Some Democrats vow to block final passage if amendment stays

[cal04]

Abortion an obstacle to health-care bill
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/08/AR2009110818453_pf.html

President Obama and Senate Democrats sought on Sunday to generate momentum from the House's passage of health-care legislation, even as a new hurdle emerged: profound dismay among abortion-rights supporters over antiabortion provisions inserted into the House bill.

The House passed its version of health-care legislation Saturday night by a vote of 220 to 215 after the approval of an amendment that would sharply restrict the availability of coverage for abortions, which many insurance plans now offer. The amendment goes beyond longstanding prohibitions against public funding for abortions, limiting abortion coverage even for women paying for it without government subsidies.

The abortion issue had been rumbling within the House Democratic caucus for weeks, but Saturday's votes revealed the depths of the fault lines. The amendment passed with the support of 64 Democrats, roughly a quarter of the party caucus.

But abortion-rights supporters are vowing to strip the amendment out, as the focus turns to the Senate and the conference committee that would resolve differences between the two bills.

(snip)
Although House liberals voted for the bill with the amendment to keep the process moving forward, Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) said she has collected more than 40 signatures from House Democrats vowing to oppose any final bill that includes the amendment -- enough to block passage.

"There's going to be a firestorm here," DeGette said. "Women are going to realize that a Democratic-controlled House has passed legislation that would prohibit women paying for abortions with their own funds. . . . We're not going to let this into law."

[bluetrain]

1. They'd better block it.

[downeyr]

2. Wow, this is great!

Strip that amendment out in reconciliation and shove it down the throats of the Repubs!

[Bonobo]

3. It is a deal killer and it cannot stay. Period. Full stop. nt

[seafan]

4. God only knows the firestorm unleashed if this is not stripped out. n/t

[ohheckyeah]

5. I am so sick and tired of having

to fight the anti-choice people. Abortion is legal. That's all anyone needs to know and to prevent payment for abortion, a legal medical procedure, in the health care reform bill is outrageous!

[kelly1mm]

6. So it look like we have 40+ Dems who will vote against the final bill

if it has the anti-choice language and 40+ Dems who have indicated they may not vote for final passage if it is in the bill. Looks like a train wreck may be coming. Either of these two groups would be enough with the R's to stop the bill from passage. By the time the Senate gets through with the bill we may lose a few (more) progressives but may gain a couple of blue dogs. Right now I am still (slightly) in the "bad bill" camp but am being persuaded by the arguments that this is the best we can do and if not this then nothing. I just hate having to smile while selling out my principles though - feels dirty.

[backscatter712]

7. Good. The Stupak amendment's an abomination, and needs to be stripped.

Though at the moment, I'm also concerned how to get the Senate to pass something - Lieberman's being his usual sociopathic self...

[Odin2005]

8. GOOD!

[Hawkeye-X]

9. That's my congresswoman - she's the one with the BALLS.

Unlike certain Democrats we'll never mention.

Hawkeye-X

[BrklynLiberal]

10. I hope that women's rights are not going to be stomped on by the health care reform bill!!!