Republican amendments regarding restrictions on federal funding for abortion were defeated on Wednesday by a Senate panel on health care bill.
With 13-10 votes, the bill proposed by Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah lost to the Senate Finance Committee.
Hatch said that he was disappointed with the votes. But he would pursue the issue when the amendments come to the full Senate. “Although these two very important amendments fell short today, you can rest assured that I will continue to fight for these vital issues”, said Hatch.
His first amendment stated that the ban on federal funding for abortions would be applied to all aspects of health insurance, except for cases of incest, rape, or danger to the mother’s health. Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan and Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine disputed this amendment, saying that it would lead to another restriction on abortion rights in women with private health insurance.
Democratic Sen. Max Baucus of Montana, the committee chairman, commented that the amendment discriminated against women by making them buy supplemental coverage for abortions. He said that he included a language in the proposal to ensure that federal funds would not be used for abortion under the bill.
Hatch’s second amendment focused on prohibiting the government from obliging doctors, healthcare providers, or hospitals to provide abortions.
The committee also voted on a Republican amendment about preventing illegal immigrants from getting government-subsidised heath insurance. This proposal would require participants to show a photo identification card issued by the government, and should have a valid Social Security number.
