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NRLC and Catholic Bishops Blast Casey's Abortion Language

By Philip Klein on 12.18.09 @ 5:25PM

The National Right to Life Committee and the Conference of Catholic Bishops have come out strongly against proposed language by Sen. Bob Casey aimed at mollifying Sen. Ben Nelson's concerns that the health care bill would provide taxpayer subsidies toward abortion coverage.

In a letter to Casey (PDF), the NRLC wrote that "your proposal completely fails to correct any of the major pro-abortion provisions in the underlying Reid bill. The National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) and the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation strongly oppose the language you have proposed regarding federal subsidies for insurance plans that cover abortion on demand. We believe that your proposed language in no way improves the highly objectionable provisions of the Reid bill that authorize subsidies for health plans that cover elective abortion, and that authorize federal mandates for private health plans to cover elective abortion, as described below."

It went on to say that "the Nelson-Hatch (Stupak-Pitts) language is the only acceptable solution to the far-reaching pro-abortion problems in the Reid bill."

The Conference of Catholic Bishops reached the same conclusion, reiterating that the abortion language would still be "morally unacceptable."

"Despite repeated claims to the contrary, it does not comply with longstanding Hyde restrictions on federal funding of elective abortions and health plans that include them,” Cardinal Daniel DiNardo said of the Casey proposal in a statement.

Nelson has said repeatedly that he could not vote for cloture on the bill if it did not include abortion language akin to the Stupak language that passed in the House, and these harsh responses from anti-abortion groups won't make it any easier to forge a deal.

And in order to keep to his tight deadline to pass a health care bill on Christmas Eve, Reid will have to satisfy Nelson's concerns on abortion by midnight tomorrow.

View all comments (6) | Leave a comment

Dell| 12.18.09 @ 6:08PM

Opposition from the NRLC is one thing; and important, certainly. But, the nearly identical words from The Conference of Catholic Bishops, combined with Senator Nelson's own recent statement, puts the onus squarely on the Senator.

The chances that Reid would alienate the entire far left AGAIN by inserting the Stupak-Pitts language is simply out of the question, so what will Nelson do?

My guess is that on the Eve of the Birthday of Jesus Christ, Senator Nelson will side with the Lord. His constituency demands it. Voting to advance the bill would be the equivalent of voting for its final passage because it would only take 51 votes at that stage and the Democrats certainly have that many in hand.

If Senator Nelson votes FOR cloture he might just as well find himself a new home in some place other than Nebraska, because he sure won't be welcome there!

Big Jim| 12.19.09 @ 12:12AM

Casey is a disgrace to his family and his father's memory. I hoped his mother would strighten him out, but no luck there. The voters of PA will make him pay dearly for being a craven politician without any principles. See you around Bobby, you jerk!

Richard Baker| 12.19.09 @ 9:31AM

Big Jim:
Is this the same Casey who wasn't allowed to speak at a Democrat convention BECAUSE he was considered pro-life?

Dell| 12.19.09 @ 10:54AM

It's not often that I'm shocked by a Senator's change of position on various pieces of legislation...it happens, after all, quite often. But Senator Nelson has gone beyond the pale on this one, and I WAS WRONG in my prediction above. He has become, it now seems, just another political "whore" who's price just needed to be established. The demand for him to resign his Senate seat will be extremely loud and he would be wise to "slip out the back, Jack" and avoid any more public humiliation from a VERY irate constituency. For him to even consider running for re-election would instigate an overwhelming barrage of "extreme dislike", bordering on hatred. He's due for a withering negative, immediate response, as it currently stands.

If there was a mechanism in place to recall him from the Senate, I'm certain that action would begin today.

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