Stupak on Fox today: “Yes, we believe we have the votes” to shut down healthcare over abortion
Democrat MI Congressman Bart Stupak, also House pro-life caucus co-chair, gave an excellent interview to Fox’s Megyn Kelly this morning, strongly stating that Obama and Pelosi’s contention that abortion isn’t in healthcare “is just not true,” and that he is “disappointed” the president continues to make that assertion.
Here’s the clip…
Partial transcript…
Stupak: So if we’re not allowed to offer what we call the Hyde Amendment, which basically says no public funds for abortion in national healthcare… then we’re going to try to… defeat the rule, and the bill cannot come to the Floor for a vote. That is our strategy. That is our plan. They’re well aware of it.
Kelly: …. Do you have the votes? I mean, could you and other pro-life Democrats plus the Republicans I assume you’re talking to, could you defeat the bill?
Stupak: Yes, we believe we have the votes, but we’re not taking anything for granted. We speak to members every day on this issue. We have another letter circulating right now to both the president and the speaker. I know other individual pro-life members on both Democrat and Republican sides have also sent letters to the president since his speech last week saying, “Look, this bill isn’t going anywhere unless we have a straight up or down vote which says no public funding for abortion in healthcare….”
Kelly: It’s tough to have a debate when the people on the other side won’t even acknowledge your point on the facts. I mean, Nancy Pelosi continues to say that abortion funding is already out of this bill….
Stupak: Yeah, if she really believes that, then give me my amendment. If anything my amendment would just be redundant. Just give me my amendment then. There’s no fear of my amendment. Pelosi should have no fear of my amendment….
Stupak is a real hero.
Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.
Thank You Rep. Bart Stupak!!!! That was an excellent interview with Megan Kelly. The truth has to come out in the open-and-what about the “caps amendment”
How wonderful! There are very few pro life Democrats, so glad to see one with the courage of his convictions. I’m sure he is under great pressure to cave in, but he won’t.
He is a hero.
Wow, finally some really refreshing news. Let’s hope it holds up.
Wow pro-life democrats are almost as rare as undocumented aliens sleeping in the White House.
But here is another example of democrat running from the term ‘liberal’and/or ‘progressive’. Mr. Stupak went out of his way to identify himself, not as a ‘liberal’ or a ‘progressive’, but as a ‘moderate’. Maybe Stupak is just trying to survive politically and he knows the terms ‘moderate’ and ‘liberal’ are ideological stigmas he does not need.
I do not know Stupak’s voting record. He may fit the definition of a ‘moderate’.
We have all seen examples of liberal or moderate republicans attempting to claim the mantle of a conservative or even a Reagan conservative, but have you ever heard of a ‘conservative’ denying his conservatism and trying to pass himself off as a moderate or a liberal republican.
yor bro ken
I am glad to see this strong pro-life statement from Michigan Democrat Representative Bart Stupak. I hope that he and others will not surrender to pressure. I hope he is correct that the Democrat Health Care bill is not likely to pass without a definite amendment that clearly bars the federal funding of abortion in the health bill. There have been various Democrat/Leftist bills pushed through that simply have not allowed an amendment to check their most anti-life, anti-moral, anti-conservative features. I think that the current health bill should be ditched for a number of reasons. The pro-abortion import of the current bill is especially egregious. The suave promises of Obama and the Democrat leadership that abortion will not be included cannot be trusted!
Suave promises in an attempt to alleviate the concerns of conservative fisal, political and cultural conservatives have met nothing coming from this administration, while at the same time they have blocked legal amendments to correct the abuses about which we are concerned.
Stupak is an example of a smart pro life strategy. Make sure both the Democrat and the Republican in your district are pro life.
Vote in the Democrat primary if you have to.
In this world of utter chaos, I try really hard every day to see the positive side of things.
What has been going on with the healthcare bill (and many other things) has been disastrous on so many levels.
HOWEVER, (thinking positively, of course) I am glad it happened. Never in my life have I seen so many people, from the far left to the far right, coming out of the woodwork to speak their minds on what they really believe and truly stand for.
People are becoming transparent with their beliefs, and I for one think it’s a really good thing for America. We were all sleeping and going along with the program, and now we woke up and many are becoming active in our country’s political process.
I think, as a nation, we can truly hash this thing out and make our country better for everyone.
I see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Marie, I couldn’t agree with you more! I have seen more patriotism this year than I have ever seen in my life! It is so encouraging and reminds me that we still are America, the best country in the world, despite Obama’s best efforts!
And the House Democrats have the unmitigated gall to call Joe Wilson a liar?
When in heaven’s name will people who gleefully and unquestionably support Liberals wake up and realize who most of these people are? Obama, Pelosi, Reid and Frank are sociopathic liars who are not worthy of the nation’s trust and they should be removed from office. Let’s never forget how Obama lied about the “Born Alive Infant Protection Act”. Yes, Obama’s sins will find him out and the sooner the better.
I salute Mr. Stupak, yes this Democrat, for putting principle before politics. This guy has a backbone. Even I could vote for this man.
We even need to go beyond the Hyde Amendment. It is my understanding that the Hyde Amendment will prevent tax dollars going toward abortion. However, we need to have no tax dollars going to abortion providers. This is how they get around the Hyde Amendment on the Mexico City Policy where federal funds are not going directly for abortions but they are going to abortion providers. Basically, the money is in the same pot for the abortion provider and transferring funds is nothimg more than an accounting matter.
Look, stopping government funds won’t do a thing. Making laws won’t do a thing.
Abortions dropped more under pro-choice Clinton than under Reagan or EITHER Bush…by far (check the facts). The reason is that the economy was better. The real reason abortion happens is because of poverty. Better distribute the wealth in this country (quit giving Republican style) breaks to the rich while putting more and more burden on the working people…..and abortions would drop precipitously.
Or, just keep on with your delusions. Laws will stop it….BS. That just takes it out of the doctors office and makes it happen in an alley, with a closet hangar or down a flight of stairs.
I’m not pro-choice because I support abortion in any way…..it’s because I don’t think anyone who supports freedom should think government belongs between the doctor and patient (provider and insurer…..fine….but not IN THE OFFICE).
The saddest thing about pro-lifers is that they screw themselves. Voting for a party that works solely for the rich, because they provide them lip service…..they have done NOTHING to stop abortions because government COULD NEVER DO IT. Outlaw abortion, and you will END ANY ATTEMPT TO STOP abortion – it would be a disaster.
AGAIN….there is NO WAY to stop abortions – no law, either justified by the Constitution or NOT. The only way to limit the number of abortions is to equitably share the gains of production — get rid of poverty – offer security to EVERY American (like guaranteed health care).
Abortions dropped more under pro-choice Clinton than under Reagan or EITHER Bush…by far (check the facts).
No, you made the claim. You substantiate the claim.
The reason is that the economy was better. The real reason abortion happens is because of poverty.
Correlation doesn’t equal causation. Just because many poor people have abortions doesn’t mean poverty is the cause. Rich people have abortions too.
Better distribute the wealth in this country (quit giving Republican style) breaks to the rich while putting more and more burden on the working people…..and abortions would drop precipitously.
Proof?
I’m not pro-choice because I support abortion in any way
Why not? Why don’t you want to be seen as supporting abortion?
.it’s because I don’t think anyone who supports freedom should think government belongs between the doctor and patient (provider and insurer…..fine….but not IN THE OFFICE).
When a woman is pregnant, there are two patients, not one.
The saddest thing about pro-lifers is that they screw themselves. Voting for a party that works solely for the rich, because they provide them lip service…..they have done NOTHING to stop abortions because government COULD NEVER DO IT. Outlaw abortion, and you will END ANY ATTEMPT TO STOP abortion – it would be a disaster.
This is a silly, unsubstantiated claim with no basis in fact. Just like everything else you wrote.
Ok, TJ, send me some of your money and let’s see if redistributing your wealth helps. I am NOT rich and GWB’s tax credits did more to help me and my children in very real, practical ways than Clinton ever did. But then, I think that people deserve to keep the money they earn and spend it according to their own priorities rather than give MORE to BB who “knows best”.
FYI, I vote based on principles, not parties, and if any politician is not willing to stand up for the most vulnerable among us, I really don’t trust his or her judgment on much else.
Before you spout the tired line about Bush giving tax cuts to the rich, please understand how the system works with the following:
Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:
The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
The fifth would pay $1.
The sixth would pay $3.
The seventh would pay $7.
The eighth would pay $12.
The ninth would pay $18.
The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.
So, that’s what they decided to do. The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve.
“Since you are all such good customers”, he said, “I’m going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20”. Drinks for the ten now cost just $80.
The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But what about the other six men – the paying customers? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his “fair share?”
They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody’s share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer. So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man’s bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay.
And so:
The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings).
The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33%savings).
The seventh now pay $5 instead of $7 (28%savings).
The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).
The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings).
The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).
Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to drink for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings.
“I only got a dollar out of the $20,” declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man, “but he got $10!”
“Yeah, that’s right,” exclaimed the fifth man. “I only saved a dollar, too. It’s unfair that he got ten times more than I!”
“That’s true!!” shouted the seventh man. “Why should he get $10 back when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks!”
“Wait a minute,” yelled the first four men in unison. “We didn’t get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!”
The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.
The next night the tenth man didn’t show up for drinks, so the nine sat down and had beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn’t have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!
And that, boys and girls, journalists and college professors, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.
from http://www.wisebread.com/bar-stool-economics-0 visit http://www.snopes.com/business/taxes/howtaxes.asp re: original authorship
That was a GREAT analogy, Klynn73!! I will have to save that and pass it along.
“Outlaw abortion, and you will END ANY ATTEMPT TO STOP abortion – it would be a disaster.”
Let’s poll women and ask them if they would resort to back alleys and coat hangers if abortion were made illegal. I’d bet zero percent would answer “Yes”.