Obtained: In Letter To Pelosi, 41 House Dems Pledge To Vote Against Bill With Abortion Amendment

[jefferson_dem]

Obtained: In Letter To Pelosi, 41 House Dems Pledge To Vote Against Bill With Abortion Amendment

In a move that will intensify the coming war over how to treat abortion in the health care bill, more than three dozen House Dems have signed a letter to Nancy Pelosi firmly pledging to vote against the bill if it contains an anti-abortion amendment.

A source sends over a working copy of the letter without the signatories, and a source says it currently bears the signatures of 41 House Dems. They’re all vowing to vote No on a bill if it contains the Stupak amendment — enough to sink the bill:

As members of the Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus, we believe that women should have access to a full range of reproductive health care. Health care reform must not be misused as an opportunity to restrict women’s access to reproductive health services.

The Stupak-Pitts amendment to H.R. 3962, The Affordable Healthcare for America Act, represents an unprecedented and unacceptable restriction on women’s ability to access the full range of reproductive health servicesto which they are lawfully entitled. We will not vote for a conference report that contains language that restricts women’s right to choose any further than current law.

That’s unequivocal, with no wiggle room. The Washington Post reported this morning that Rep. Diana DeGette had collected 40 signatures vowing a No vote, without noting the language of their vow or how this would be communicated.

Now we know — at least 41 House Dems are writing directly to Pelosi, telling her that they will not vote for anything “that contains language that restricts women’s right to choose any further than current law.”

I’m told that the letter is still being circulated for even more signatures, and I’ll bring you a list of signatories when I have it.

The Stupak amendment, of course, would sharply curtail the availability of abortions, which many insurance plans now offer, and was added in order to win the support of moderate Dems. That pro-choice Democrats are now drawing such a sharp line against the amendment will make the politics considerably more difficult going forward.

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/health-care/obtained-in-letter-to-pelosi-41-house-dems-pledge-to-vote-against-bill-with-abortion-amendment/

[tekisui]

1. KNR!~

[golddigger]

2. K&R

[Lefty48197]

3. I am a big supporter of Michigan's U.P. and their rep. Bart Stupak

But if Bart thinks it's more important morally to kill this bill entirely than to allow public funding of abortions, then I think he's missing the forest through the trees. By the way Bart, guaranteed health insurance will save many many lives and improve the quality of life for many many more Americans. Please consider that...

[AndyA]

4. Why is it so many are so dead set on protecting an unborn thing,

yet the ones who have been born, are alive, have children and responsibilities, are expendable?

That's what no health care reform basically is: A DEATH SENTENCE. So we bend over backwards to protect something that hasn't lived yet, has no responsibilities, and has no one depending on it, yet we allow someone who does have all those things to die.

Go figure. Seems fucked up to me. :shrug:

[liberal N proud]

7. That one has puzzled me for a long time

[vaberella]

11. Blows my mind as well. B/c you know if there was a cockroach that scurried past--dead.

They wouldn't even think twice about it.

[Freddie Stubbs]

5. But didn't they already vote for the bill with the amendment?

They can go back and tell their constituents that they voted for Health Care Reform before they voted against it.

[Kdillard]

10. They didn't vote for a final bill and a majority of Dems voted against this amendment

This is a long way from being over.

[Freddie Stubbs]

18. Who other than Kucinich voted against the Stupak amendment and the final bill?

:shrug:

[CTD]

6. Excellent! Now it's time for both Pelosi and Reid to show a spine and whip these bastards into line

I can't stand it when superstition (or pandering to superstition) gets in the way of legislating for the greater good.

[vaberella]

8. She would never have had enough votes if they didn't add the Amendment...Christ.

These Dems are too much. What are the names?! We need all their names.

[jenmito]

9. The Stupak amendment will be stripped out of the final bill. The only reason Pelosi allowed

it to be voted on was so the final vote in the House could take place-just like Boehner feared.

[vaberella]

12. I think Pelosi picked up a thing or two from Obama in the art of chess. n/t

[jenmito]

13. I agree. n/t

[rucky]

14. Seems to work for the Blue Dogs...

let's see if this tactic produces the same backflips to accommodate.

The difference is, of course, that redacting the amendment will lead to 41 votes in support of the final bill - unlike the 23 Dems who voted for the Amendment, and against the bill.

[janx]

15. K&R

[janx]

16. K&R

[vaberella]

17. Kicked for the people who assumed Pelosi ALLOWED Bluedogs to Highjack bill.

When you don't have enough votes without a few of those assholes...you do what you must.