Abortion to Be New Flashpoint in Senate Bill

Wall St. Journal ^ | November 23rd 2009

[Steelfish]

NOVEMBER 24, 2009

Abortion to Be New Flashpoint in Senate Bill

Activists Aim to Keep Curbs Out of Final Health-Overhaul Measure After Being Caught Off Guard by Amendment in House

NAFTALI BENDAVID

WASHINGTON -- Abortion-rights groups, acknowledging they were caught off guard by a last-minute amendment toughening abortion restrictions in the House health-care bill, are mobilizing to ensure that doesn't happen in the Senate. A protester in Los Angeles Friday opposed an amendment by Rep. Bart Stupak toughening abortion restrictions.

Activists hope to flood Washington to lobby against such restrictions on Dec. 2 as Senate floor debate begins. Activists hope to flood Washington to rally and lobby on Dec. 2, during the week that Senate floor debate begins. The Center for Reproductive Rights has aired television ads criticizing the restrictions.

On Tuesday, activists will announce the creation of the Coalition to Pass Health Care Reform and Stop Stupak, a network of more than 30 groups. Planned Parenthood -- which says it will oppose the final bill if it contains the restrictions -- has started a petition drive that has been promoted by Cosmopolitan magazine.

"At least it will be a fully engaged debate on both sides," said Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights. "It really wasn't, the first time around. It was a midnight deal."

In the House debate earlier this month, an amendment offered by Rep. Bart Stupak (D., Mich.) stipulated that the bill's publicly run health-insurance plan couldn't cover abortions. It also forbids anyone who receives a federal health subsidy under the bill from buying an insurance policy -- even mostly with their own money -- that covers abortion.

People would be allowed to purchase a rider covering abortion with their own money, however.

[American Constitutionalist]

Those senators who oppose this CrapCare bill need to read the US CONSTITUTION our loud and slowly before they even take a vote on this monstrosity.

[Frantzie]

I bet doctors are letting them know and also insurance companies. I bet the health industry is promising to donate plenty to people who will run against anyone who votes for this. Keep calling and faxing.

Hopefully Stupak and the Blue Dogs/pro lifers in the House decide to get tough or they will get screwed.

[dr_who]

The Senate's Health-Care Act: For Democratic 'moderates,' the political play is the thing.

This is all Chinese opera. Reid and his fellow terroris-er-Democrats is going to make a few token alterations to the bill and bribe the senators he needs to bribe to ram this through largely intact. We don't matter, because the Democrats and quite a few Republicans think we're stupid and we will get used to this bill once it get signed. The MSM will still be around to run breathless headlines about the historic bill and the historic moments when it goes into effect. Even if Obama gets his a** thrown out of office, the Republicrat will more than likely run in front of it instead of stopping it. Until then, the senators are going to play a little game with us in the hopes that we won't hold them accountable for (accidentally, mind you) launching us into a century-long socialist morass.

If this bill passes, Republicans won't have the votes to get it repealed, much less the balls to vote on it. Even if this bill got bottled up in the senate or in conference and there was an electoral landslide that voted the Democrats out of power a year from now, the Democrats would make trouble during the lame duck session. They're not afraid of voters. The system of government that we've been tought to respect is little more than a smokescreen that conceals a system of political patronage and powerjockeying by an entrenched elite. We need something much bigger than 1994 for the events of 2011 to make any difference at all.

[Steelfish]

“We need something much bigger than 1994 for the events of 2011 to make any difference at all.”

Sadly, this won’t happen short of a major stock market collapse like the one in 2008.

[dr_who]

I bet the health industry is promising to donate plenty to people who will run against anyone who votes for this.

The various health industries will roll over and play dead again if they think the bill is going to pass. They don't give a damn about unborn babies any more than Democrats do.

[MrBambaLaMamba]

Someone informed me that abortion funding for Caucasian women making over $25K would not be covered by the public option/Obama care bill.
If true, would that be considered racist or a good thing?

[dr_who]

It wouldn’t hurt the Democrats. It would probably help them. Obama would take advantage of the ensuing panic and the MSM would attack Wall Street “greed”.

[Steelfish]

As far as the voting public goes, economic collapses are inevitably laid at the door of the WH.

[Frantzie]

Not to sound like a jerk but if Notre Dame and the majority of (faux) Catholics who voted for the Muslim don’t give a s**t about babies then don’t expect the healthcare companies to.

My hope and belief is companies, especially, insurance companies will be fight for their shareholders, policyholders and employees because many will be fighting for their survival. This also includes HMOs.

I would never bet against insurance companies. They do not want to end up like banks and they will push back. Lieberman knows Aetna butters his bread and knows Dodd is going down in flames in 2010. Unum and other insurance companies in Maine will be on the two girls.

I would bet Lilly, Zimmer and other health care companies will be on Bayh in IN.

[dr_who]

Either way, don’t underestimate the amount of damage someone like Obama can do in just 3 years. Even with a republican majority. Which is still wishful thinking at this point. Not to mention the perverse hope that a market collapse would reverse the current political situation.

[SoFloFreeper]

Well, that and the government plan. And higher taxes. And fewer doctors. And less research.