Skelton, fellow pro-life Dems could block health care bill
Rep. Ike Skelton
WASHINGTON — While the public option has dominated much of the health care debate, language in the House health-care bill about paying for abortion procedures is becoming a hot issue.
Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo., and other anti-abortion rights House Democrats are vowing to oppose the bill if it allows for federal funds to go to abortion procedures. Reports are circulating that Democratic leaders are working toward a compromise with the pro-life Democrats, but no clear amendment to the bill has surfaced.
“I worry that the House bill does not clearly prevent federal funds from being used for abortion services,” Skelton said in a statement to Political Fix.
“As a pro-life member of Congress, I cannot support a reform bill that would allow taxpayers to fund abortions.”
Skelton, who also has voiced opposition to any public option plan, and a coalition of moderate “Blue Dog” Democrats could be influential in holding up the proposed health-care bill. A vote in the House could come as early as Friday, but Democrats could lose votes in their own caucus because of fears about the public option and abortion language.
The abortion issue has been raised by Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., who has publicly claimed to have the 40 Democrat votes needed to block the bill if new abortion provisions aren’t inserted.
If health care is the problem, insurance is not the cause and government is not the answer.
Of those “50 million,” that lack insurance there were 45,000 who died without health care.
WITH health care, 98,000 died FROM health care because of malpractice.
The question is do we want to trust that largest corporation in the world, the U.S. Government. Do not expect house calls anytime soon.
We have seen how well the government delivers on its promises and its bureaucracies pursue the money without giving us benefits on so many levels.
Imagine another 111 bureacracies that only ultimately must listen to the Secretary of the Treasury - another “service” of which is the IRS.
The blog of mine above has several .pdf connections (HR. 3962 and two summaries, a few videos, and page references for new taxes and other mandates).
Google “Progressive Capitalist H.R. 3962.”
Thank you Thank you Thank you Mr. Skelton!!! Please continue to stand for the helpless and I will continue to PRAY!!!
Lets see the government runs social security BROKE medicare BROKE am track BROKEpost office BROKE. They have a good track record don’t they? What person thinks the government would run this right.
Amen Rebecca. I live in Mr. Skelton’s district and this is a critical issue for me. It is not a Republican vs. Democrat issue. I am from a family of conservative Democrats some of whom have become Republicans when the Democratic Party left us on social issues such as abortion. Some of my family members have been upset, however, about the criticism leveled at Mr. Skelton, who has a strong pro-life voting record, even as his national party seems to have left him. He is as pro-life as any of the Republicans who want to challenge him. Given his seniority and his pro-life stand in spite of national Democrat pressure, we are lining up again to support Mr. Skelton in 2010. His is a brave pro-life stand in view of what it could cost him politically in his national Democrat party, especially as a key committee chairman with seniority. Pro-life Missourians should thank Ike Skelton!
I respect Rep. Skelton. But I think pro-life voters are being manipulated. People die because they don’t have health care. Children die, parents die, retirees die–all because they don’t have insurance when they need it. We should fight the fight against abortion, but it does not belong in the health bill. I fear we are being tricked by insurance companies and by Republicans who never stopped abortions when they had full power in Congress. Health reform is DEFINITELY pro-life. Rep. Skelton should support the bills.
By all means. Let’s stop a bill that would make sure children and pregnant women could see a doctor and get medicine. What’s a little pre-term birth or childhood diabetes between friends if there’s any chance in the universe that some woman somewhere would be able to talk to a doctor who would honestly and professionally counsel her on her options. Priorities, Ike. Priorities.
Recently, Cong. Skelton’s reason for not supporting the Bills in Congress was the public option. This week, it’s because he’s ProLife. How can someone reject extending and improving coverage for his constituency in a state that ranks 37th for health call themselves ProLife? MoveOn members have pledged $3,578,117 to fund primary challenges against any Democratic senator who blocks an up-or-down vote on health care reform with a public option. They should consider funding a challenger to him.