Pelosi: ‘No Separate Vote’ For Stupak…Or Anybody Else

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
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House Democratic leadership has apparently told Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI) to go take a hike–and they’ll move forward without him, or any other anti-abortion Dems threatening to switch their votes from ‘yes’ to ‘no.’

Just off the House floor moments ago, Pelosi told reporters there will be “no separate vote” on abortion or any other measure.

And Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), a leading pro-choice progressive, said they’re moving ahead without him. “There’s not going to be any deal made with Mr. Stupak…there’s been no deal whatsoever. He’s been told that his language is not going to be added to the legislation,” she told me this morning.

Stupak has been threatening to vote against health care reform legislation for months if its abortion language isn’t tightened significantly, and he’s claimed repeatedly that upwards of a dozen other Democrats would join him if he doesn’t get his way. That’d be enough to kill the bill.

Yesterday, though, Rep. Nick Rahall (D-WV)–a Stupak follower–told reporters that the dozen is probably down to about six. And that may not be enough to force leadership’s hand.

“We think we have the votes regardless, and we’re going to be moving forward,” Schakowsky said. “Yes. We do think we have the votes without him.”

A huge development, if true.

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