If the complete government takeover of America’s health care system is to be stopped, the battle will be over federal funding for abortion. That important fight could still prove the stumbling block for the Democrats’ socialist health care bill.
The pressure is now back on the House of Representatives. Eleven of the Democrats who voted for the House version of the health care bill have repeatedly stated that they did so only because the bill contained firm language banning use of taxpayer funds to support abortion. Indeed, those 11 signed a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi stating that they “cannot support any health care reform proposal unless it explicitly excludes abortion from the scope of any government-defined or subsidized health insurance plan.”
There is also one Republican, Louisiana Rep. Anh “Joseph” Cao, who voted for the House health bill but who will now oppose it without a prohibition on government-funded abortions. Every other Republican in the House voted against the massive government expenditure already.
The original House health care bill passed by a slim margin of 220 to 215. But with the 11 Democratic members and Mr. Cao promising to vote against the bill if it includes abortion funding (which is included in the Senate bill), Democrats will have to persuade 10 of the 38 Democratic congressmen who voted against the original bill to change their vote to make up the 12 lost votes. (The original number of Democratic dissenters was 39, but Alabama Rep. Parker Griffith has since crossed the aisle and become a Republican.)
Twenty-two of the 38 House Democrats who voted against the health care bill voted to support the Stupak-Pitts Amendment, which banned forcing taxpayers to pay for abortions. With that provision removed, these Democrats should have an even more difficult time voting for the government health care takeover. In a world where consistency matters, the Democratic leadership needs to get 10 of the remaining 16 Democratic congressmen to switch their votes. That will take serious arm twisting or some really expensive payoffs.
Thirty of the 38 Democrats represent congressional districts that voted for Republican John McCain in the 2008 presidential election. Many are freshmen who need to be extra sensitive to the views of their constituents.
There’s a belief in the nation’s capital that so-called “moderate” Democrats only vote against their liberal party line when their votes don’t count. We hope that’s not the case. Either way, constituents for all 38 of these congressmen need to let their voices be heard. These 38 individuals will make the difference. Rasmussen polling finds that Americans by a 14-percentage point margin disapprove of the health care bill passing through Congress. Presumably that opposition is even stronger in the Republican-leaning districts that these congressmen represent. Hopefully, these politicians will listen to their constituents.
Below is a list of the 38 representatives and the districts they represent. The following information indicates which ones voted for the pro-life Stupak-Pitts Amendment, the percentage of the time they have voted for pro-life legislation this year, and the telephone numbers for their Washington and main district offices. In the National Right to Life Voting Rating following the member, a higher percentage indicates a more pro-life voting record.
John Adler (N.J. 3) 0%
Call (202) 225-4765 and (732) 608-7235
Jason Altmire (Pa. 4) 50%
Voted for Stupak-Pitts Amendment
Call (202) 225-2565 and (724) 378-0928
Brian Baird (Wash. 3) 0%
Call (202) 225-3536 and (360) 695-6292
John Barrow (Ga. 12) 25%
Voted for Stupak-Pitts Amendment
Call (202) 225-2823 and (912) 354-7282
John Boccieri (Ohio 16) 50%
Voted for Stupak-Pitts Amendment
Call (202) 225-3876 or (330) 489-4414
Dan Boren (Okla. 2) 100%
Voted for Stupak-Pitts Amendment
Call (202) 225-2701 and (918) 687-2533
Rick Boucher (Va. 9) 0%
Call (202) 225-3861 and (276) 628-1145
By Jay Sekulow
The left's outrage over the IRS turns to a plea to 'move on'
