It’s Not Over Yet

Could the Democrats have overplayed their hand? Americans are outraged at what they’re witnessing in Washington, DC. It’s breathtaking. When senators like Tom Harkin call bribing other senators “small stuff;” when a legislative body chucks its own rules in an effort to ensure it’s actions can never be overturned; what we’re seeing is nothing short of tyranny.

It will only take one senator to change this. It will only take a handful of congressmen to change this. Bill Kristol seems to believe there’s still a chance to kill this bill. (via memeorandum)

As people learn more about the sleazy sweetheart deals and the creepy permanent death panels—this thing could still go down in the House next month in the face of popular outrage.

Senator Sam Brownback (R-Kan) believes the abortion language could kill the bill.

He said the arguments over abortion may doom the bill because some Democrats believe the House abortion language is too strict, while others say they can’t support reform without those provisions.

“Since the Democrats are working with a thin margin of support for the bill in the House, it is just possible that the attempt to use health care reform to force taxpayer funding for abortion will end up killing the bill,” Brownback said.

Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI) could kill the bill, if the White House and Democrats are unsuccessful in their attempts to shut him up.

In his interview with CNSNews.com on Tuesday, Stupak said that the White House “asked me just to hold off for awhile and not to say anything about this language. But as soon as the news broke that they had this [compromise], and they got the 60 votes, folks were asking me, and I’m not going to run from the issue I’m going to stand up and say, ‘Look, here’s my objections.’ Here – it’s not just my objections – but there’s a number of my [colleagues] who feel strongly about this issue, and these are the parts that have to be fixed.”
 
Stupak said he is not alone in being pressured from the White House and the House Democratic leadership – other pro-life Democratic colleagues apparently are, as well. But they plan to hold firm, he said.
 
“We’re getting a lot of pressure not to say anything, to try to compromise this principle or belief,” Stupak said. “[T]hat’s just not us. We’re not going to do that. Members who voted for the Stupak language in the House – especially the Democrats, 64 Democrats that voted for it – feel very strongly about it. It’s been part of who we are, part of our make up. It’s the principle belief that we have. We are not just going to abandon it in the name of health care.”
 
When asked if he has the votes he needs to stop the bill if, in its final version, it does not include the language of his amendment or nearly identical language, Stupak did not answer directly.

“Well, if all the issues are resolved and we’re down to the pro-life view or, I should say, no public funding for abortion, there’s at least 10 to 12 members who have said, repeatedly, unless this language is fixed and current law is maintained, and no public funding for abortion,” said Stupak. “There’s 10 or 12 of us, and they only passed the bill by 3 votes, so they’re going to be short  8 to 9, maybe 6 to 8 votes. So they [Democrats] do not have the votes to pass it in the House.”

 Senator John Thune (R-S Dakota) is holding out hope that one senator may come to his senses and vote against this bill.

So let’s not give up hope just yet. It ain’t over until the botox lady sings.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009 at 9:33 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.