nice to see a Dem with a backbone. Nelson has always been one of the legitimate moderates on that side. His position is certainly not winning him the favor of his own party, so the gesture is all the more commendable. The amendment’s success is still a tossup. All Republicans could be expected to support it, but other than Nelson, it is unclear if there is any support on that side. To be fair, Snowe and Collins are always toss-ups on our side as well, so there really is no way of predicting how this will play out today. It is expected to come to debate today, so I guess by tomorrow, we will know the true intentions of those who support this bill.
Senators will consider an amendment that closely mirrors language in the House version of the bill, barring federally subsidized health insurance plans from covering abortion even if the procedures are paid for entirely with customers’ premiums.
Sen. Ben Nelson, a prominent anti-abortion Democrat, along with other lawmakers in both parties has insisted that taxpayer funds not be used to pay for abortions in a government-run health program.
The Nebraska Democrat is proposing an amendment that will reflect language in the one Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., offered in the House last month. It prohibits insurance companies from covering an abortion for any woman who receives a government subsidy to offset premium costs.
Nelson has said he doesn’t expect a vote before Tuesday. The amendment appeared unlikely to gain the necessary 60 votes in the 100-member Senate, according to numerous lawmakers.
Nelson has become a critical figure in the health care debate in the Senate. He has pledged to vote with Republicans to filibuster the legislation if it does not include the Stupak amendment. Without his support, Democrats would need to pick up a Republican vote to pass their health care bill.
If the amendment fails to pass, the issue will likely fall on the shoulders of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who may face the daunting task of trying to strike a compromise on the issue.
Democratic leaders hope to soften the House’s tougher language in eventual House-Senate negotiations designed to send a bill to President Obama.
He may be a moderate, but he can’t do anything to stop this bill or its payment of abortions. He will try and he will only achieve success in getting himself not relected. Democrats consume their own. they will kill him for this.
[...] Nelson to Make a Stand on Abortion Language [...]
[...] get ready to bend over and take this one like you should have seen coming. I too have been fooled by Nelson as this process has moved along. I began to think he was a genuine moderate. Such a [...]
I am always against abortion because it is a sin to kill an innocent child.”*,
abortion should really be banned forever and those who do it should be jailed,’.