Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson and Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch today filed their amendment to tighten restrictions on federal funding for abortion. The amendment is likely to be debated on the floor tomorrow. Most observers expect it to fail, which could put the future of reform in doubt as Nelson has threatened to filibuster a bill that doesn't include the provision.The text of the bill is at the link.
The amendment prohibits federal funds from paying for abortion. It prohibits the public option from covering abortion and blocks consumers from using subsidies to purchase a health insurance policy that covers abortion.
The only other Democratic sponsor of the bill? Senator Bob Casey, the anti-choicer who stole Rick Santorum's Senate seat, the fight over whose support from party leadership in '05 saw progressive feminists cast as hysterics because we predicted that demoting women's fundamental right to bodily autonomy to a negotiable platform plank would inevitably lead to an expectation of the Dems to concede ground on choice on the federal level.
And here we are.
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