Sen. Hatch’s amendment shot down

I understand that Sen. Orrin Hatch’s (R-UT) amendment to Sen. Backus’ bill was voted down in the Senate Finance Committee.

The amendment would have prohibited federal funding of abortion in a way that is more lasting than the "Hyde Amendment" (which has to be renewed each year).  Hatch’s amendment would have permitted individual’s to purchase "riders" for abortion but would have forbidden public funds.

This amendment also provided conscience clause protection.

Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) helped shoot down the amendment (10-13) saying, “As a woman, I find it offensive. This is an unprecedented restriction on people who pay for their own health insurance.”

The seemingly desperate Sen. Max Backus (D-MT), chairman of the committee was against the amendment (to his bill) saying that his bill already prohibits federal funding of abortion.

I wonder how the vote broke down.

BTW.. Sen. Debbie Stabenow enjoys a 100% rating from NARAL and is in favor of partial birth abortion.  She is okay with transporting minors across state lines for abortions, and against defining unborn child as eligible for SCHIP.

Three Catholic pro-abortion Democrats were the swing votes.

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8 Comments

  1. gmarie says:

    St. Michael, the archangel, defend us in battle…

  2. MichaelJ says:

    On a related note, the following 35 Catholic representatives have co-sponsored HR 3567:

    MaryJo Kilroy, (D-OH15) Mr. Bob Brady (D-PA1) Ms. Carol Shea-Porter(D-NH1)
    Jackie Speier, (D-CA12) Mr. Luis Gutierrez(D-IL3) Mr. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI1)
    Raul M Grijalva, (D-AZ7) Mr. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH10) Mr. Paul Tonko(D-NY21)
    Peter Welch, (D-VT-at large) Mr. Frank Pallone (D-NJ6) Mrs. Grace Napolitano(D-CA38)
    Linda T Sanchez(D-CA39) Mr. John Larson(D-CT1) Mr. John Tierney(D-MA6)
    Mike Capuano(D-MA8) Mr. Xavier Becerra(D-CA31) Mr. Joe Courtney(D-CT2)
    Mr. Jose Serrano (D-NY16) Mr. Jim Moran(D-VA8) Mr. Michael Doyle(D-PA14)
    Mr. Ed Markey (D-MA7) Ms. Lucille Roybal-Allard(D-CA34) Mr. Charles Rangel (D-NY15)
    Ms. Nydia Velazquez(D-NY12) Mr. Ed Pastor (D-AZ4) Mr. Dan Maffei(D-NY25)
    Mr. George Miller(D-CA7) Mr. Bill Delahunt (D-MA10) Ms. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT3)
    Mr. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY22) Mr. Jim McGovern(D-MA3) Ms. Betty McCollum (D-MN4)
    Ms. Diane Watson(D-CA33) Mr. Joe Sestak (D-PA7)

    According to the bill’s author, Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-New York):
    “The introduction of the Respect for Marriage Act responds directly to a call from President Obama for congressional action on the issue. As the president recently confirmed: ‘I stand by my long-standing commitment to work with Congress to repeal the so-called Defense of Marriage Act. It’s discriminatory, it interferes with states’ rights, and it’s time we overturned it.”

  3. Geoffrey says:

    From the Culture of Death, libera nos, Domine.

  4. Charivari Rob says:

    “I wonder how the vote broke down.”

    According to the report I read, mostly along party lines. One Republican and one Democrat each voted with the other’s group.

  5. John V says:

    Opposed to the Hatch Amendment:

    MAX BAUCUS, MT; JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER IV, WV; JEFF BINGAMAN, NM; JOHN F. KERRY, MA [Catholic]; BLANCHE L. LINCOLN, AR; RON WYDEN, OR; CHARLES E. SCHUMER, NY; DEBBIE STABENOW, MI; MARIA CANTWELL, WA [Catholic] ; BILL NELSON, FL; ROBERT MENENDEZ, NJ [Catholic]; THOMAS CARPER, DE; OLYMPIA J. SNOWE, ME
    (There are three Catholics in this group: Kerry, Cantwell, and Menendez)

    In Favor of the Hatch Amendment:

    CHUCK GRASSLEY, IA; ORRIN G. HATCH, UT; JON KYL, AZ; JIM BUNNING, KY; MIKE CRAPO, ID; PAT ROBERTS, KS; JOHN ENSIGN, NV; MIKE ENZI, WY; JOHN CORNYN, TX; KENT CONRAD, ND
    (There is one Catholic in this group: Bunning)

  6. MargaretMN says:

    Oh, Debbie Stabenow is a real piece of work. She is a former social worker and carries the flag for planned parenthood and wants to reinstate the fairness doctrine to muzzle talk radio.

  7. Oleksander says:

    Cannot stand Debbie Stabenow she is the senator from my state, in Remnant magazine there is a letter from a Latvian saying how in Canada the same things (de facto communism) are happening that was the reason he fled from the Soviet Union, as a Ukrainian I agree

  8. mvhcpa says:

    I think it’s time to bell, book, and candle any “Catholic” politician voting for the likes of this.

    What would the political implications be? Would the bishop so doing even be allowed to respond to the criticism that he was taking the religion away from someone on political grounds? Would he be allowed to focus the debate where it belongs: that abortion is as much a political issue as slavery and genocide, that this is about scandal and its control, and that the CINOs are the ones who made the choice to leave the teachings of the Church behind (they weren’t thrown out).

    Michael Val

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