Dem Says Language Expressly Prohibiting Abortion Funding a Must in Health Care Bill [UPDATED]

Pro-life Dems in the House are continuing to stand up to Speaker Pelosi over abortion funding:

Democratic Rep. Bart Stupak said he is "optimistic" that his campaign to include explicit language comndemning [sic] the use of federal funds for abortion in the House health care bill will pass the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The congressman from Michigan did however say on today's "Washington Unplugged" that the House will likley not vote on the bill before their July 31st deadline.

"I think if they do not have [the language] in there and President Obama says we are going to have a bill with nothing in there on abortion, I think it is going to backfire. I think we bring down the rule and it will be explicitly discussed in the health care plan one way or another," Stupak told Washington Unplugged's Michelle Levi after a press conference with Republican collegues on Capitol Hill Wednesday.

Stupak told CBS News that he feels confident that "a minimum of thirty nine" democrats would join him in opposing the legislation proposed by House leaders should the abortion language not be written in.

"If there is not direct language and we are denied our ammendment [sic] we will focus our attention on the rule," Stupak warned.

"I am optimistic that we will get an ammendment [sic]," in the House Energy and Commerce committee which has recessed their mark up of the health care bill in question, the congressman said. However, should the bill leave the committee without banning the use of federal money for abortions Stupak and his collegues will "demand" a house floor vote on the specific issue...

(emphasis added)


UPDATE (23 July)
Matthew Archbold of Creative Minority Report has more here: "Put Your Laws All Over My Body":

... I've written before how many Democrats are announcing their opposition to any inclusion of taxpayer funds going to abortion in the health care package. But yesterday Nancy Pelosi said she had the votes on the floor already to pass healthcare. But this seems to be contradicted by other legislator's comments. Pundette has more on the mixed signals coming out of Washington D.C. but I have to wonder if many Dems are speaking on the public stage about not allowing the public funding of abortion while stage whispering to their colleagues that they'll buckle when the time comes in exchange for some other goodies.

Let's face it, they too know that the fate of Obama's presidency may rest on the fate of this health care debacle and some of these elected officials may be grandstanding as simply legislative blackmail to the Obama administration but if the White House promises them a few pork projects and some access to big money people they'll gladly turn their back on the unborn after some meaningless compromise is reached that will act as a fig leaf to their unconcern for the unborn.

Monique Stuart reminds us that it'll be very easy for them to force taxpayers to fund abortion. All they have to do is not mention it...

Unfortunately, I believe that enough pro-life "Blue Dogs" will buckle in the end to the armtwisting and promises of pork (just like they did on "cap and trade") that the unborn will be sold down the river in health-care reform.

If President Obama were REALLY serious about finding "common ground" on abortion, an easy slam-dunk solution would be for him to speak up now and tell Congress that any health-care reform bill MUST continue "the tradition in this town, historically, of not financing abortions as part of government-funded health care" by including the Hyde Amendment.

But the President is most certainly NOT interested in finding "common ground" on abortion. Where is the proof? Where is the example of his giving one inch on the issue? Instead, President Obama's idea of "common ground" is "We'll continue to do what we've always done, we'll make unsubstantiated claims about how our policies reduce the 'need' for abortion, and all you pro-lifers just come on over and join us and we'll call it 'common ground'."


Previous Pro Ecclesia posts on this subject:
Bishops Speak Out on ObamaCare

Apparently, the "Debate" is Over

Dems Propose Fake Pro-Life Bill That Increases Funding For Planned Parenthood

Catholic Politicians Continue to Advance Abortion Lobby Agenda

Pelosi Accused of Muzzling Opposition to Taxpayer-Funded D.C. Abortions

Obama Culture of Death Update™: White House Budget Director "Not Prepared to Rule Out" Publicly Funded Abortion as Part of ObamaCare

Human Events: "Abortion By Any Other Name Is In Health Care Bill"

Democrats for Life Give Boot to Ohio Congressman

Pro-Life Kudos to Michael Sean Winters

Chris Matthews: Obama Double-Crosses Pope; Abortion Coverage Could Jeopardize Health Reform [UPDATED]