Senator Orrin Hatch has some tough words for President Obama and The White House when it comes to abortions and health care reform. He is calling some White House members who are working on this issue "Eggheads". He made the comments during an interview with Family Research Council President Tony Perkins.The audio is here (you have to go about half way into the clip to hear it). The full transcription of the interview is here. The specific transcript of the egghead comment is below:
SENATOR HATCH: Unless abortion is specifically excluded, the Secretary of Health and Human Services could mandate coverage of abortion as both and “essential health care benefit” and as necessary for meeting “minimum qualifying coverage.”
TONY PERKINS: And that is Kathleen Sebelius who is known, who is well known for her position, being supportive of abortion.
SENATOR HATCH: Well, it is Barack Obama. And it’s the whole egghead group down there at the White House as well. But Sebelius is a part of it.
TONY PERKINS: Well we know where she will come down if she has the opportunity to make this decision.
SENATOR HATCH: That’s right.
Also, watch here as Senator Hatch get Senator Barbara Mikulski to admit that Planned Parenthood would be included as an 'essential community provider" in any health care reform plan. More info on the Hatch/Mikulski incident here and here.
The last thing The White House needs is a major fight over abortion in a health care reform bill but it really looks like it's heading in that direction.
Conservative Democrats may not like certain fiscal items in the health care reform bill but many of them have already said that if abortion funding isn't specifically excluded from a House bill then they won't for it. Here is specifically part of the letter they wrote to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi:
We believe in a culture that supports and respects the right to life and is dedicated to the protection and preservation of families. Therefore, we cannot support any health care reform proposal unless it explicitly excludes abortion from the scope of any government-defined or subsidized health insurance plan. We believe that a government-defined or subsidized health insurance plan, should not be used to fund abortion.
Oy-vey. I need an Excedrin.