By John-Henry Westen
WASHINGTON, December 7, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The upcoming Senate vote on the pro-life Hatch-Nelson amendment to the health care bill has been called into question as an audio recording has surfaced with a Senator with a 100% rating from the pro-abortion group NARAL Pro-Choice America vowing to vote against abortion in the health care bill. The vote is expected as early as Monday, December 7, 2009.
In a recorded, and publicly available Q&A, Wisconsin Senator Herb Kohl can be heard promising (at 52 min. of 60 min. full recording) to vote against abortion in the health care bill (Hear excerpted 2 minute portion on the abortion question in mp3 format or wma format). See Marquette's video of the talk.
Given his NARAL rating, many assumed that Kohl would be a natural to oppose the amendment, but his strong statement against abortion funding in the health care bill made in September has called his vote into question and may call into question his vote and the votes of other thought to be solidly pro-abortion Senators.
On September 2, 2009 at Marquette University Law School's “On the Issues with Mike Gousha,” Kohl responded to a Marquette alumnus who asked him directly if he would vote against abortion in the health care bill, Kohl responded, “categorically yes”.
Dan Zeidler, a 1969 Marquette grad and pro-life activist asked Senator Kohl: “I do not want health care to be used as a vehicle to expand abortion access. lt is very clear, very clear, that many in the congress want to do that, many from your party. Will you vote against any abortion mandates? Will you explicitly exclude them from any health care reform bill?”
Kohl responded: “I want to say, but it's complicated, but I want to say categorically yes. I agree with you. We should not be using health care reform to provide government access to abortion. I hear what you say. And I would hope that people from whatever party won't try and go down that road and put into a bill in the dead of night and then, lo and behold, wake up the next morning and something that shouldn't have happened did happen. We should not do that.”
Zeidler is also heard asking to work with Kohl on the matter, (see Fax and later open letter ) to which Kohl readily agreed. Zeidler has not however been able to reach Kohl since to pursue the matter. He has thus released his correspondence with the Senator as well as pointing to the publicly available recording.
The Hatch-Nelson amendment, like the Stupak amendment in the House, prevents the Senate version of reform from mandating abortion coverage or providing federal funds for coverage that includes elective abortions, except in cases of rape, incest, or threat to the life of the mother.
Many analysts doubt that the pro-life amendment will succeed. However, Sen. Nelson has vowed to oppose the final bill if it does not include his language – a refusal that could bring down the whole measure unless Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid secures at least one vote from among Republican ranks.
The amendment would need 60 votes to secure its place in the bill. There are 40 Republicans in the Senate, but both Republican Senators from Maine, Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe, support government funding for abortion.
Last year, the following 8 Democratic Senators voted to prohibit funding for abortion or abortion coverage in the Indian Health Service: Senators Bayh (IN), Byrd (WV), Casey (PA), Johnson (SD), Landrieu (LA), Nelson (NE), Pryor (AR), Reid (NV). Both Democratic Senators from North Dakota, Conrad and Dorgan, have voted against government funding for abortion coverage in the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program. Senator Lincoln (D-AR) has not voted for pro-life funding amendments, but did vote for the partial birth abortion ban.
Click here for the National Right to Life Committee's resource for contacting Senators.
The complete video of Sept 2 “On the Issues with Mike Gousha” session.
The complete audio of the session.
The 2 minute abortion dialogue in Windows Media Audio format or MP3 format