Senate rejects antiabortion amendment to healthcare bill
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Senate defeated an effort to restrict the availability of abortions, voting today to table an amendment to the healthcare overhaul bill.
The amendment was set aside in a motion that required a simple majority. The motion passed 54-45.
Sponsored by Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), the amendment was stronger than the language in the pending healthcare reform bill in the Senate. The amendment would have barred abortion coverage if the insurer receives a federal subsidy except in cases of rape or incest or if a woman’s life is in danger. It would have also placed limits on insurers in how they offer policies with and without abortion coverage.
Senators supporting the antiabortion amendment said it would ensure that taxpayer funds would not be used to pay for abortions even though the Senate healthcare bill calls for the separation of federal and private money so that government money isn’t used for abortions.
The Senate antiabortion language is similar to what was included in the House version of the healthcare overhaul by Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.). Opponents saw it as a threat, arguing that it is more restrictive than existing federal policy on abortions and would also limit choices for women seeking to buy insurance with their own funds.
“Why are women being singled out?” Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) said today. “It’s wrong to say to women they can’t use their own private funds to cover the whole range of reproductive healthcare.”
“There is no question this goes further than current law,” Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) said.
The other issue is whether Nelson, a needed vote in the Democratic caucus, will decide to vote against the healthcare bill as he has threatened to do. If he does, Democrats would face the difficult process of finding Republican votes to pass the bill.
--Michael Muskal
