Stupak to Obama: If You Remove Abortion Funding Ban, Health Care is Dead

Pro-life Democratic Congressman Bart Stupak has issued a stern warning to President Obama. After Obama’s Senior Advisor David Axelrod told the media this weekend that Obama would intervene to remove the abortion funding ban, Stupak told Fox News, “They’re not going to take it out. If they do, health care will not move forward.”

“We won fair and square…That’s why Mr. Axelrod’s not a legislator. He doesn’t really know what he’s talking about,” Stupak said.

Stupak’s abortion funding ban language was supported in the House by 40 right-to-life Democrats and by a number of other Democrats. Stupak said these Democrats were prepared to vote against the entire health care reform bill if the Stupak language had not been adopted.

N ow that the health care debate has moved to the U.S. Senate, Senator Orrin Hatch told the media yesterday that he is prepared to become the Bart Stupak of the Senate. Hatch understands that the battle will be more difficult in the Senate but he will not be deterred in his quest to add specific language to prohibit federal funds from being used to pay for most abortions.

If the Senate actually passes a health care reform measure, it will go to a conference committee where the differences between the House and Senate versions will be hashed out. The finalized conference committee version will then be sent back to the House and Senate for final approval.

The Obama White House is expected to try to strip away the abortion funding ban at the conference committee stage. If Obama decides to take that risk in order to appease his pro-abortion supporters, Stupak and his pro-life Democratic colleagues will be ready for them … and prepared for an all out war!

Sue Armacost