House Passes Health Care Bill With Anti-Abortion Funding Amendment

In an historic vote tonight, the U.S. House of Representatives passed HR 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act by a vote of 220-215. (New York Times.) Paving the way for the favorable vote was the passage of the Stupak-Ellsworth-Pitts-Kaptur-Dahlkemper-Lipinski-Smith Amendment (full text) by a vote of 240-194. (Christian Science Monitor background.) That amendment assures that federal funds will not be used to pay for abortions (except in cases of rape, incest or threat to the life of the mother). Abortion coverage will be available through non-subsidized private health plans. Supplemental policies may be purchased with an individual's own funds or with state or local funds other than state or local matching Medicaid funds. Any private company offering an unsubsidized plan through the insurance Exchange that covers abortion must also offer an identical plan that excludes abortion coverage. In letters to members of Congress today, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops strongly supported the amendment. [Updated.]