Rep. Stupak says his amendment unlikely to prevail

[Bozita]

Source: Detroit Free Press

POSTED: 4:19 P.M. DEC. 7, 2009
Rep. Stupak says his amendment unlikely to prevail
BY TODD SPANGLER
FREE PRESS WASHINGTON STAFF


WASHINGTON – Michigan’s Bart Stupak, the Democratic congressman who set off a firestorm of controversy with an amendment restricting abortion coverage in the health care reform legislation, says he doesn’t believe his proposal will survive in the Senate.

Stupak spoke to the Free Press by phone this afternoon.

He says whether the abortion restrictions remain in the final bill once it returns from the Senate and is merged with the House bill in a conference committee will be one of several aspects of the bill he will take into consideration when deciding whether to back it or not. The others include the so-called public option insurance plan – he is a supporter – and additional rules to keep the costs of reform low.

Stupak, a Menominee Democrat, last month got the House to approve on a close vote his amendment that restricts the public option plan from offering abortion coverage and prohibit insurance plans receiving federal subsidies from providing that coverage as well. He has insisted that only maintains an existing prohibition on federal dollars being spent on abortion coverage.

Read more: http://www.freep.com/article/20091207/NEWS15/91207054/1...

[emulatorloo]

1. YEA!!!!!! thanks for posting

My theory is that Stupak was grandstanding.

[HughMoran]

2. haha - fucking abortion Nazi

Can we kick your ass to the gutter now?

You are NOT a Democrat.

[myrna minx]

3. K&R n/t

[customerserviceguy]

4. He's signaling his troops that they should unleash a can of whoop ass

on the healthcare reform process, that it will reject his amendment, and the similar one in the Senate.

Stupak was all about killing HCR with abortion as it's Achilles heel.

[kenfrequed]

5. Good Riddance

I can't believe that a supposed Democrat actually proposed a poisoned pill like this. Even from the perspective of an unprincipled pragmatist this thing is an utter failure of an amendment. It reduces the interest and push of progressives while simultaneously not attracting any of the republicans.

[damntexdem]

6. Good, let's hope they dump the Stupid, I mean Stupak, Amerndment.

[demwing]

7. Duh. But it never was supposed to prevail.

And it was never the horrible slice of hate that some pretended. It's all just drama, spotlight, and ego - for all concerned - and when the dust settles, regardless of whether Stupak's amendment prevails or not, there will still be no federally funded abortions, same as it ever was since the 1970s.

Nothing will change, because nothing was ever at risk - except the movement forward of health care reform. If Stupak's lame amendment help further that cause, then good for him. If not, then at least it didn't hurt anything either

[chalky]

8. Same mentality as a juvenile delinquent tagging a building.

He knows it's going to get painted over, but he can go back to his gang members and brag that he did it.

(Why is it that when I see "Menominee" my first instinct is to add "doo-doo doo-doo-doo"?

)

[defendandprotect]

9. Wouldn't that be good news . . . war on women slowed down a bit -- !!!

[No Elephants]

10. People of Michigan, please remember the Stupak Amendment when you vote.

All people. Men and women. Republicans and Democrats.

Democratic Party moguls, give up your policy of supporting incumbents, no matter what. Or, at least, give it up when it comes to Stupak. Don't do for Stupak what you did for Lieberman and don't abandon Stupak's successor as you abandoned Lamont.

Michigan Democrats, get you a great primary candidate. Stupak is NOT the best you can do. Don't settle for the likes of him.