As House Democrats return to Washington and prepare to huddle with leadership on health care, an anti-abortion group is going after 13 pro-life Democrats by staging rallies in their district offices and urging them to oppose the final plan.
A House Democratic leadership aide told TPMDC today that abortion provisions are still a big question left unresolved as the House and Senate attempt to reconcile their versions of the health care plan in hopes of getting something to President Obama within the month.
Another leadership aide said the broader questions about how to pay for health care will be the first thing that Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her team will discuss during a caucus meeting tomorrow night. The abortion question will be decided later during the negotiations, the aide said.
But Susan B. Anthony List (SBA) is pressuring Democrats to oppose the final plan, saying the language Sen. Ben Nelson had inserted in the Senate version isn’t tough enough.
One of the leadership aides said the Senate may have to be the one to compromise since the House has more pro-life members.
“We didn’t have a lot of votes to spare last time,” the aide said.
(Check out our list of Democrats who opposed the House health care bill this fall, which we keep updated as members indicate if they are a “Yes,” “No,” or undecided.)
SBA is spending $45,000 on a radio ad campaign targeting the members and attempting to mobilize more than 125,000 calls into district offices.
They are calling it “Women Speak Out: Abortion is NOT Health Care” and former Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO) is leading the effort.
The nine-city tour will star Musgrave and pro-life female activists in the districts of Rep. Jason Altmire (PA-04), Rep. Kathy Dahlkemper (PA-03), Rep. Mike Doyle (PA-14), Rep. John Murtha (PA-12), Rep. Tim Ryan (OH-17), Rep. John Boccieri (OH-16), Rep. Steve Driehaus (OH-01), Rep. Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Rep. Zack Space (OH-18), Rep Charlie Wilson (OH-06), Rep. Joe Donnelly (IN-02), Rep. Brad Ellsworth (IN-08) and Rep. Baron Hill (IN-09). They all supported Rep. Bart Stupak’s amendment limiting abortion.
SBA said other anti-abortion groups including the Family Research Council will help, and called the campaign their largest effort so far of the health care fight.
Musgrave said in a statement that SBA members will appeal to pro-life Democrats were “undermined” by Senators “under the false premise of compromise.”
