Abortion Coverage Splits House Democrats as Health Reform Heads to Floor

November 2, 2009 — The issue of abortion coverage in the House health care reform bill (HR 3962) continues to divide Democrats as House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) prepares to move the bill to the floor, CQ Today reports. Antiabortion-rights Democrats argue that the bill's current language against federal funding for abortion coverage is not strong enough. Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), who is leading antiabortion-coverage efforts in the House, has threatened to vote against a rule allowing floor consideration of the bill providing he is not allowed to introduce an amendment imposing additional restrictions. Democratic leadership in the House is unlikely to allow Stupak to introduce his amendment, CQ Today reports (Ota, CQ Today, 10/30).

Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), chair of the House Democratic Policy Committee and one of the committees of jurisdiction, said on Friday that he does not expect that many amendments will be allowed, including those backed by abortion-rights opponents. Miller said, "Unless there are major problems, I would expect the opportunity for amendment to be very limited, if at all." According to The Hill, the House Rules Committee has jurisdiction over whether to allow amendments, although House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) "controls the committee through appointments" and "essentially decides whether to allow amendments." Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) said the issue of Stupak's amendment "is being addressed" and "will unfold in the next couple of days" (Soraghan, The Hill, 10/30).

Pelosi and Democratic leaders, aware of the political divisiveness of the issue, have accepted the need to compromise with abortion-rights opponents and included an amendment sponsored by Rep. Lois Capps (D-Calif.). The Capps amendment includes language similar to current restrictions on states' use of Medicaid funds, Capps said. The amendment would ensure that federal funding to health insurance plans is kept in separate accounts from private premiums that would be used for abortion coverage. Capps said some liberal groups initially were reluctant to accept the proposal but were told it was necessary and "have come around and say they agree" with the compromise.

Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) said that leaders of the Democratic Party are still working on a compromise with antiabortion-rights representatives on language similar to the Capps amendment, adding that it is "one of the major issues" still being hashed out. Some antiabortion-rights Democrats have said that they will support the health reform bill and that they believe the Capps amendment's language is strong enough, according to CQ Today. Rep. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.) said the language in the bill is "sufficient," adding, "Many of us who care about the issue are convinced the protections are there."

Stupak Looks for Ways To Delay, Block Floor Vote

Stupak said that he does not have enough votes to block the bill but that "you've got to look at parliamentary ways to get your point across." He added, "I've got to have somewhere to responsibly express my opinion and that of my district." One option he is considering is working with members of the GOP to file a motion to recommit, a procedural move that would stop the bill from reaching a floor vote. Republicans have been "noncommittal" about how they would use such a motion and "whether it would offer a full substitute measure that goes far beyond abortion restrictions," CQ Today reports. In addition, Stupak said he will work with abortion-rights opponents in the Senate, such as Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.), to include language that could be offered in the Senate or conference committee (CQ Today, 10/30).