Abortion measure passes, then fails, in House
(AP) – 11 hours ago
WASHINGTON — An anti-abortion amendment to a sweeping health overhaul bill was voted down in a House committee late Thursday — a dramatic reversal just hours after the measure initially was approved.
The amendment said health care legislation moving through Congress may not impose requirements for coverage of abortion, except in limited cases. It was approved in the Energy and Commerce Committee after conservative Democrats joined Republicans to support it.
But committee Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif., invoked House rules that allowed him to bring up the amendment for a second vote, despite Republican objections.
This time, one conservative Democrat — Rep. Bart Gordon of Tennessee — changed his vote from “yes” to “no.” And a second conservative Democrat who hadn’t voted the first time — Rep. Zack Space of Ohio — voted “no.”
It was enough to take down the amendment on a 30-29 vote.
TRL NOTE: Pro-life congressmen will offer one more pro-life amendment this morning, the Stupak-Pitts amendment to explicitly remove tax dollar funding for abortion from the health care plan proposals. Urge Congressman Gordon to support the Stupak-Pitts pro-life amendment and keep us from funding abortion in health care plans!
Please Call Congressman Gordon Even If You Are Not a Constituent:
Washington, D.C. 202-225-4231
Murfreesboro 615-896-1986
Cookeville 931-528-5907
Gallatin 615-451-5174
