Analysis: How Nelson-Reid Compromise Allows Abortion Funding in Health Care

LifeNews ^ | December 19, 2009 | Steven Ertelt

[GonzoII]

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Pro-life groups have spent most of Saturday morning furiously analyzing the Nelson-Reid compromise language on abortion funding in the Senate health care bill. Their conclusion is that the language undermines the amendments they wanted to ban abortion funding.

The compromise language appears in the manager's amendment Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is offering to shore up the 60 votes he needs to overcome the filibuster against the pro-abortion health care bill.

The language is not similar to the Stupak and Nelson amendments approved by the House and defeated in the Senate.

Instead, Section 38 adds a provision allowing states to opt out of providing abortion coverage through the exchange and adds further layers of accounting requirements that pro-life groups are calling gimmicks to hide abortion funding.

The result remains the same and, contrary to longstanding policy, the federal government will subsidize private health insurance plans that cover abortion.

The manager's amendment also strikes the public option and replaces it with a program similar to the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) run by the Office of Personnel Management. However, unlike the FEHBP, the Director of OPM will contract with health insurance companies to provide insurance that includes abortion.

The National Right to Life Committee informed LifeNews.com it strongly opposes the abortion language and complained that "Reid intends to press for Senate approval of the language during the days immediately ahead, without allowing an opportunity for any revisions to be considered."

"The manager’s amendment is light years removed from the Stupak-Pitts Amendment that was approved by the House of Representatives on November 8 by a bipartisan vote of 240-194," NRLC legislative director Douglas Johnson told LifeNews.com. "The new abortion language solves none of the fundamental abortion-related problems with the Senate bill, and it actually creates some new...

[GonzoII]

[pnh102]

The federal government has funded murdering babies for a long, long time now. Every dollar that goes to Planned Parenthood funds the murder of children.

[GonzoII]

Ping.

[Carley]

With Nelson it never was about the life of the unborn. It was always about extorting our dollars for his state.

[Vaduz]

Democrats live like game shows Let’s Make A Deal and The Price is right.

[stevem]

How Nelson-Reid Compromise Allows Abortion Funding in Health Care

Does it really matter? Nelson was never going to block cloture. He just needed a little cover or thought he did. He won't vote against the final bill.

There is so much talk about clowns like Bayh and Webb sitting on the fence. What nonsense.

The interesting guy in all of this is Lieberman. He was groin kicked on the Senate floor the other day even though he's the one holding the big stick. We will see in the end if the big stick is just a puppy tail tucked firmly between his legs.

[Mrs. Don-o]

This is the biggie, the 60-votes-needed-for-cloture vote. Nelson can still vote against it and kill the bill.

Exhort him! Shame him! Call him back to duty!

Click here to go to Ben Nelson's web-based message system and leave a message. After you send the message, do a cut-and-paste: copy the message, hit the "Back" button twice, click on "send message,"and do it again. And again. And again.

Let's break down his damn servers.

Then: Click here to SIGN THE EMERGENCY PETITION asking Nelson to keep his promise and vote AGAINST the manager's amendment (abortion funding.)

Don't grow weary this late in the fight.
There are three cloture votes needed.
Nelson hasn't voted for one yet.

[Salvation]

This needs to get out to the public.

[bronxville]

And after the 3 times. Start again by only changing the Subject line..

I’ve just sent him over 20 in a few minutes. Will do more tomorrow.

Thanks for this excellent info.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Yay! You're my kind of activist!

Nelson did have a 100% positive voting record from National Right to Life. Here was a guy I didn't think would fold. If he were a known prostitute, I would have felt cynical but not betrayed: but as it is, I feel stabbed in the back by somebody I actually trusted.

Perhaps with enough furious pressure put on him, he can develop a sudden clarity of vision and vote against cloture #2 and #3. I'm sure he can think of a plausible reason why he would suddenly find the HealthScam simply intolerable.

So, working for a double-triple cross, or whatever you want to call it. It'll do me good to get enthusiastically angry.

[Grampa Dave]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2411952/posts

Boycott Nebraska.
Me | 12/20/04 | Me

Posted on Sunday, December 20, 2009 5:30:01 PM by Jeff Gordon

Senator Nelson of Nebraska cut a special deal. In exchange for agreeing to allow government funds be used for abortions, he got a special deal for Nebraska. The special deal was that Nebraska would not have to pay matching funds for Medicade. All the other 49 states must pay matching funds. Many of those state like my own state of California can not afford to pay those matching funds.

Who pays for Nebraska’s Medicare casts? All of us who live in the other 49 states. BS, I say. We should not stand by while Nebraska sucks money from all the rest of us.

BOYCOTT Nebraska! We should not give them any additional revenue after they got this sweet heart deal.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2411952/posts