Posted on 11/07/2009 5:26:39 PM PST by cmj328
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A handful of pro-life Republicans in Congress have a difference of opinion on legislative strategy and it has produced a friction that has blossomed during the debate on the pro-abortion health care bill. The difference concerns whether the Stupak Amendment could result in helping the health care bill.
The pro-life movement has been fighting for months to get language included in the health care reform bill to make sure it does not fund abortions through the public option and the affordability credits.
After refusing pro-life Rep. Bart Stupak a vote on his amendment to stop abortion funding, Speaker Nancy Pelosi caved in on Friday night and allowed a vote today because enough pro-life and moderate Democrats threatened to defect and vote against the bill.
Pelosi allowed the vote but, during the debate today, House Democrats refused to say whether they would keep the Stupak amendment in the bill as it moves along in the process, even if it is approved.
Sensing that and worrying that adding the amendment would allow more votes on the bill itself from pro-life Democrats who would otherwise vote against it should it lack the Stupak amendment, some pro-life Republicans plan to vote "present" on the Stupak amendment.
Rep. John Shadegg, an Arizona Republican who is pro-life, has been emailing back and forth today about the amendment vote and is the leading lawmaker who may vote present. He even signed a letter calling on Congress to allow the Stupak amendment vote.
He disagrees with groups like the Family Research Council and Americans United for Life who have said they will score any present votes as a no vote against the pro-life amendment.
Shadegg told Politico this afternoon that this is a “bad call” for pro-life organizations and he doesn't want to “give a vote away” to pro-life groups that he believes would help ensure passage of the health care reform bill.
“(Nancy) Pelosi is speaker and she’s pro abortion every minute of every hour of every day as speaker,” Shadegg said. “This is a vote to help her move the bill forward.”
“This is a gut-wrenching issue for a lot of people,” Shadegg said. “But I won't support Pelosi’s bill, which is not pro-life at all.”
Shadegg said he expected four other pro-life Republicans to go along with voting present on the amendment -- which could jeopardize passage of the Stupak amendment and keep abortion funding in the bill.
Politico indicates Republican Reps. Phil Gingrey, Steve King and Scott Garrett are likely to vote present.
National Right to Life legislative director Douglas Johnson told LifeNews.com he is very disappointed to hear some pro-life members will vote present. His group sent a letter to every Republican member of the House urging a yes vote on the Stupak amendment.
"The National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), its state affiliates, and many other pro-life groups -- including major religious bodies -- have worked hard for months to win adoption of the amendment to remove federal funding of abortion from the health care legislation," the letter said.
He noted that 158 republicans signed a letter to Pelosi calling for the vote.
"If lawmakers who claim the label of 'pro-life' now were to betray past commitments and withhold support from the amendment to remove government funding of abortion from the health care bill, by voting 'present,' resulting in the defeat of the Stupak-Pitts Amendment, it would be a day that would live in infamy," the Right to Life letter continued.
Anyone who votes against or "present" for this amendment in order to put party politics over saving the lives of babies and is a murderer and can go to Hell. Literally.
Please ping your lists and light up the switchboards for Shadegg, Gingrey, Garrett, and Steve King.
Vote present, I agree.
My goodness. Look at the BIG PICTURE. If Stupak fails (and it DID), now the blue dogs cannot, in their good conscience, vote FOR the final healthcare bill and it will fail! All of it. No federally funded abortions, no federally-funded healthcare for illegals, no private option, no NOTHING.
This is utter nonsense.
The goal is to DEFEAT Obamacare and Pelosicare.
Federal funding for abortion will go down to DEFEAT by defating the bill.
Defeating Stupak amendment is the right strategy.
I’ve been wondering about this myself. It seems to me if they vote to muck up the process, even if that means techinically voting against a prolife amendment, that’s still voting prolife in my book. Most research I’ve done, indicates that the amendment is out come conference time, so it’s just to give cover to dems. Don’t give them any cover.
Disagree totally.
If voting the amendment down creates a poison pill for PelosiCare, then I agree with those voting present.
This amendment wasn’t pro-life. It was fake. Designed only to give Democrats from conservative districts cover.
You’re so far off the beam on this it isn’t even funny.
The amendment contained not only rape and incest exceptions, it provided a health of the mother exception. It wouldn’t stop a single abortion, in other words.
You understand what is at stake while the poster of this thread doesn’t have a clue. The needed to vote no because Pelosi was going to strip it from the final bill anyway and basically said as much and why she agreed to a voice vote.
I agree with your comments 100%!
National Right to Life and their mouthpiece Ertelt are completely compromised.
But I’m sure they can leverage this into lots of fundraising dollars. After all, that’s what they’re all about.
My blood pressure is probably off the chart tonight.
We’re watching the destruction of our country.
That’s exactly right in our convoluted political system. Voting against a fake “pro-life” amendment is itself a pro-life act because it makes it crystal clear that it would only have facilitated the passage of an intrinsically evil bill.
Bullshit. It was life of the mother. Your hatred has compromised your soul. Go to Confession.
Absolutely. I appreciate the concern, but there is the reality of the legislative process: you can rarely get anything done if you take a vow of purity.
This approach is simply a means to an end. The GOP has few options these days, and if it can defeat Pelosicare through this maneuver, our ultimate goal is achieved.
Voting present gives cover to dems.
Me too.
Mine is right with you! I cannot believe what we are witnessing and also cannot believe anyone on here would fall for the Pelosi trick on abortion knowing full well she believes in abortion 100% including partial birth.
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