NRL News
Page 1
November/December 2009
Volume 36
Issue 11-12

U.S. Senate Rejects NRLC-Backed Nelson-Hatch Amendment, 54 to 45

On December 8, 2009, during consideration of a massive bill to restructure the health care system, H.R. 3590, the U.S. Senate rejected an amendment offered by pro-life senators Ben Nelson (D-Ne.) and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), which was supported by NRLC, by a vote of 54 to 45.

The bill under consideration, proposed by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nv.), contains a number of pro-abortion provisions, including language that would result in funding of abortion by a new federal insurance program (the “public option”) and federal subsidies to help pay for private insurance plans that cover elective abortion. The Nelson-Hatch Amendment would have prohibited funding of abortion by the government insurance program, and prohibited federal subsidies for private plans that cover abortion (with exceptions for abortion in cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother).

After debating the amendment, the Senate voted 54 to 45 in favor of a motion to table (kill) it. Thirty-eight (38) Republicans and seven Democrats voted against killing the amendment. Fifty-two (52) Democrats and two Republicans voted to kill the amendment. Senate roll call no. 369.

Since the Nelson-Hatch Amendment was tabled, the pro-abortion provisions remain part of the Reid bill, which was still under consideration in the Senate at NRL News deadline on December 9, 2009.

[Note: Earlier--on November 7, 2009--the House of Representatives considered a different version of the health care legislation (H.R. 3962), which originally contained similar pro-abortion provisions. However, the House adopted a corrective amendment offered by pro-life representatives Bart Stupak (D-Mi.) and Joe Pitts (R-Pa.), 240 to 194.