Sen. Lincoln Votes against Pro-Life Hatch Amendment to the Health Care Bill (UPDATE – Comments from Coleman)
One of the hot button issues surrounding the health care debate has been whether taxpayer dollars will be used to fund abortions. Throughout this debate, Sen. Lincoln has been adamant that she will not support Federal funds for abortion in the health care bill. However, today in the Senate Finance Committee Sen. Lincoln had the opportunity to vote for an amendment offered by Sen. Orrin Hatch that would have tightened up the language in the Baucus Bill to make this clear. She choose to vote (by proxy) against this pro-life amendment.
“The American people do not want, and should not be expected, to foot the bill for abortions,” said Hatch in a statement this afternoon. “I am very disappointed that the Senate Finance Committee did not accept my amendment that would ensure this did not happen, especially given the fact that Chairman Baucus has made it clear during this mark-up that he did not want federal taxpayer dollars to pay for abortions.”
The current Baucus Bill does contain language that prohibits the federal subsidies from paying for abortions which complies with the longstanding Hyde Amendment barring Federal funds being using from abortions. However, the plan allows health insurance plans that participate in the newly created co-ops to offer abortion coverage by segregation these funds and using only premiums collected by participants.
The Hatch Amendment would have prevented this by requiring health plans participating in the co-ops to only offer abortion coverage through completely separate plans. In a statement from Lincoln’s office today, Lincoln made it clear that she voted against the Hatch Amendment as she felt this was unnecessary.
“Arkansans should know that I will not support a health care plan that would require insurance companies to cover abortion, require physicians to perform abortions, or allow federal dollars to fund abortions,” said Lincoln. “The Finance Committee’s health care bill definitively bars federal funds from being used for any abortion services not already allowed under current law in federal health programs today.”
She went on to say that she believes better pregnancy awareness education, which she voted in favor of adding to plan last night, will reduce the number of abortions.
“We need to make abortions as rare as possible by educating our young people about the responsibility that comes with starting a family,” said Lincoln. “Unfortunately, Arkansas currently ranks fourth among the 50 states in teenage birthrate. We all need to do a better job talking to our kids and making sure they know that bringing a child into this world is a tremendous responsibility.”
UPDATE - Potential Republican candidate Curtis Coleman addresses Lincoln’s vote on these amendments on his blog. Yep, he is a blogger. Needless to say he is not pleased with Sen. Lincoln’s vote.
“Senator Blanche Lincoln has once again failed to represent the values of Arkansans by voting against two key amendments to the Senate Finance Committee’s ‘Baucus Bill’ yesterday,” blogged Coleman. “It is clearly time for Arkansas to recover its voice and vote for life in the U.S. Senate.”
Tags: 2010 Candidates
September 30th, 2009 at 3:29 pm
Abortion whether you are for it or against it is a serious issue. I for one am against it, but that’s just my opinion. She’s right in that children and ADULTS need to be educated on bringing a life into this world. Life is nothing to play with.
October 1st, 2009 at 1:24 am
Like Sen. Lincoln supporting abortion and/or not doing anything that might possibly limit it is a big surprise. Like we didn’t already know that Sen. Lincoln lies to her constituents on a regular basis.
October 1st, 2009 at 1:48 pm
In Town Hall Meetings Senator Lincoln claimed that she would not support Health Care Reform legislation that included taxpayer funded abortion. By voting against the Hatch Amendment in committee yesterday she has ensured that taxpayer dollars will be used to end the lives of unborn children. This is just another example of Senator Lincoln’s disconnect with the beliefs and views of the citizens of AR whose state constitution and state laws respect and protect innocent unborn human life and who oppose the use of their tax dollars to be used for abortion on demand. I am deeply disappointed in Senator Lincoln’s vote.
October 2nd, 2009 at 1:25 am
Wednesday, September 30
CONWAY – Republican United States Senate candidate Col. Conrad Reynolds (U.S. Army, Ret.) today issued the following statement after today’s vote by Sen. Blanche Lincoln against (by proxy) an amendment to the Democratic-backed Senate Finance Committee health care bill which would have prevented taxpayer funds from being used on abortion, except in the cases of incest, rape or a threat to the life of the mother:
“Sen. Lincoln’s vote is an offense to Arkansans who believe in the sanctity of life and to taxpayers who do not wish to see their hard-earned dollars used to pay for the termination of innocent life.
As a father of three, and with another child expected soon, I’m disappointed that a person who calls themselves a representative of the people of Arkansas would make a choice that is a complete contradiction of our conservative values.
On such an important vote, I would expect a senator to be present and accountable and not pass their responsibility to another. As Arkansans we must restore accountability to our elected representatives and replace those who do not hear our voice with one who will restore it in the Senate.”
October 5th, 2009 at 12:34 pm
The vote was 10-13. If Lincoln and one other had voted for it, it would have passed. What was she thinking?
October 6th, 2009 at 2:55 pm
She is thinking. I must vote like the President wants me to. Nuff said..