Boehner to Obama: Invite Stupak to healthcare summit tomorrow
UPDATE, 2/25, 11:35a: Here’s an interview Rep. Stupak gave to Fox News yesterday. I don’t know how many different ways he has to say if there’s abortion in healthcare, he spearheads a group of 15-20 who will oppose it. And that should be enough.
2/24, 4:53p: When President Obama introduced his own version of a healthcare bill complete with abortion funding, he thwarted bipartisanship – within the Democrat Party. As one friend wrote, he “put himself at odds with the 64 Democrats that supported the language used in the House bill and has reignited the abortion debate within his own party.”
One would think that in the spirit of goodwill Obama would have invited the leader of Democrat opposition to abortion in healthcare, MI Congressman Bart Stupak, to his healthcare summit tomorrow. But he did not.
Republican House Minority Leader John Boehner agrees Stupak should be added to the list. Read this letter he sent to Obama today, making that request. I received a copy of it along with this note:
Since the White House is apparently open to adding Members of Congress to the summit roster at the last moment (see: Sen. Ron Wyden, D-OR), Leader Boehner is sending this letter to President Obama today respectfully requesting that the White House extend a summit invitation to Rep. Bart Stupak, author of the House-passed Stupak amendment barring federal funding of abortion.
The Stupak amendment – which reflects the will of the American people on the issue of federal funding of abortion – is supported by a bipartisan majority in the House, but was excluded from the President’s health care proposal.

Obama just cannot fathom decisions made on principle. And he knows that Stupak would have tied him in knots. I don’t think the blue dogs would have voted for this anyway because it doesn’t lower health care costs and taxes health plans…for instance it includea a provision to lower the amount of money people can put into tax deferred health savings account and a fourty percent tax on some current plans. Sounds crazy to include taxation on health care plans in a reform that is supposed to lower peoples health care costs.
pip,
If you are out there? There really is such a thing as a pro-life Democrat. Seeing is believing :