Marylanders on sides from the abortion divide are steeling themselves for any historic clash within the procedure, after lawmakers dicated to prohibit federal subsidies for insurance that covers it.
Under the restriction, that was added late Saturday to create the House passage from the health care overhaul possible, elective abortions wouldn't be covered by private insurance plans subsidized through the government or through the public option.
Local battle lines had to have shape because the issue threatened to recast the care debate nationally. Since Saturday's vote, a large number of House members have pledged to derail the whole overhaul when the abortion provision survives. As well as in the Senate, a minumum of one Democrat emerged just as one candidate to propose similar language.
If the restrictions become law, abortion rights supporters say, they'd effectively deny use of the procedure for that low- and moderate-income Americans the health care bill is supposed to insure. But abortion opponents said it's too soon to celebrate.
"That addresses one major concern we'd," said Jeff Meister, chief lobbyist in Annapolis for Maryland To Life Inc. But he added: "Who knows what's going to come out of the Senate after they're finished? There's still lots of work to become done."
Rep. Donna Edwards, meanwhile, expressed confidence that what she called "this ridiculous, onerous, overextended" restriction will be stripped in the legislation before it returns for any final vote.
"I'm not only hopeful for this, I'm going to fight for this," said the Prince George's County Democrat, who joined colleagues Monday in letters to The president and House Democratic leaders urging a reversal.
The measure, made to attract moderate and conservative Democrats to aid the bill, evolved as the result of a furious lobbying effort Saturday through the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The Catholic church has long advocated for universal medical health insurance coverage, but opposes abortion.
"When you are looking at abortion and research on human life, we can not compromise on those activities," Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien, spiritual leader from the area's half million Catholics, said Monday. "Once we obtain the foundation established that human life needs to be respected, then allow the debate continue as to what the bill will contain."
In crafting the legislation, Democratic leaders had said they'd honor a decades-long ban against using federal funds for abortion. However the way that they planned to do this - requiring insurers to maintain federal subsidies and patient contributions separate, and permit only the latter for use to cover the process - left abortion opponents dubious.
With the brand new limits approved being an amendment, the home bill passed late Saturday 220-215. However in a stark turnabout, a minimum of 40 House members furious about 11th-hour change have since threatened to torpedo the balance if the abortion language remains.
In the Senate on Monday, Ben Nelson, a Nebraska Democrat, said he'd consider adding similar language to that particular body's healthcare legislation. Because Democrats will probably need the vote of each and every member of their caucus to pass through the bill, Nelson might have significant leverage in demanding tough abortion language.
Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin said this type of move would complicate reform efforts.
"I thought the thing should have been for all of us to be neutral about the abortion issue," said the Maryland Democrat, who received 100 % ratings from NARAL Pro-Choice America and Planned Parenthood for 2008. "Health care reform is essential in and of itself and also to add to the controversy to consider sides about the abortion issue in my experience, was something which should have been avoided."
Cardin said he'd oppose this type of restriction, but said hello was too soon to say whether or not this would affect his vote with an overall health care package.
"It's a part of a weighing procedure for what's within the bill and what's not. … But so far as the final vote, which will very much rest on what's within the bill along with a strong need to keep the process continue," he explained.
In the House, all Maryland's Democrats voted against adding the restriction. But once it had been included, basically Rep. Frank Kratovil, a freshman facing a hard re-election next year about the conservative-leaning Eastern Shore, voted for that overall bill.
"It was extremely hard," Edwards said. "It's been well settled in federal law that federal funds can not be used for abortion services. It is ridiculous to put restrictions on which a woman can perform with her private funds."
John Nugent, president of Maryland Planned Parenthood, sat glued to C-SPAN Saturday night, watching with building dismay because the House voted for that restriction.
"For me it violates the spirit and also the ethical principle to which we began healthcare reform," he explained. "This restricts an entire segment from the population - it's essentially throwing women of reproductive age underneath the train."
According to NARAL, a lot more than 85 percent of non-public plans cover abortion services. Nugent estimated that in regards to a third from the women who get abortions within the Baltimore area purchase them with insurance.
"We stopped the abortion mandate in the home Bill, Praise God with this victory," Glen Burnie abortion opponent Michael Martelli declared on Twitter. "But keep in mind that the fight is way from over!"
He was right: At that time, Maryland's chapter from the National Organization for ladies had posted an action alert on its Site, urging supporters to get at Washington for any noon rally round the Capitol.
Nugent's staff, meanwhile, had calls directly into Maryland's congressional delegation. Jennifer Blasdell, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland, said the business was centered on "defeating any make an effort to add the amendment towards the Senate bill."
Abortion opponents readied for that fight.
"We realize that the White House and pro-abortion congressional Democratic leaders could keep trying to enact government funding of abortion, and can keep attempting to conceal their true intentions," National To Life Committee lobbyist Douglas Johnson said. "There is really a long battle ahead."
No comments:
Post a Comment