Democrats break abortion impasse on health care overhaul vote

[47of74]

Source: AP

WASHINGTON — Capping months of months of struggle, House Democrats cleared an abortion-related impasse blocking a vote on sweeping health care legislation late Friday and officials expressed optimism they had finally lined up the support needed to pass President Barack Obama’s top domestic priority.

A vote was expected on the legislation on Saturday, after Obama’s scheduled midmorning trip to the Capitol complex to make one final pitch for its approval. The bill is designed to spread coverage to tens of millions who now lack it and ban insurance industry practices such as denying coverage on the basis of pre-existing medical conditions.

Under the arrangement, Reps. Bart Stupak of Michigan, Brad Ellsworth of Indiana and other abortion opponents were promised an opportunity to insert tougher restrictions into the legislation during debate on the House floor.

The leadership’s hope is that no matter how that vote turns out, Democrats on both sides of the abortion divide will then unite to give the health care bill a majority over unanimous Republican opposition.

Read more: http://www.suntimes.com/news/nation/1870519,health-care-house-impasse-110609.article

---

Te and a he, teabaggers.

[saracat]

1. Nice. Selling out women again. Religious right of the left wins again.

[Hawkeye-X]

2. And every single Democratic or Rethuglicans that imposes religion on US

needs to be voted out, immediately and given an scarlet A tattooed on their foreheads for the rest of their lives.

Hawkeye-X

[saracat]

3. But Rahm recruited them. After all, appeasment is fine .Women don't matter.

Like GLBT who else are they gonna vote for? We can always bargain women's respect away. It is held cheap.

[No Elephants]

29. Third party.

[zogtheobvious]

69. Aye.... but WHAT third party??

[defendandprotect]

80. And Rahm/DLC are still hatching those "little BLUE eggs" . . . !!!

[napi21]

4. I disagree with you. There are over a hundred methods of birth control.

USE ONE OF THEM or pay for your fix on your own. I'm not trying to insert religion in this at allo. I disagree with the idiots [aying for viagra too. What we do sexually on our own is OUR BUSINESS, but it also should be our problem.

[saracat]

5. Abortion isn't birth control. It is a medical procedure. But I guess

you feel ectopic pregnancies , illness such as cancer, spina bifida,stroke,epilepsy as well as coma's shouldn't have the abortions that pregnant women suffering from them may need to survive? And the victims of rape or insest should have just practiced better birth control? And speaking of which, you ARE aware that these nuts also consider birth control in an abortafacient and are workingto ban that as well? Those will not be likely to be covered by this as well.
And BTW< the ( pay for "Your" fix on your own) is amazingly disrespectful.Perhaps you should also tell that to addicts and patients with venereal diseases, or obesity?

[napi21]

11. Victims of rape & incest are VICTIMS and their abrtions should

paid for out of the victims fund. My objection to abortions being paid for with health care funds is that there are hundreds of different methods of BC. I dont want to pay for the people who are simply irresponsible! If they're stupid enough to have unprocted sex, then they can pay for their own problems.

[atreides1]

14. No reply to this

"you feel ectopic pregnancies , illness such as cancer, spina bifida,stroke,epilepsy as well as coma's shouldn't have the abortions that pregnant women suffering from them may need to survive?"

Or don't think that their survival is important? That's what I get from your lack of a reply to these situations!

[napi21]

20. That's not what I said. I'm talking about irresponsible people who just

want to have fun and pay no consiquences. You are trying to put words in my statement. I have no problem with abortion for the health and survival of the mother. I can even accept an abortion when it is determined that the baby will be deformed, or ailing in a very detrimental way. My major gripe is stupid & irresponsible people!

[saracat]

23. But you are willing to pay for stupid and irresponsible addicts, alcoholics

smokers, and fat people? Just not pregnant ones? But I suppose you are right.It is sooo much cheaper to no have to ensure all those unwanted children and provide care for them as well when the mother's can't afford to care for them as they are too stupid and irresponsible. It is much cheaper to have society raise them than pay for an abortion.!:sarcasm:

And I already know the feds wouldn't pay for an abortion anyway, under those conditions.I just want to point out how stupid the argument about not wanting too pay for it .

[napi21]

25. When did I ever say I was willing to pay for Addicts & alcholoics?

I'm not! I happen to thing addictx & alcholics are one & the same and they too voluntairly chose their options. They can voluntairily pay for the cure too.

[saracat]

27. You do realize that soon you will be disallowing anything? Do you know how

much like the insurance companies you sound? Alcoholism is actually a disease and addiction can be caused by many situations including prescribed care. Most illnesses could be traced to causes that could be claimed to be self induced, even if it may be a stretch. This is a slippery slope you are on.And a very arrogant and smug one as well.I certainly hope you remain extremely healthy.

[tonysam]

96. Treating alcoholism isn't controversial; abortion is

That's the difference. I'd hate to see health care reform hijacked because of abortion.

[No Elephants]

31. You are assuming everyone has the money to pay, if they have to. That is not

the case. And it's better for society to treat addicts than to leave them untreated.

[Cass]

39. Are you willing to pay for a diabetes patient? How about someone with heart disease?

Those conditions can be caused by lifestyle choices. Should they voluntarily pay for their own cures, too?

[ellie]

49. Really?

Addicts and alcoholics choose to be addicts and alcoholics? What a very sad post.

[freddie mertz]

51. Sweet Mother of Christ.

That's all I have for you my friend.

Maybe when you get a little older, you allow some complex thought to enter into your consciousness.

Till then, take care and best of luck navigating in the world.

[The Magistrate]

90. No One, Ma'am, Gives Two Tenths Of a Rat's Ass What You Think Of Other People's Behavior

You have no right whatever to assert the slightest degree of control over what anyone else does.

This nonesense about 'my tax dollars' needs to be brought to an abrupt halt. Once you pay the tax, they are no longer your dollars; they are our dollars, the dollars of society as a whole and of the government. This line was ridiculous when peace-protesters refused to pay the portion of their taxes that went to the Defense Department back in the sixties, and it is just as ludicrous in the mouths of anti-abortion fanatics subsequently.

[TankLV]

47. "people who just want to have fun and pay no consiquences"

There's your ASSHOLE argument in a NUTshell, isn't it?!!!

PEOPLE WHO ENJOY SEX SHOULD PAY THE CONSEQUENCES!!!

You fucking ANTI-SEX people really are fucking assholes...

[AzNick]

67. I always used condoms and/or my gfs used took the pill

And I always said I would be ready to take my responsibilities if I made a woman pregnant.

Most guys are not like me.

40 years old, married, we have enough kids, about to get the snip.

Guess what? Insurance very happy to pay for it. Of course they are.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

88. no no no,

only WOMEN who enjoy sex should pay the consequences!

The sluts.

(but I do support a strong, sane birth control ethic. That would be very empowering to women and a counter to the right wing sickness that views women as brood hens)

[The Magistrate]

91. Indeed, Ma'am: A Truly Disgusting And Outrageous Statement

[roody]

74. I don't want those irresponsible people to have children.

Nor the stupid and irresponsible ones.

[noamnety]

85. wold those "stupid people" include

those who take BC pills daily - and still get pregnant?

[wordpix]

94. do you want these same stupid, irrepsonsible people raising children they don't want?

Don't we have enough problems with bad parenting already?

[Chulanowa]

26. Nice straw man there.

Know what? Sometimes the pill doesn't work. Sometimes the condom doesn't. On occasion, a postmenopausal woman can still ovulate. Sometimes a medical situation arises and the pregnancy needs to be terminated. Sometimes an economic situation arises, too. Sometimes, people have sex and an unwanted pregnancy results.

And know what? It's not your fucking business, douchebag.

Arguing against abortion on grounds of "irresponsibility" is like arguing against unemployment insurance because of "laziness".

[Mithreal]

28. Excellent points, the name calling was unnecessary though, no?

Honestly I was way more offended by the views expressed by the DU'er you were responding to but some folks seem to think name calling is more offensive than rightwing talking points. I am not one of em, but oh well, gives me a chance to say hello and make a statement about civility. Believe me I am not throwing stones though, I have my own negativity I am working out.

Hi, from Port Orchard too : )

Did ya hear the thunder last night?

[freddie mertz]

52. No name is available to describe my reaction to the aforementioned posts.

Lack of thought, lack of human empathy, profound inexperience with the actual workings of the world.

Pure self-righteous Republico-Libertarianism, in other words, at its most debased level.

[Chulanowa]

81. it was either name-calling or a long rant, and I was tired

Nah, I didn't hear the thunder, I had my music turned up in the headphones :( Damn. I missed thunder

[knixphan]

33. needs to be repeated.

Arguing against abortion on grounds of "irresponsibility" is like arguing against unemployment insurance because of "laziness".

Word.

[freddie mertz]

53. Indeed...

This is the sort of sub-rational, reactionary thinking that feeds the hate-mongering of demagogues.

[Gormy Cuss]

77. How are you going to determine who was "irresponsibile" or "stupid enough?"

Will there be abortion panels?


BTW, if you don't want to pay for "the people who are simply irresonsible," or "stupid enough to have (unprotected) sex" you'll be paying for a subset of the children born in the absence of access to affordable abortion. Sound like a good deal to you?

[defendandprotect]

6. Many women can't afford birth control . .. the costs of the pill have increased unbelievably . . AND

evidently the version of the pill they give to women on welfare is much LESS

effective -- and a lot of pregnancies pop up!!!

[obliviously]

8. What do you base this on?

Do you have a link?

[defendandprotect]

9. Well, I happened to read it in a new book --

but I think it's humorous how times change and don't change --

One minute everyone will only believe something if they've seen it on TV --

and the next they'll only believe something if there's a link -- !!!

:)

But them's the facts --

[obliviously]

10. They are facts just because you say so?

[defendandprotect]

12. Yes -- or ... you could ask, are the facts simply because an author says so . . .

or because some organization studying these women say so?

Where does it end --?

The name of the book is "Abortion & Life - Jennifer Baumgarden or er" ...

Probably in your library --

but why would such info upset you so much?

Because you then see the need for coverage -- ??

Or what?

[obliviously]

15. Welfare is government health care.

Why would the government be giving out ineffective birth control. Would that not cost them more when they have to pay for the resulting child?

[defendandprotect]

17. You want me to tell you that patriarchy makes sense?

Who's studied these pills -- who supplies them --

how many mistakes before it becomes obvious -- and to whom?

One by one the women suffer the consequences -- who proves that it's a pill?

Until someone begins to notice and questions them.

Look at one of the largest insanities we all suffer -- organized patriarchal

religion . . . involved in sexual abuse of children . . . but supposedly our

moral betters? Europe/Canadians provide abortion coverage as a medical procedure.

We don't even have universal health care!!

[bread_and_roses]

38. The "government" does not "give out" birth control

"Welfare" - by which in this case I believe you mean Medicaid - PAYS FOR the health care of those who receive it. A person on Medicaid goes to a doctor or hospital or drug store for a prescription just like the person on private insurance and gets the SAME manufactured pharmacueticals - including birth control - as anyone else.

Of course, there are differences - can't have the poor not reminded daily that they are on the dole, now can we? Many doctors won't accept Medicaid due to low reimbursement rates, so choice is limited and sometimes care unavailable altogether. Some procedures also unavailable - Medicaid won't pay for a root canal for instance - because it's cheaper to pull the tooth. No matter the long-term health effects of that. Probably some difference in the availability of certain pharmacueticals as well, though I'm not as familiar with that. However, "the government" certainly doesn't have some warehouse from which it hands out birth control or any other drugs.

I am fairly sure that the Federal portion of the Medicaid $ is already barred from being used for abortions. I know that for years here in NY there was a fight practically every year to keep the State funding abortions through its contribution to the Medicaid pot.

It's utterly shameful and disgusting that we are still having to fight this battle after all these years.

[freddie mertz]

58. Are you being serious here? nt

[obliviously]

18. It certainly says that in her book.

“Generic birth control pills have only 80% of the hormones of name-brand pills—primarily given to poor women. I find it shocking and disturbing. Once again, making a woman feel it's her fault—even when you're being responsible,”
Other generic drugs have to be identical. Why would birth control pills be an exception? The FDA should look into this if her claims are true. If we have universal health care you can count on the government to use generic medications so this problem will not go away it needs to be looked into.

[defendandprotect]

19. Doesn't that make you wonder about "other drugs" and what's really going on .... ???

We've long had corporation corruption of FDA -- ever heard of "Monsanto's FDA"?

can you imagine how much it worsened under Bush?

If we have had Medicare For All and got bargaining power with pharmaceutical companies

which we should have, then we'd have some pressure over them.

Meanwhile, if you're familiar with Sen. Bernie Sanders, he makes clear that EVERY ONE

OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES have defrauded Medicare/Medicare -- they've suffered

heavy fines for it -- but never acknowledge guilt and suffer no short or long term

penalties for it. EVERY ONE OF THEM!!!

In the case of the vitamin scandal, it was a conspiracy -- a fairly wide one if I recall

correctly?

So -- first you have to buy back government - kick out corporations -- and then you can

tell the FDA what to do!



:)

[obliviously]

21. That sounds good but if you kick out the drug companys

who will make drugs?

[defendandprotect]

24. Government can make drugs . . . we pay for the research and then they

turn the product over to the pharmas . . .

You can also import them from Canada --

and/or encourage more honest drug companies to come in to work with Medicare/Medicaid.

You can also assess heavy penalties against the existing companies who defrauded --

Let's say 10% for every event . . . on all purchases ... for 10 years?

[freddie mertz]

54. One thing I can say without doubt.

Your sig-name is very well chosen.

[obliviously]

87. Thank you!

Your kind words are appreciated!

[freddie mertz]

92. Righty-O!

@@##@#$$@$ liberals....

[jenniferj]

62. I take that for granted, on the NHS the Pill is free on prescription...

Mental health care is also part of the NHS...

[Lorien]

99. You live in a civilized Nation

but as Oscar Wilde said "America is the only Nation that went from Barbarism to decadence without civilization in between."

[treestar]

65. More expensive than abortion?

[defendandprotect]

71. What does it matter when it is unaffordable for many poor women?

BOTH unaffordable --

[John Q. Citizen]

7. Yeah, we should give ourselves abortians. And if we drive fast and get in a wreck, NO COVRAGE!

Right Napi!

[No Elephants]

30. Even Sandra Day O'Connor made an exception for health of the mother.

Besides, there are many reasons for abortion where birth control would not have been available, like rape and incest, or where the pregnancy was wanted, but the fetus did not develop normally or the mom became ill.

And notice, no one in Congress is worrying about paying for Viagra, only about paying for abortion.

[defendandprotect]

72. If you didn't, you'd be depriving a female of the right to self-defense . . .

-- if the assault is by a fetus -- do we really want to go down that road?

[LeFleur1]

60. As Usual

You don't seem to understand that some pregnancies are ended because of health issues. It has nothing to do with birth control. Some of the women, who later opt for abortion, wanted to be pregnant, but there are serious, life threatening problems.
This wild eyed bunch of nosy empty heads have convinced people that abortion is only done because two someones were careless. That isn't the case. Will those who make laws ever ever allow women to make their own health decisions, with their doctor? Who the hell do they think they are to decide what care a woman can have? Where is all the yapping about the government getting between people and their doctors then? Sickening.

[superduperfarleft]

64. Excessive consumption of animal products can cause

cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

I'm tired of paying for meat-eaters who make the choice to destroy their bodies. I say we exclude all but seventh-level vegans from coverage.

















:sarcasm:

[niyad]

93. you do know that no method of contraception is 100%, yes?

[Ignis]

101. This faces some stiff competition, but ...

It's still one of the most outlandishly idiotic, classist, and empathy-free things I've ever seen posted at DU.

[Renew Deal]

37. This is all symbolic stuff. It was already illegal to use federal money for abortions.

:shrug:

[FarPoint]

40. Well....

maybe they can quickly add an addendum to where no viagra or viagra like medication or enhancement product payments are to be included in Bill. :bounce:

[TankLV]

46. Yep - way to go DINOS!!! Throw women under the bus - AGAIN!!!

For a bunch of cells - just fucing great...

Can't wait till they ban BIRTH CONTROL...!!!

[thunder rising]

13. The opportunity to offer an amendment is NOT the final word. They are giving cover, that's it.

The opportunity to get shot down. Then they will vote for the bill because they had their chance and it failed.

Take a breath. How many of these maneuvers have we seen.

[tomm2thumbs]

16. This could screw up the Republicans - do they vote or don't they?

If they vote FOR the amendment provisions, they end up making a vote in FAVOR of something in the health care bill which will no doubt be used against them by the Dems. If they vote AGAINST the provision, they put themselves at risk for not demonstrating a vote on principles they claim to back and the amendment could go down.

What to do... what to do...

[FrenchieCat]

22. You mean the "He/she was for it, before he/she was against it?".....

that could be good.

Could be called dithering.

[Myrina]

32. ... if abortion coverage is out, then Viagra/Cialis should be too.

n/t

[glinda]

45. point well taken

[quaker bill]

34. Regardless of how they configure it

HCR needs to pass, control of congress after 2010 depends on the Dems showing that when given the majority, they can govern. There are probably issues in nearly every bill passed that I do not agree with. There are a great many more issues I deplore when the Republicans control congress. When democrats control congress, a few of these issues remain. I don't like their stands on these few matters any better, but am happy that there are far fewer of them to deplore.

There are literally still thousands of things left over from the Bush era that need fixing. To my mind these guys (the dems in office) are probably politically capable of fixing 800 of each 1000. They are not capable of doing it all, and for this I will bear some disappointment, and work to elect better dems. I did get to vote for Alan Grayson, so at least there is that.

[cornermouse]

35. This is a sell out.

Whether they go along with it or not, the attempt was there and should be a warning to all who believe in women's rights.

[BlueMTexpat]

36. The anti-choice clowns don't seem to understand that the US is

ranked 37th in infant mortality (and our stats on mothers dying in childbirth are not much higher) as things now stand. This is one reason why I refuse to call anti-choicers "pro-life." By refusing to vote to improve the health care system, they are tacitly subsidizing death already.
I am truly pro-life, as are all pro-choice individuals. I wish for all those who are born to have equal access to food, shelter, affordable health care, education and opportunity to live a fulfilling life as a responsible citizen of the world. The need for the medical procedure of abortion may never be completely eliminated (given circumstances such as rape, incest or various medical conditions that arise and that can threaten the life of the mother), but it can be substantially decreased by providing individuals with the facts about sexuality and equipping all with effective means of preventing pregnancy in the first place. Studies have shown this time and time again.
Never forget that abortion is only the tip of the iceberg for these anti-choicemongers. Their long-term goal is to prevent access to artificial birth control, no matter how they try to disguise it. Abortion is their rallying point simply because it is much easier to inflame passions when a fetus is involved than when it isn't, regardless of the reasons or even need for the procedure.

[placton]

41. and of course no floor vote on single payer

Boy will the base ever turn out for THESE peeps next year!

[FarLeftFist]

42. But Abortion is legal....And most people don't realize....

That their insurance premiums already pay for abortions.

[iamjoy]

43. Take A Deep Breath Folks

I am Pro-Choice - a monthly donor to my local Planned Parenthood Affiliate, in fact. I also have insurance - have had to use it for a major illness and I'm still satisfied with it.

I am making my peace with this compromise. I don't want to say I'm OK with it - because I think it's awful. The reasons and arguments have already been enumerated, no need to rehash them.

There are two reasons I am making my peace with this

1) Unless the health of the mother is at risk, abortion is an elective procedure. We wouldn't expect health insurance to pay for other elective procedures - why this one? I realize insurance does pay for viagra and other things that aren't strictly necessary but enhance life. Heck, big pharma has made a fortune convincing us to buy drugs we don't really need and getting the taxpayers to foot the bill. Still, you wouldn't expect insurance to pay for a breast augmentation on a healthy woman - no matter how much she said it was needed to save her esteem, career, marriage, etc.

2) More importantly, I think most of us believe those numbers - thousands of people die each year because they don't have adequate access to health care. To me, helping those people get health care is more important. If this is what it takes, I'm going to have to look at the big picture.

Go ahead, call me an appeaser. Go ahead, ask what's next and if we do this now where does end. I already grapple with those questions. Flame away and deconstruct my arguments. Make me feel horrible for what I am posting. I doubt you'll be telling me anything I haven't already considered. It makes me sick to give up an inch of reproductive freedom. But imagine if you were some one who couldn't afford to go to the doctor and you are ill. Think of that person who doesn't give a rat's ass about abortion one way or the other but would very much like to have their condition treated without going bankrupt.

Don't sacrifice the good for the perfect.

[Bluenorthwest]

44. I fought hard for those rights you so easily yeild

I as a gay man don't have any use for those rights, but I put my self on the line for them over and over. And you will hand them off just to get a discount on your insurance or whatever. I do not think you grapple at all, I think you take a check and say 'I got mine'. You compare choice to breast implants? You were never pro choice at all. I do not buy what you are selling.

[iamjoy]

82. You Did Come Up With New Thoughts

It never occurred to me that by suggesting compromise I would get accused of not being Pro-Choice. Hmmm

As for the "I got mine" well, couldn't the same be said to any one who does not support healthcare reform? They have their insurance (or coverage) and want to block other people from getting the same?

[customerserviceguy]

55. You make sense to me

I've said all along that there are things that are NOT going to be covered by government-provided health insurance, and abortion is simply the thing that comes to the top of the list. I expect vigorous debate not only on that subject in the wrangling to come, but on other things as well, including but not limited to sex reassignment surgery, medical marijuana, in vitro fertilization, and conscience clauses.

I guarantee everyone here, if we get healthcare reform, very few of us are going to find the final shape of the bill even 80% pleasing to us. That's the nature of successful reform, it's incremental in nature.

[robo50]

48. I hope that if we deny women abortions, we will also deny men Viagra!

It seems only fair.

[Diane R]

70. Yep...no viagra.

[Politicub]

50. Nice "fuck women" move there, dems

Capitulating on this issue is disgusting.

[customerserviceguy]

57. They really didn't give away much

It was just an opportunity to make arguments later (that could very well go nowhere) that was surrendered, in order to get unanimity on the vote for this weekend. I guarantee you that abortion opponents are fuming over it.

[Politicub]

63. Well, that's good. I should read this stuff more closely before jumping to conclusions

I tend to be reactive about stuff like this and women's rights. :)

[IndianaGreen]

76. Hetero women are getting a taste of what LGBTs have gotten from this Administration

A nice FRAK YOU, followed by a STFU!

[bertman]

56. Slowly, ever so slowly we are allowing the Republicans and the Blue Dawg Turds to push us

back to the days when there were ONLY illegal abortions. That's their goal and they are getting closer every legislative session. Pull funding out of this bill this year. Next year pull funding out of this organization's dollars. The following year raise the eligibility requirement so another group of women are excluded.

The idea that the Democratic party would allow this is despicable. This is just more of the religious right--and I include a lot of Democrats in that statement--inflicting their beliefs on the rest of us.

Thank you, Rahm and President Obama for your willingness to recognize the anti-abortion foes as "legitimate" participants in the debate. Instead of saying that a woman's body is hers and the choices are hers to make, you have allowed the Patriarchy to dictate the terms of the debate.

No more $$$$ to the DNC, DLC, or DCCC. These people are selling out democratic principles every day in the name of bi-partisanship.

[joeycola]

59. yes, slowly but surely, and Dems participate in the push backwards.!!

[LeFleur1]

61. I'm Curious

What other medical procedures will Representatives and Senators decide are not necessary? This is dangerous business.

[treestar]

66. Oh come on!

Puullllllleeeeeeeeeze! The health care plan has never existed before. If it does not cover abortion, that does nothing to roll back the clock.

[showpan]

68. My insurance refused to cover

my wifes abortion when we went back for a second ultra sound and found no heartbeat. Instead, they wanted her to have surgery that would have cost around $10,000 of which I would have to pay my deductible plus 20%, half the doctor visits and half the drugs. I also would have had to take a week off from work to take care of her and the kids.
It cost us $500 for the abortion at our local Planned Parenthood and was over in half an hour....WTF

[Lorien]

100. Which reminds me; we all need to consider donations to planned parenthood

these days. Poor women without insurance who find themselves in your wife's situation will need all the help they can get.

[bertman]

84. An abortion is a MEDICAL PROCEDURE, treestar. Why should it not be included in a

new healthcare bill? When a woman needs an abortion shouldn't she be able to got to her doctor and get the procedure done?

If some women do NOT want to have an abortion, then they should NOT get one. My mother-in-law decided that she did not want to undergo radiation treatment a second time for her cancer, but at least it was available to her.

When abortion is not treated as a legitimate medical procedure when it is a LEGAL medical procedure, the state is making a personal medical determination for the woman. That is not a progressive step. It is treating someone's personal religious belief as a guideline for medical policy for other Americans who don't necessarily share those beliefs.

Actually many insurance policies DO cover abortions. Some do not, as pointed out by showpan. If we are going to pass healthcare reform, let's not start with a template that would have been more at home in the 1960's.

[Lance_Boyle]

98. Breast augmentation is a MEDICAL PROCEDURE, bertman.

I agree with the post upthread that says we're not giving anything up to disallow funding for elective abortion. It's been that way since Hyde. A ban on funding of elective abortion in the new bill is status quo.

[saracat]

97. + I million.

[defendandprotect]

73. This was about letting women BUY "abortion" coverage from insurance companies?

I'm catching up with this late and it's what another article seems to say?

[IndianaGreen]

78. Insurance companies offering abortion coverage won't be able to offer it on the exchange

Women have been thrown under the bus by Democrats!

[IndianaGreen]

75. The people voting for the Hyde anti-abortion thingy, won't vote for the bill

So Democrats sold out women's rights for people that in the end won't vote for the puny health reform we are going to get, instead of a robust public option.

Way to piss your mandate away, Democrats!

[mnofdichotomy]

79. republicans use fort hood to sabatage health care.

but sadly, it doesnt appear that its going to matter. republicans are using fort hood as a scare tactic to fight the bill, in the sam way george w's regime used 9-11 to scare us into war.

[Maineman]

83. Every election for as long as necessary needs to be about health care

I hate to be a one-issue voter, but this is different. People have been trying to get health care for over 50 years. We need to follow every congressman/woman and vote according to whether they vote for serious health care reform. Period.

[showpan]

86. I disagree

I think every election from here on out should be about NAFTA. The only reason I voted for our President who broke his campaign promise.
I wonder if they'll pay death benefits to all the "suiciders" who elect to end their lives under the reality of no jobs and no home for their families.
15,000,000 out of work and counting....wtf

[and-justice-for-all]

89. Abortion is a perfectly legitment medical procedure...

and at times, a necessity, for many medical reasons.

[wordpix]

95. drip, drip, drip - is this health care bill going to be worth it?

:shrug:

[SagefemmeCollective]

102. One step forward and a step back

Globally, every six minutes a woman dies from an illegal abortion. It makes me sick that the talk is of whether or not one of the richest countries can afford to provide abortion coverage to women with federal tax dollars. The abortion pill costs only around $1.00 in some developing nations - we can afford it of course.

Women faced with restrictions on abortion - financial restrictions are real - consider more dangerous options. Just take a look at Yahoo Answers any day and see all the desparate young and poor women in the United States trying to figure out a way to end an unwanted pregnancy.