Senate Rejects Controversial Abortion Amendment

The Senate tabled an amendment to health care reform legislation that would offer specific language to bar federal subsidies for abortion following a 54 to 45 vote early Tuesday evening.

The amendment was a key factor in securing the vote of Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), who proposed the amendment with the support of Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah).

Last Friday, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said it was unlikely the amendment would pass, but that the Senate would pursue an alternative provision to ensure votes from Nelson and other pro-life Democrats.

With support from Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), the only Republican Senator to approve passing a draft of the legislation through the Finance Committee, unlikely, Senate Democratic leadership will need to deliver the votes of all 60 Democrats and left-leaning independents to pass the legislation.

A similar amendment in the House health care bill proposed by Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) was approved by 240-194 vote.

Senate Public Option Plan To Be Finalized 'In The Next Few Days,' Says Stabenow

By Meagan Wiseley - University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service

Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) said Monday that final negotiations over a public option plan in the Senate health care bill will be completed “in the next few days.”

Most recently the Senate has debated the non-profit funded insurance plan; a plan which parallels the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. The proposed plan offers Americans a variety of private non-profit funded insurance plans, overseen by the Office of Personnel Management.

Expressing her support for public option in the final bill, Stabenow added, “the critical issue is not what we call something, it’s the end result.”

Stabenow said she does not support the amendment proposed by Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) to restrict federal funding for abortions. She said based on her understanding of the amendment it “parallels” Rep. Bart Stupak’s (R-Mich.) Amendment which also prohibits federal funding for abortion. The Stupak Amendment passed in the House last month.

“I don’t believe [the Nelson Amendment] is going to pass, I truly believe the votes are there to stop it in the Senate,” Stabenow said.

Thune Predicts GOP Support For Nelson Amendment

Republican Senator John Thune (S.D.) predicted Monday that many in his party will support an amendment to the Senate’s health care reform bill barring federal funding for abortion.

“A lot of us on the Republican side will support that amendment,” Thune said during an afternoon press conference. “I certainly hope that it passes.”

However, Thune is wary that the amendment will garner the 60 votes needed for inclusion in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

“The quesion is whether or not we can get to 60, which I think is very much in doubt. I think we can get to 50,” said Thune. “I’m enough of a realist, talking to both Democrats and Republicans, to believe that that is going to be a very heavy lift.”

Last Friday, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) stated that he does not believe the amendment will pass if it has language similar to an amendment provided by Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) in the House health care bill.

The amendment may be necessary to secure the vote of Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), who has aired dissatisfaction with the bill’s current language on abortion funding.

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Ok.) added that he believes that language similar to the Stupak amendment approved in the House will end up in the manager’s amendment.