Compromise talks have fallen apart, and leadership is going to allow a vote on Rep. Stupak's anti abortion amendment Saturday.
WASHINGTON (AP) - House Democrats have cleared an impasse over abortion that has been holding up a vote on sweeping health care legislation.
A vote is expected on Saturday - after President Barack Obama makes a late morning trip to the Capitol to make one final pitch for the legislation.
According to Rep. Bart Stupak of Michigan, he and other abortion opponents will be given a chance to insert tougher abortion restrictions into the legislation during debate on the House floor.
The leadership hopes that no matter how that vote turns out, Democrats will then unite to give the health care bill a majority over unanimous Republican opposition.
http://www.apnews.com/...
It's midnight eastern time, but all of Kos' needs to get on the phone and tell their Congressman to vote against this amendment to the health care legislation.
Rep. Stupak is speaking now at the Rules Committee, live on CSPAN.
Update: What needs to be understood is that the money going into the public option is NOT all federal money. The Hyde Amendment really is being misapplied to this scenario. And not withstanding, it negatively impacts low income women who don't have the ability to otherwise get an abortion in those difficult situations.
Watch live: http://www.c-span.org/...
Update 2: Rep. Alcee Hastings just stated that it was unlikely he'd vote for reform if this amendment was included.
DeGette, a vocal member of the pro-choice caucus, says that caucus will not support a bill that does not include abortion coverage.
JUST TO BE CLEAR: The debate in the Rules Committee tonight is a formality. The Stupak amendment has been cleared for a vote in front of the full House tomorrow morning. Democratic leadership caved in negotiations tonight. That is why it's so important to contact your Congressperson tonight and voice your opposition.
Update 3: Thanks for the rec guys! Some new information seeping in, this time from HuffPo:
Either way, the question came down to who had the votes. Stupak's driving argument was that he had more than the forty members he needed to "take down the rule" - legislative lingo for defeating a bill on the House floor before it comes for a final vote. No one was sure whether Stupak actually had the 40 votes, but pro-choice Democrats were skeptical.
As the night and the meetings wore on, Pelosi shifted, multiple aides said, and was leaning toward allowing a floor vote on the Stupak-Ellsworth amendment rather than inserting it into the bill. The logical conclusion is that Pelosi determined she would lose too many pro-choice and progressive votes in the process of harnessing pro-life Democrats.
Shortly after midnight, Stupak addressed the Rules Committee and requested a floor vote on the amendment, ending a day of drama, but leaving open questions that will be answered tomorrow: Does his amendment have enough votes to pass? If it does, will pro-choice Democrats flee and sink the bill?
The thinking among leadership is that allowing a vote -- regardless of the outcome -- helps win votes for final passage. If it passes, then pro-lifers line up behind health care reform. If it fails, at least they had their vote. For pro-choicers, if the amendment passes they can still fight to remove it during negotiations with the Senate -- which rejected tough abortion restrictions.
Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
Response to the decision:
House Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) said passing Stupak's legislation could jeopardize passage of the bill, because abortion-rights supporters were likely to vote against a bill that includes it.
And from Planned Parenthood:
The agreement was quickly condemned by Planned Parenthood Federation of America, which called the amendment by Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) a "de facto abortion ban."
"A vote for Rep. Stupak’s amendment is a vote to weaken women’s access to comprehensive reproductive care and to take away private benefits that women currently have," said Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards.
http://thehill.com/...
I would imagine the Pro-choice caucus is going to have a serious issue leaving this amendment (which will likely pass) in the legislation and supporting it. Certainly throws a kink into any notion of a vote tomorrow.