Human Rights Campaign Condemns Inclusion of the Stupak Amendment

11/10/09-by Bridgette P. LaVictoire
The Human Rights Campaign today released a statement calling for the Senate to strip the upcoming healthcare reform bill of the Stupak Amendment. According to the story that they released “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.”

The amendment has been marketed as being about keeping Federal funds from being used for abortions, but the bill already has that language. The bill, without the Stupak Amendment, would have maintained the status quo on the issue of abortion funding. Instead, this bill goes beyond that. The HRC pledged to work with their pro-choice allies to have the Senate strip this amendment from the bill.

The HRC is also hoping to add in some provisions to the reform package which would directly benefit Americas LGBT citizens. What this may entail is difficult to determine. Likely, this will include the right of same-sex couples to the benefits of their partner.