Claiming No Threats, Stupak Threatens
Rep. Bart Stupak, the adamantly anti-abortion Michigan Democrat, has stirred up a firestorm with his amendment prohibiting abortion coverage under insurance plans targeting low- and middle-income women on the exchange. And he isn’t backing down.
In an interview with Detroit News, the 57-year-old Catholic warned that “the other side is playing with fire,” if they try to remove his amendment during later negotiations with the Senate.
“„If they are going to summarily dismiss us by taking the pen to that language, there will be hell to pay. I don’t say it as a threat, but if they double-cross us, there will be 40 people who won’t vote with them the next time they need us—and that could be the final version of this bill.
Of course, there are about 40 abortion-rights supporters in the House who are vowing to kill the bill if the Stupak language stays.
There are countless perks that come with being part of the congressional leadership. Resolving stalemates like this is not one of them.
