Health Reform Vote Divides Antiabortion-Rights Democrats, Republicans

A long-standing alliance between some antiabortion-rights Democrats and Republicans “was blasted apart Sunday” when a group of antiabortion-rights House Democrats, led by Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), voted for the Senate health reform bill (HR 3590) after reaching an agreement with the Obama administration about its abortion-coverage language, NPR’s “Morning Edition” reports…

Abortion-Rights Supporters, Opponents Both Critical Of Executive Order

Advocacy groups on both sides of the abortion-rights debate expressed disapproval of the executive order President Obama signed Wednesday that reaffirms abortion provisions in the new health reform law (HR 3590), though some noted that the order itself has little legislative significance, USA Today reports (Hall, USA Today, 3/25)…

Obama To Sign Executive Order On Abortion Funding In Private Ceremony

Washington Times: The President will sign an executive order Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. in a much smaller ceremony than the one for the health care reform bill Tuesday. “The order bans the federal government from using taxpayer money for abortions offered through insurance exchanges created under the new law…

Ariz., Mo., Legislatures Take Action On Abortion Reporting Requirements, Insurance Coverage For Abortion

The Arizona and Missouri legislatures recently took action on several abortion-related measures. Summaries appear below. ~ Arizona: The state Senate on Monday voted 17-12 in favor of a bill (HB 2649) that would add new reporting requirements for abortion, the AP/KGUN reports. An identical bill is pending in the state House…

Obama To Sign Executive Order Today Affirming Abortion Provisions Of Health Reform Law

President Obama on Wednesday is scheduled to sign an executive order that reaffirms the new health reform law’s (HR 3590) “consistency with longstanding restrictions on the use of federal funds for abortion,” the White House said Tuesday evening, the New York Times’ “Prescriptions” blog reports…

Opinion Piece Argues Abortion-Rights Groups Deserve ‘Payback’ From Dems For Reform Agreements

“If health care reform becomes law, you can thank pro-choicers” because when “forced to decide between sacrificing abortion coverage and voting down coverage of everything else for 30 million people, abortion-rights supporters took the hit,” author and journalist Katha Pollitt writes in an opinion piece in The Nation…

New Abortion Coverage Restrictions Could Lead To Fewer Insurance Offers

Some experts say that restrictions on health plans’ ability to offer abortion coverage in new health insurance exchanges could discourage health insurers from offering the coverage, the Wall Street Journal reports…

Kaiser Health News New York Times Columns Discuss Role Of Abortion In Health Reform Negotiations

The following summarizes two opinion pieces discussing abortion-related issues in the health reform debate…

House Approves Health Reform Bill After Agreement Reached To Issue Executive Order On Abortion

The House on Sunday voted 219-212 to approve the Senate health reform bill (HR 3590) after President Obama agreed to issue an executive order to “ensure that federal funds are not used for abortion services,” the New York Times reports (Pear/Herszenhorn, New York Times, 3/21)…

House Approval Of Reform Package Rested On White House Executive Order On Abortion

NPR: “Abortion was one of the most contentious issues in this debate from the very beginning, more than a year ago. A longstanding law – the Hyde Amendment – bars federal funds from being used to pay for elective abortions. It’s an agreement between anti-abortion and pro-abortion rights lawmakers that is so delicate it could balance on a pin.” On Sunday, Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich…