Panel Retains Abortion in Health Bill

The battle began Tuesday over whether abortion should be included in a national health benefits package, with abortion rights forces victorious in the initial skirmish.

By an 11-6 vote, the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee defeated an effort by Sen. Dan Coats (R-Ind.) to strip abortion from the package except in cases of rape, incest or when the life of the mother is jeopardized. The committee also rejected an effort by Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) to give states broader powers in restricting abortions.

The debate opened on a civil note, but after an hour emotions began to run high.

“We’re not saying the states can opt out with regard to disability, we’re not saying the states can opt out with regard to mental illness. . . . We’re just taking one issue,” said Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), the committee chairman. “We all know what is going on here,” he said, referring to a series of Republican proposals to curb abortion.

Sen. Harris Wofford (D-Pa.), who is facing reelection in a state that requires parental notification and waiting periods for abortions, warned that the issue could derail the already shaky effort to overhaul the nation’s health care system.

“However passionately many Americans feel about abortion, we cannot allow that one issue to overwhelm and stalemate health care reform,” Wofford said.

Wofford, who made health care the central issue in his first Senate campaign, said the measure could fail unless abortion becomes an optional part of the health insurance package.

But Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.) warned: “If abortion is not in the bill, it will be a big fight.”

Under President Clinton’s bill and Kennedy’s version, all insurance plans would have to cover pregnancy-related services, including abortion. And the federal government would pay for abortions for the poor and uninsured, something that would effectively render moot the so-called Hyde Amendment, which currently bans federally funded abortions.

The bills do include conscience clauses allowing individual doctors and hospitals to refuse to perform or have abortions performed at their facilities.

“We are not saying a woman does not have a right to an abortion,” Coats said. “What we’re addressing is whether we’re going to force those who believe it is wrong to pay for it.”

But Democrats said that right effectively would be taken away from poor women if abortion is not part of the package.

“If you’re middle income, if you’re upper income, you can have a safe abortion,” said Sen. Paul Simon (D-Ill.). “The only people we’re saying we’re not going to guarantee the right to have a safe abortion are poor women.”