Obama Spokesman Won’t Say if He Supports Abortion Funding Ban in Health Care
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
November 9, 2009
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — Top Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs twice misled the public before the Stupak vote by wrongly saying the Hyde amendment would prohibit abortion funding in the health care bill. Now the White House spokesman refuses to say whether pro-abortion President Barack Obama backs the pro-life Stupak amendment.
The House approved the controversial government-run health care bill Saturday, but not before adding the Stupak amendment to stop abortion funding.
Obama told Congress months ago that his health care bill will not fund abortions but ultimately lobbied for the pro-abortion bill before funding limits were added. Now, Gibbs won’t say whether Obama supports the pro-life limits.
CBS reporter Chip Reid asked Gibbs, "On the health care bill the President supports, endorses, whatever you want to call it, the House bill he’s made that very clear. Does he support the abortion funding restrictions in the House bill?"
The Obama representative talked about anything but the limits.
"The President, Chip, as you know, went to Capitol Hill to rally support for the bill. That bill is now through the House, which we are quite pleased about. The Senate, once we get budget numbers from CBO, that will move to the Senate floor. I don’t doubt that you will have a somewhat different bill. That’s the way this process works and we’ll iron out differences as they come,’ he said.
Undeterred, Reid asked again: "What’s his position on abortion funding restrictions?"
"I think you heard the President in front of Congress several months ago. We’ll continue to make progress," Gibbs demurred.
"He wouldn’t support anything like the provision that’s in the House bill?" Reid asked.
"I am not going to become a negotiator on Capitol Hill from the podium," Gibbs protested.
Trying a different approach, Reid asked, "Is it something that goes beyond what the Hyde Amendment does?"
"We will wait to see what health care reform brings," Gibbs deflected.
"So it could be something in the end that goes beyond the current law in restricting abortion funding?" Reid pressed.
"Chip, I wish we were having this conversation as the last part of this process but as your network and others have pointed out, there are miles to go before we sleep," Gibbs said, ultimately avoiding the questions.
Obama has been put in a delicate situation. If he says he does not support the abortion funding ban, he is inconsistent and clearly has violated his pledge to keep abortion out of the health car bill. Saying he backs the Stupak amendment puts him at odds with the pro-abortion groups he promised to support before the elections.
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