The US Senate, locked in bitter battle over President Barack Obama’s push to remake the nation’s health care system, opened a new front Monday over the divisive question of abortion.
Democratic Senator Ben Nelson, a key swing vote, unveiled a proposal aimed at barring any federal monies from going to pay for abortion, directly or indirectly, setting up a pitched intra-party political battle.
Lawmakers who support abortion rights have said they will fight to defeat Nelson’s amendment to the underlying legislation, amid expectations the Senate will not adopt his proposal.
Nelson has warned he will not support the overall legislation absent the restrictions, while many Democrats have said his initiative goes too far in banning the use of government funds to terminate a pregnancy.
“As written, the Senate health care bill allows taxpayer dollars, directly and indirectly, to pay for insurance plans that cover abortion,” Nelson, who represents Nebraska, said in a statement.
“Most Nebraskans, and Americans, do not favor using public funds to cover abortion and as a result this bill shouldn’t open the door to do so,” he added, noting that anti-abortion groups have condemned the bill as written.
Nelson’s measure would prohibit Americans who receive government subsidies to pay for health care to buy into an insurance plan that covers abortion, and would prohibit a government-backed insurance plan popularly known as a “public option” from covering the procedure.
The measure includes exceptions in cases of rape, incest, or in which a doctor certifies that the woman is “in danger of death unless an abortion is performed.”
Nelson’s amendment mirrors a similar proposal that the House of Representatives attached to its version of the health care overhaul amid expectations that House and Senate negotiators might strip it later in the legislative process.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid hopes to pass the health care bill before the end of the year, but has next to no margin for error to get the 60 votes needed.
The White House-backed bill aims to extend coverage to some 31 million Americans out of the roughly 36 million who currently lack it, while curbing soaring costs and improving the quality of care.
