One of the key factors involving the passage of health care “reform” late on Saturday was the Stupak Amendment. Named for Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Michigan), it purports to ban federal money from being spent on abortion.
With this amendment, moderate Democrats felt comfortable with voting for the measure. In other words, they were able to save face with their pro-life constituents. And, frankly, that’s all they did, as I believe that this amendment is not worth the paper it’s printed on.
Here’s why I say this.
- The left will never leave the pro-abortion crowd & the feminists under the bus. They are simply too large, well funded, and vocal to be disempowered.
- Since the public option is designed to lead to a single payer system, and will eventually manage ALL health care, the Stupak Amendment would basically mean an abortion ban. Again, the left isn’t going to bury the pro-abortion crowd forever.
- Pelosi and her cabal were going to offer the blue dogs the sun, the moon, and the stars to get this passed. They needed a win, and temporarily enraging the pro-abortion crowd. If they have to ignore this compromise in the future to satisfy one of their major constituent groups…well, you know. Now that they have the bill passed, they’ll likely not honor all of the compromises.
- Considering the reach and importance of this bill, where are the protests from the feminists and other pro-abortion groups? If this were a Republican sponsored bill, there would be mass protests! Or, do they already know that they’re going to be cared for in the near future?
Well, let’s see what’s being said in the Senate. To elaborate, look at this from CNS News.
House Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) says there is “no guarantee” that an amendment approved by the House on Saturday that prohibits federal funding of abortion in the health care bill will be retained in the final version of the bill. The bill must still go through a House-Senate conference committee and could be stripped out there.
House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) said during floor debate on the bill Saturday that he doubts the amendment will survive the conference committee.
The amendment in question was sponsored by Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.). It was approved by a vote of 240 to 194 shortly before the House voted 220 to 215 late Saturday to approve the full health care bill. Sixty-four Democrats voted for Stupak’s amendment. Both Waxman and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D.-Calif.) voted against it.
The amendment would prohibit federal funds from paying for any part of any health insurance plan that covers abortion. Stupak told CNSNews.com in a video interview posted on Oct. 23 that he had organized a group of about 40 Democrats who would vote to kill the health-care bill if Speaker Pelosi did not allow a straight up-or-down vote on his amendment when the health bill came to the House floor.
“The only reason this amendment is allowed to be offered is in order to secure enough votes to try to move this bill through the floor today,” said Boehner. “And I have my doubts about whether this language if it passes has any chance of ever being in the final version of this bill.”
To make his point, Boehner engaged in a colloquy with Waxman, whose committee was one of three in the House that drafted the legislation.
“I want to ask the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Mr. Waxman, whether he can guarantee me that if the House does vote in fact for Mr. Stupak’s amendment, the gentleman will guarantee me that when this bill comes back from conference that that language will remain in the bill?’ asked Boehner.
“As the gentlemen well knows the decision is not up to one person, it will be up to the conferees and the conferees will have to be meeting with the Senate conferees in going over a number of positions,” said Waxman. “But if this amendment is adopted by the House it will be the House position as we go into conference. We will have to discuss it further and then we will see what will be the result. But no guarantee can be made by me or any other member at this time. There will be an opportunity, as you know, to instruct the conferees, which reinforces, of course, the particular part of the House bill.”
I think we all see where this is going. We know the Democrats, and especially the left. They are never going to ban abortion, and, as a rule, opposed to any restrictions on the practice at all. The thought that they would leave a potential ban on abortion in their hallmark legislation is ludicrous. In the end, I believe that Stupak and his fellow blue dogs will go down as “easy marks” for believing that the Democratic leadership would allow this Amendment to stay throughout the process and be signed into law. Unless, that is, they were simply saving face with the folks back home.
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What do you call someone who lies but sees nothing wrong with it? Madame Speaker, Mr. President, Members of Congress.
When Boehner asked Rangel about his intentions it was clear that the fix was in: fait accompli!
Get them Matt.
I’m trying to get them Ken, it’s a question of getting enough people to actually listen. It’s not too hard to see where they are going.
Unfortunately the casual news followers won’t get it that there’s so much insincerity in the voting. Like when a Senator votes yes for cloture but then no on the actual bill, knowing it will pass if it breaks filibuster. The average nosepicker just sees that their guy voted no and thinks it’s all cool without recognizing the duplicity.
I hope cap and trade doesn’t have to pass before the people figure out what we’ve been talking about all along. That will, however, wake them up.
That is precisely why the Repubs should have voted it down. Even though it would go against their pro-life beliefs, it would have been for the greater good.
Great job as usual Matt. I have yet to see the Dems follow through on any thing that is pro life. The Democrat party receives too much funding from the pro choice movement to put them out. I also recall Obama making numerous promises to the pro choice crowd during his campaign. Like so many other things with this administration, this is a feel good measure to temporarily appease a few. The actual final outcome, heaven forbid it passes, will likely not have an anti abortion amendment anywhere to be found.
I agree Marie. It’s really all a deception. Once the Senate passes a bill, and it goes to committee, It can be re-written to Pelosi’s liking. Then, it will be abortion on demand! Notice the relative silence from the nags? They know that they’re going to get what they want, so they’re keeping a low profile!