“The Stupak-Pitts 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 proposal,” said Rep. John Boehner (R-OH), a Catholic who serves as House minority leader.
“Pro-life Democrats in the House have already pledged to vote against this provision,” he added. “Health care reform should be an opportunity to protect human life, not end it.”
“John, you know,” the president responded, “the challenge I have here, and this has happened periodically, is every so often we have a pretty good conversation trying to get on some specifics, and then we go back to, you know, the standard talking points that the Democrats and Republicans have had for the last year. And that doesn't drive us to an agreement on issues.”
“There is no public funding of abortion in these bills,” said Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), speaker of the House and a Catholic’ said. And I don't want our listeners or viewers to get the wrong impression from what you said.”
“Every version of the health care bill has contained multiple pro-abortion mandates and federal subsidies for abortion-- except for the version that was fixed by adoption of the Stupak-Pitts Amendment, over Speaker Pelosi's objections,” responded Douglas Johnson, legislative director of the National Right to Life Committee.
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