Abortion debate begins as part of Senate healthcare bill
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Abortion, the issue that never goes away, took the floor this afternoon as the Senate began its debate on an amendment to the healthcare overhaul bill.
The amendment, introduced by Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) would effectively block insurance companies that receive federal subsidies from funding most abortions. The amendment is similar to language included in the House version of healthcare overhaul.
In introducing his amendment, Nelson argued that the current “language in the bill goes around the federal standards disallowing public funding of abortions.”
Opponents contend that the Nelson amendment would change existing federal policy by further restricting abortions. They prefer the existing language in the Senate bill that would allow companies to offer abortion coverage as long as they only use private funds for abortions.
“We thought we had we had an understanding that we would not bring up the issue of abortion,” said Sen Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.). She argued that the current Senate bill does not do anything that changes the current policy on abortions.
Speaking on the floor of the Senate, Nelson disagreed that his amendment puts new restrictions on abortion. “We are seeking to justify the same standards on abortion that ... already exist in many federal health programs,” he said.
The Senate amendment is co-sponsored by antiabortion Democrat Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and eight Republicans. Most Democrats oppose the amendment, so it seems unlikely it will get the 60 votes needed to be included in the healthcare reform bill.
But the calculus is more complex because Nelson’s vote is needed to reach the 60 votes needed to pass the overall bill.
-- Michael Muskal
