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| Congressman Says He Now Has 'About 40 Likeminded Democrats' Who Will Vote to Kill Health Bill if He Doesn't Get Floor Vote on Pro-Life Amendment |
| 2009-10-24 |
| CNSNews.com) - Rep. Bart Stupak (D.-Mich.) told CNSNews.com yesterday that he has organized a group of "about 40 likeminded Democrats" who will vote to kill the health-care bill if House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D.-Calif.) does not allow a floor vote on his amendment to prohibit federal funds from going to insurance plans that cover abortion. Under Stupak's plan, the approximately 40 Democrats in his camp would join with all House Republicans in voting to defeat the special House "rule" that would set the terms for debating and amending the health-care bill on the House floor when it is brought up for a final vote. If a majority of the House does not first vote to approve this rule, the health-care bill itself cannot be brought to the floor. "We will try to--we, there's about 40 likeminded Democrats like myself--we'll try to take down the rule," Stupak told CNSNews.com. "If all 40 of us vote in a bloc against the rule--because we think the Republicans will join us--we can defeat the rule. The magic number is 218. If we can have 218 votes against the rule, we win." "If you hold all 40 of your guys, how many votes do you have?" asked CNSNews.com. "About 220," said Stupak. "So, you've got a two-vote margin there?" asked CNSNews.com "Correct," said Stupak. If Stupak's bloc of Democrats holds together against a rule, Stupak said, "They cannot bring the bill to the floor." Stupak's amendment was defeated by a vote of 28 to 30 in the House Energy and Commerce Committee, when that committee was drafting its version of the health-care bill. Stupak's serves on the committee and is chairman of its Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. Stupak said that House Rules Committee Chairman Louise Slaughter (D.-N.Y.) has told him there is "no way" her committee will write a rule that allows a floor vote on his amendment. The Democratic majority on the Rules Committee, Stupak said, acts on the direction of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 This is suspected of being a cynical ploy, so that they can say they voted against it before voting for it. Pelosi loses nothing by permitting a vote she knows will lose, or just be discarded by the conference committee. But it will give these blue dog Democrats cover from having a rotting albatross hung about their collective necks. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2009-10-24 12:51 |