As we reported over the weekend, the House passed its version of health reform legislation on Saturday, including a number of key provisions for the LGBT community. However, this process is far from simple, and far from over. Before final passage, a last-minute anti-choice amendment, offered by Reps. Bart Stupak (D-MI) and Joe Pitts (R-PA), was adopted by a vote of 240-194. The amendment makes it basically impossible for private insurance companies that participate in the new system to offer abortion coverage to women. This will effectively block women from using their own personal funds to purchase an insurance plan with abortion coverage. Even more outrageous is the fact that the bill already includes language banning federal funding of abortion services. Clearly, anti-choice lawmakers are not satisfied with a federal funding ban and are using health care reform to carry out their agenda of making abortion coverage even more difficult to obtain. HRC opposes the Stupak-Pitts amendment and will work with our pro-choice coalition allies to help see that it is removed or revised as health care reform moves forward.
Of course, the Senate must also still act but is currently in a holding pattern as they wait for a cost estimate from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). Those numbers are expected later this week or next week. Once the cost is known, the leadership can finalize the bill for consideration on the floor. The two committee-passed bills, from the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and the Finance Committee, which are being merged, do not contain the important provisions for LGBT people incorporated in the House-passed bill. HRC will continue to monitor the progress of the Senate and look for opportunities to move provisions forward for our community, be it on the Senate floor or in the conference of the two bills.
The Human Rights Campaign's perspective on the news, issues and events affecting the every day lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people across the country.
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