Senator Ben Nelson initially indicated he would insist on funding for abortion
In November, the House of Representatives passed the Stupak-Pitts amendment (240-194) prohibiting direct or indirect federal taxpayer subsidies for abortion through the comprehensive health care reform bill before the House. The battle then moved to the Senate where senators Robert Casey Jr. (D, Penn.) and Ben Nelson (D, Neb.) fought for a similar amendment in the bill brought forward by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.
Reid said his bill would not subsidize abortion although it would have set up a system of indirect funding to insurance plans that covered abortion. The Casey-Nelson amendment was thus tabled without a vote. Casey soon was backing a compromise measure similar to Reid’s language.
The Casey-Reid compromise allows so-called segregated funds within an insurance plan to cover abortion, but the National Right to Life Committee said it was a phony firewall that could “evaporate” easily in the future. Americans United for Life criticized the segregation of funds as a violation the Hyde Amendment which prohibits insurance plans that receive federal subsidies to cover abortion at all.
The final manager’s amendment – Senator Reid being the manager – included a provision that would require private health plans to cover abortion. Furthermore, the Mikulski amendment that had already passed requires abortion coverage under the guise of preventative medicine for women.
Initially, Nelson stood firm and indicated he would oppose the compromise as insufficient to prevent abortion funding, but on Dec. 19, he announced he would support the bill. It was revealed that he obtained from Reid an extra $100 million in health care funding for his home state. It was also reported that the White House leaned on Nelson to join his 59 fellow Democrats and Democrat-leaning independents to pass the Senate bill. WorldNetDaily reported the administration threatened to close a military base in Nebraska if the senator did not vote for the bill. On Dec. 20, the Senate passed a procedural vote 60-40 – breaking the filibuster-proof threshold of 60 votes – to move the legislation to a final vote later that week.
If it passed in the days before Christmas, the Senate and House Democrat leaders will meet in conference this month to re-write the legislation so that the same bill goes back to each chamber for a final vote.
The Stupak-Pitts amendment will likely be excised from the final bill. Rep. Bart Stupak (D, Mich.) says there are at least a dozen pro-life Democrats who will oppose any final bill that allows abortion to be subsidized.
Despite assurances from Congressional leaders and President Barack Obama that health care reform would not lead to expansion of abortion coverage, the original versions obtained no such limits and the House bill had abortion funding restrictions only after an acrimonious battle.
Taxpayer funding of abortion is not the only concern pro-lifers have with the bills.
The National Right to Life Committee has complained that patients will not be allowed to use their own money to obtain life-saving medical care.
Americans United for Life says that there is no safeguard against federal funds going to assisted suicide, which is legal in Washington and Oregon, and that the Comparative Effectiveness Research measures within the bill will lead to rationing of essential medical care. AUL also points out there is no conscience protection for health care professionals or agencies in either the House or Senate bill.
