Abortion Dispute Stalls D.C. Funding Measure

In what could be another sign of trouble for President Clinton’s plan to include abortion coverage in his health care package, the House on Wednesday defeated the District of Columbia appropriations bill--primarily because the version hammered out by House and Senate negotiators would have allowed federal funds to be used to provide abortions.

The 224-206 vote on the conference committee bill indicated that a majority of House members remain opposed to the idea of federally financed abortions.

Rep. Julian C. Dixon (D-Los Angeles), chairman of the House Appropriations subcommittee that oversees District of Columbia operations, predicted that the same issue will be a major part of the upcoming debate over reforming the nation’s health care system.

Clinton’s health care plan includes abortion as one of the health benefits that would be guaranteed every American, including those whose care would be financed by the government.

“Both sides (of the abortion debate) want to fight this thing out,” Dixon said. “I don’t think the President can avoid the issue.”

In June, the House voted overwhelmingly to retain an amendment that since the 1970s has banned the use of Medicaid money for abortions. That vote surprised many advocates of abortion rights, who had hoped to prevail now that they have an ally in the White House.

At the Senate’s insistence, no language restricting abortion funding was included in the District of Columbia appropriations bill, which provides federal money for district operations. With its defeat, the conferees must meet again to try to produce a version of the bill that can pass in the House.

Also on Wednesday, Administration officials said Clinton has settled, as expected, on a 75-cent-per-pack increase in the federal cigarette tax to help finance health care reform. The current federal excise tax is 24 cents per pack of cigarettes.

The levy is expected to raise between $10 billion and $12 billion annually, if enacted by Congress.