Axelrod Suggests Obama Will Push for Funding Abortion

White House Senior Adviser David Axelrod suggested that President Obama will intervene to alter the Stupak Amendment in health care legislation, claiming that it changes the “status quo” on abortion.

A leader of a pro-life Democratic group told several news agencies in response that the Stupak Amendment is itself the status quo.

In an interview Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Axelrod said that President Obama does not think the health care bill should “change the status quo as it relates to the issue of abortion.”

“This shouldn’t be a debate about abortion. And he’s going to work with Senate and the House to try and ensure that at the end of the day, the status quo is not changed,” he continued.

Axelrod said that the issue “can and will” be worked out before the bill reaches his desk.

Last Monday President Obama told ABC News that his “simple principle” is that the legislation is “a health care bill, not an abortion bill.”

“And we’re not looking to change what is the principle that has been in place for a very long time, which is federal dollars are not used to subsidize abortions. And I want to make sure that the provision that emerges meets that test — that we are not in some way sneaking in funding for abortions, but on the other hand that we’re not restricting women’s insurance choices,” he continued.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell told Fox News Sunday that Americans do not want any taxpayer money going toward abortion.

“I think it would be very difficult to pass a bill that, in effect, either directly or indirectly provided tax money to pay for abortions,” he said, predicting there would be many amendments to the bill overall.

Democrats for Life President Kristen Day also commented about the future of the Stupak Amendment’s restrictions on abortion funding.

“Judging from the president’s comments over the weekend, it looks like he has some interest in trying to move this forward,” she said. “Some intervention from the president will be helpful as we try to negotiate with Congress on the Senate side.”

Pro-life Democrat Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska has already said he does not want any funding of abortion. Senator Casey has said the same thing. Sen. Carper, a Delaware Democrat, voted for language similar to the Stupak Amendment in committee.

The removal of the Stupak Amendment would be questioned and opposed by the 64 Democrats who voted for it.

The Americano / Agencies

Related posts:

1. Pro-Life Congressman Claims Enough Votes to Stop Health Care Bill Over Abortion Nancy Pelosi and other leaders of the Democratic Party, including...
2. Obama Insists on Healthcare but Passing it has a Tough Road Ahead Following the will of the majority of the American people,...
3. Catholics Declare War on Pelosi´s Health Care Bill for Funding Abortions The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is calling on...
4. Democrats Push Hard to Pass the Health Care Bill Senate Democrats decided to pass the health care bill before...
5. House passes health care bill with no funding for abortions The Democratic-controlled House narrowly passed far-reaching health care legislation though...