Stupak Renews Abortion Threats in Health Reform

March 4, 2010 — A day after President Obama called for an "up-or-down vote" on health care reform legislation, Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) said Thursday on ABC's "Good Morning America" that he and 11 other House members will vote against any final bill that does not include more restrictive language on federal funding for abortion coverage, ABC News reports. "We're not going to vote for this bill with that kind of language," Stupak said, referring to the Senate bill's (HR 3590) abortion language, which is less restrictive than Stupak's amendment in the House bill (HR 3962). 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 customers would be required to send in two premium payments each month -- one for abortion coverage and one for all other services. Abortion-rights supporters say that the Stupak amendments far exceeds current federal restrictions, which bar federal funding for abortion, and that they will oppose any final bill that includes it (Khan, ABC News, 3/4).

Stupak has said previously that he does support President Obama's health reform proposal (Women's Health Policy Report, 2/25). Last week, he claimed he had 15 to 20 Democrats willing to withhold support of health reform because of "other problems" not related to abortion. It is unclear "if or how many [lawmakers] overlap between the two groups" --those who oppose the plan because of abortion and those who have other concerns -- according to The Hill's "Blog Briefing Room" (O'Brien, "Blog Briefing Room," The Hill, 3/3). On Thursday, he said he and other antiabortion-rights House members are "prepared to take the responsibility" of blocking health reform over abortion coverage and are "not going to bypass some principles and beliefs that we feel strongly about" (Khan, ABC News, 3/4). Stupak made similar comments in an appearance Wednesday on MSNBC's "Hardball." He said, "We're not compromising on this issue," adding, "I want to see health care as much as the president and the speaker, but this is a principle and belief" (Frates, "Live Pulse," Politico, 3/3).

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, who also appeared on "Good Morning America" Thursday morning, said, "I think the president has made it clear from the outset that the health reform bill should not change the status quo on abortion policy in America. That's not what this is about." She added, "There will be no federal funding for abortion. This isn't about abortion debate. It's about health reform." Sebelius also said that Obama is "talking about Congress moving again on the bills that have already passed. And I think the American people deserve and up-or-down vote," adding, "It's urgent, ... and we need to figure out how to move as quickly as possible." (ABC News, 3/4).

Questions Over Budget Reconciliation

In a speech at the White House on Wednesday, Obama endorsed a legislative strategy that relies on the budget reconciliation process to enact a set of changes not included in the Senate bill. Under this plan, the House first would pass the Senate's bill in its current form. Both chambers would then pass several amendments to the Senate bill in a budget reconciliation bill. Budget reconciliation bills can be approved by a simple majority vote in the Senate, obviating the need to meet the 60-vote threshold to avoid a filibuster (Murray/Montgomery, Washington Post, 3/4).

The health reform proposal Obama released last week maintains the Senate bill's language (Women's Health Policy Report, 3/3). In a press conference Tuesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said that the budget reconciliation bill can only include provisions that directly affect the federal budget. Therefore, the bill cannot be used to alter the Senate bill's abortion coverage language, CQ Today reports (Wayne, CQ Today, 3/3).

However, Stupak contended on "Good Morning America" that the more restrictive abortion language he favors could be included through reconciliation. He said, "You can do it, if there's a will there's a way." He added, "That's just the excuse they're giving" (ABC News, 3/4). On "Hardball," he said, "It would have to be a separate bill; you could sidebar it to the final bill" ("Blog Briefing Room," The Hill, 3/3).

Because of the likelihood that some House members will vote against reform over the abortion issue, Pelosi must change the votes of at least some of the 39 Democrats who voted against the House bill for reasons not related to abortion, according to the Washington Post. One such vote is moderate Rep. Jason Altmire (D-Pa.), who on Wednesday said he is encouraged by the direction of the discussions and that the bill "that appears is going to be brought forward is better than the bill I had to vote on in the House" (Washington Post, 3/4).

Some abortion-rights supporters -- both "in and out of Congress" -- said on Wednesday they are still concerned about the possibility of new restrictions on abortion coverage through health reform legislation, the New York Times reports. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), co-chair of the Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus, said that language restricting insurers' ability to offer abortion coverage "remains in the president's proposal, and we are very concerned about that" (Stolberg/Pear, New York Times, 3/3).