DENVER -
The health care reform bill recently passed by the House includes a ban on abortion coverage for millions of women with private health insurance.
The bill would also prohibit coverage with the new public option, even it women pay for more or even all of the costs themselves. That is why groups like Planned Parenthood are urging President Obama to eliminate the Stupak Amendment to protect women's health.
In the middle of the fray, Catholic Bishops who many say they hold the key to whether the National Health Care Bill will finally be passed in Congress. While the Administration is looking to find a compromise on abortion coverage, Bishops, who were instrumental in getting anti-abortion language adopted by the House, hope the Senate version of the abortion plan could split Democrats making passage by the Senate tough.
State Republican Chairman, Dick Wadhams, says Republicans in Congress are nearly all in favor of Stupak which is a Democratic proposal because it bans public funds from being used for abortions
"You've got 40 House Democrats who are in favor of the Stupak Amendment probably another 40 liberal House Democrats who are opposed to it and there are several moderate Democratic Senators in the Senate who are in favor of the Stupak," says Wadhams. "That's why we think Harry Reid has a real problem in the Senate where his bill will be up for debate Saturday."
Abortions rights supporters are not in favor of a version of the bill that contains Stupak, but Senator Reid's bill does allow coverage for abortions in federally subsidized health care plans, if a patient's own premiums are used to pay for the procedure. But opponents say the compromise guts current restrictions that bar federal funding of abortions.
"We have worked so hard for health care reform, we really want to see it pass, but we don't want Stupak to pass," said Vicki Cowart, CEO of Planned Parenthood. :The Senate appears to be going for neutral language or status quo language and we are hopeful that cooler heads in the Senate are going to prevail in this debate."
The bill would also prohibit coverage with the new public option, even it women pay for more or even all of the costs themselves. That is why groups like Planned Parenthood are urging President Obama to eliminate the Stupak Amendment to protect women's health.
In the middle of the fray, Catholic Bishops who many say they hold the key to whether the National Health Care Bill will finally be passed in Congress. While the Administration is looking to find a compromise on abortion coverage, Bishops, who were instrumental in getting anti-abortion language adopted by the House, hope the Senate version of the abortion plan could split Democrats making passage by the Senate tough.
State Republican Chairman, Dick Wadhams, says Republicans in Congress are nearly all in favor of Stupak which is a Democratic proposal because it bans public funds from being used for abortions
"You've got 40 House Democrats who are in favor of the Stupak Amendment probably another 40 liberal House Democrats who are opposed to it and there are several moderate Democratic Senators in the Senate who are in favor of the Stupak," says Wadhams. "That's why we think Harry Reid has a real problem in the Senate where his bill will be up for debate Saturday."
Abortions rights supporters are not in favor of a version of the bill that contains Stupak, but Senator Reid's bill does allow coverage for abortions in federally subsidized health care plans, if a patient's own premiums are used to pay for the procedure. But opponents say the compromise guts current restrictions that bar federal funding of abortions.
"We have worked so hard for health care reform, we really want to see it pass, but we don't want Stupak to pass," said Vicki Cowart, CEO of Planned Parenthood. :The Senate appears to be going for neutral language or status quo language and we are hopeful that cooler heads in the Senate are going to prevail in this debate."
