Washington D.C., Dec 9, 2009 / 15:44 pm
With the failure of the Nelson-Hatch Amendment restrictions on abortion funding, focus turns to a cloture vote to end debate on the Senate health care bill. While pro-life Democrat Sen. Ben Nelson had previously said he would oppose cloture without the amendment, a spokesman today declined to comment on the senator’s plans.
Opposition to cloture would stop the bill from advancing.
Last week CNA spoke with Sen. Nelson spokesman Jake Thompson about the senator’s amendment to the health care bill. Thompson said that Sen. Nelson would not vote for the health care bill or for cloture on the debate unless it had his amendment.
“There has to be Stupak-like language,” Thompson explained, referring to the U.S. House’s version of the Nelson-Hatch Amendment.