Ben Nelson Wants Anti-Abortion Measures In Senate Health Bill

WASHINGTON — Abortion opponents in the Senate want tough restrictions in the health care overhaul bill, similar to the limits passed by the House this past weekend.

The issue could roil an already shaky Democratic effort to pass a health care bill by year's end for President Barack Obama.

Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska said Monday it's highly unlikely he would support a bill that doesn't clearly prohibit federal dollars from going to pay for abortions. His spokesman said Nelson is weighing options, including offering an amendment similar to the one passed by the House.

The limits in the House bill have angered liberals, some of whom are now threatening to vote against health care legislation if the curbs stay in.

Comments

[Suzanne525]

A friend in her mid-twenties who very much wants children recently found out her heart is too weak to carry a pregnancy to term. She would die. So, an IUD was inserted and doctors are pushing for her to have a hysterectomy to ensure she will never become pregnant. At age 25.

So, they will adopt. BUT.... what if she had become pregnant prior to finding out about her heart? You pro-birthers would rather she died than terminate a pregnancy.... something that would have been an extremely difficult choice for her.

Government - stay out of women's reproductive decisions. Fund birth control, not ED treatments.

[Bafun]

Old men, who think women are " instruments of reproduction', have to stay out of women's reproductive decisions.

[surferbuoy]

The amendment covers abortions for those mothers that would be at risk & I am guessing that your friend would have qualified under the circumstances that you describes.

[northstar11]

the senate distorts democracy ------senators for smalll unpopulated states have way too much say.

[audit]

If the Govenrment funds abortion - you only get one - one abortion along with a tubal.

[Bafun]

First fund birth control. If birth control fails (sometimes it happens) fund one abortion. I am pro choice in emergency case. Abortion is not a birth control.

[Okieborn]

Mr. Nelson !!
A few words for you !!
GO TO HE** !!

[Elyriaohio]

Ben would also like to include, women can no-longer "Sass-back".

[kylie]

Funny, but too true, Elyriaohio.

[surferbuoy]

Funny, now that works for me.

[JIzin]

Women who choose to undergo abortion do so for very good reasons. They have legitimate health complications. They can not support the baby or they are not married. They are in an abusive relationship. They already have all the children they want. They know that they are not emotionally ready for the responsibility to take care of a child.

Abortion is a legal right, and its the right of the women to choose to not carry a baby to term. The baby has no rights while it is dependent on the mother to have life period.

[digdeeper]

What about rape and incest Sen. Nelson?
You expect a woman or worse still a young girl to carry to full term with no hope of intervention.
Tell me, what do you advocate for these women?
What about a woman who knows she will deliver a severely handicapped baby? do you advocate no intervention in her case too?
Arbitrarily banning abortion on the public purse assumes the above cases don't exist.
Believe me they do.

[kylie]

I'm guessing, not much.
Senator Nelson does not even want good, affordable health care for women or men.
The "compassion" is for the baby in the womb but not after its birth.
That is tragic and evil.

[surferbuoy]

Read the amendment, then post. All those things you stated are covered.

[Just Banned]

If the GOP is finding themselves unsuccessful arguing on health care's own terms, maybe they're thinking they can rally 'the base' by tricking constituents into fighting against it because it's now conflated with abortion?

[Earl Brown]

who keeps letting the white conservative evangelicals in the back door of the democratic party.

[TheBaffler]

Conservative Dems have been dominating the party for ages.

[surferbuoy]

Conservative Democrats made up the Democratic Party for years & years...then entered the liberals & finally the progressive....now we have a party of all three.

[MAH999]

If they government can force liberals to pay for the murder of living adults and children in a war that we find morally repugnant, then we ought to be able to require people who object to a legal medical procedure to have some of their taxes subsidize them. Sanctity of life seems to end for these folks at the moment of birth. Or could it be that it has nothing to do with the sanctity of life and everything to do with controlling women?

Bill Nelson opposes any health reform. He will use any argument he can do derail it. So what's new?

[NeoconGal]

The bill should simply state, "If you don't want to have an abortion, don't have one".

[1murillo]

Nelson (NE) and the Republicans will continue to find topics to raise every step of their losing way.
Pop. numbers don't determine a Senator's power; only the person's political savvy makes a difference. The GOP is slowly losing its power as shown when the strongest spokesperson for its wants is a Democratic senator from Nebraska.

[surferbuoy]

Finally, bipartisanship.

[goodpyr]

Population of the state of Nebraska almost 1.8 mil.
Population of the Seattle Metro Area almost 3.4 mil.
This hick wants to withhold Healthcare reform if there's no Stupak amendment.
Talk about holding a gun to someone's head.

[AirViceMarshalPark]

How does he keep that cat still that is on the top of his head? Glue?

[Rmath]

You can tell it's a cheap rug when it has a chin strap..

[Decode]

Men controlled women for ages. now women have freedom and they are trying to take it away again.