Posted by A late-night vote along party lines allows abortion coverage to stand in health care reform.
Working into the night Sunday and early Monday morning, Senate Democrats inched closer to passing health care reform legislation that includes federal funding for abortion.
At 1:00 a.m. eastern time on Monday, they voted 60-40 to close debate on the manager’s amendment. A manager’s amendment is a package of numerous individual amendments agreed to by both sides in advance.
Life advocates were disappointed because Democratic hold-out, Sen. Ben Nelson of Neb., suddenly changed his mind after a series of negotiations Friday night. Some reports suggest Nelson received special consideration for pet projects in his home state in return for his vote.
U.S. Rep. Steve King, said Nelson sold out.
“Ben Nelson has traded innocent unborn human lives,” he said, “a fundamental moral principle, for a monetary concession, set aside exclusively for Nebraska.”
In a statement, Nelson said he agreed to vote for the bill after a compromise was offered that allows states to prohibit plans sold within their borders from covering abortion.
Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List, said the compromise does not mean abortion funding is excluded from the measure.
“If this bill passes, for the first time, federally funded and managed health care plans will cover elective abortions,” she said. “Pro-life Americans in Nebraska and other states that choose to ‘opt-out’ of abortion coverage will still be forced to foot the bill for abortions in California and New York.”
After the 2008 win, Democrats promised they would run the most transparent government in history, but many people were questioning that after Republicans were shut out of the writing of the health care bill and Reid allowed the early morning vote on the measure.
Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said the legislation was too important to be pushed through in a rush.
“We know the American people overwhelmingly oppose this bill,” he said on the Senate floor. “And yet, the people who wrote it won’t give the 300 million Americans whose lives will be profoundly affected by it so much as 72 hours to study the details. Imagine that: when we all woke up yesterday morning, we still hadn’t seen the details of the bill we’re being asked to vote on before we go to sleep tonight. How can anyone justify this approach, particularly in the face of such widespread and intense public opposition?”
