House Pro-Choice Caucus Pushing To Remove Abortion Amendment

By Travis Martinez - University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) along with members of the Pro-Choice Caucus will push to remove the Stupak-Pitts amendment, which would block federal funds to support partial term abortions, from the Affordable Health Care For America Act 2009.

“We will try very hard to make sure it is not included in the final product,” Wasserman Shultz said in a conference call Monday. “I’m going to be pushing extremely hard to make sure that language is not included.”

The Florida Democrat also rebuked comments made by Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas), who on Friday stated that women should pay higher health premiums due to the possibility that they could become pregnant.

“I’ve never seen a more disrespectful display,” Wasserman-Shultz said. “At one point in the debate, [Sessions] actually compared women to smokers and suggested women, like smokers, should have to pay more for insurance, just by the accident for their ability to get pregnant."

Pro-Life Caucus Claims Major Victory Over Stupak Amendment

By Travis Martinez, University of New Mexico-Talk Radio News Service

The Pro-life caucus touted the adoption of the Stupak-Pitts amendment in the Affordable Health Care for America legislation as a significant victory late Saturday evening.

“I can’t say enough for my colleagues on both the Democratic and Republican side… this is a great victory for people across this nation,” said Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI).

The amendment was adopted with a bi-partisan vote of 240-194.

The Stupak Amendment prohibits the use of federal funding for abortion under the public health insurance option and prohibits the use of federal affordability credits to purchase a health insurance policy that covers abortion.