Abortion-Rights Supporters, Opponents Both Critical Of Executive Order

Advocacy groups on both sides of the abortion-rights debate expressed disapproval of the executive order President Obama signed Wednesday that reaffirms abortion provisions in the new health reform law (HR 3590), though some noted that the order itself has little legislative significance, USA Today reports (Hall, USA Today, 3/25). Obama agreed to issue the order to satisfy a group of antiabortion-rights House Democrats, led by Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), and secure their votes for the bill, which the Senate had passed last year, the Washington Post reports (Stein, Washington Post, 3/25).

The White House and Democratic leaders initially said that new measures were unnecessary because federal funding for abortion services is prohibited under the health reform law. However, Stupak and his antiabortion colleagues refused to vote for the Senate bill without further assurance that health plans in new insurance exchanges would be subject to the type of restrictions first put forward in the Hyde Amendment, which since 1976 has prohibited federal funding for abortion services for women receiving care under the Medicaid program, except in limited cases. The White House offered to issue the executive order to gain the support of the lawmakers (USA Today, 3/25).

Planned Parenthood Action Fund President Cecile Richards called Obama's signing of the order a "symbolic gesture." Richards said although she is pleased that women's use of private money for abortion was not completely banned, she regrets that a "pro-choice president" signed the executive order.

Amy Allina of the National Women's Health Network said that the health reform law is "a historic accomplishment" that will have "immediate and long-term benefits for women and their families," but "it clearly came at a cost."

National Organization for Women President Terry O'Neill said Obama "campaigned as a pro-choice president" and was ultimately elected because of women's votes. She added, "It really pains me to conclude that on balance this law is not good for women. It's health reform that has been achieved on the backs of women and at the expense of women."














Vicki Saporta, president of the National Abortion Federation, said the group is "very disappointed." Health reform "was supposed to expand health care coverage for women," she said, adding, "Now women will be worse off under health care reform."

Some abortion-rights advocates also said the executive order could make it more difficult to repeal the Hyde Amendment -- "one of their biggest priorities," the Post reports. Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights, said, "What we had hoped for when the president was elected was that this would be an opportunity to break down the many obstacles to abortion." She added, "That instead, one year into the Obama presidency, we have moved the line further away is just stunning" (Washington Post, 3/25).

Antiabortion Groups, Lawmakers Criticize Order

Some antiabortion-rights groups and lawmakers who opposed the health reform bill are labeling the executive order as "basically meaningless," USA Today reports. Douglas Johnson of the National Right to Life Committee called the order a "transparent political fig leaf," adding that lawmakers who voted for the health reform bill "cared more about pleasing the powerful (House) speaker ... than their pro-life constituents" (USA Today, 3/25). U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops President Cardinal Francis George said in a statement, "We do not understand how an executive order, no matter how well intentioned, can substitute for statutory provisions" (Nicholas/Oliphant, Los Angeles Times, 3/25).

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) said the order is a "transparent attempt to provide political cover to Washington Democrats who betrayed their constituents" by voting for the health reform law. Abortion-rights opponent Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) said that the executive order "doesn't mean a doggone thing" because the Obama administration "can change it any time."

White House Reacts to Criticism

Administration officials defended the executive order, saying that Obama's position on abortion-rights has not changed. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said on Thursday that Obama "believes in a woman's right to choose" (Bettelheim, CQ Today, 3/24). Gibbs added that the executive order "reiterated the status quo" banning federal funding for abortion and that the White House is "comfortable reiterating that status quo" (Los Angeles Times, 3/25).

Rep. Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.) -- one of about a dozen antiabortion-rights lawmakers who attended the executive order signing -- said that several past presidents have used executive orders to reaffirm legislation. Rahall said two of the groups that are criticizing Obama's order -- USCCB and NRLC -- endorsed President George W. Bush's June 2007 executive order on embryonic stem-cell legislation. "It's the same groups criticizing this executive order as being worthless that endorsed executive orders under [Bush]," Rahall said (Bendery, Roll Call, 3/24).

Abortion-Rights Groups Endorse Stupak Challenger

In related news, two abortion-rights groups -- PPFA and NARAL Pro-Choice America -- on Wednesday endorsed Stupak's challenger in the Democratic primary, abortion-rights supporter and former Charlevoix County, Mich., Commissioner Connie Saltonstall, the Wall Street Journal's "Washington Wire" reports. Richards said in a statement that Saltonstall is "a passionate advocate for women and their reproductive rights and has a strong record of promoting and protecting women's health" (Meckler, "Washington Wire," Wall Street Journal, 3/24). NARAL President Nancy Keenan also issued a statement, saying that voters in Stupak's district "are looking for an alternative" after Stupak "seized the national spotlight as he held health care reform hostage to his anti-choice political views." Keenan added, "We will work to put an end to Mr. Stupak's divisiveness and replace him with a leader like Connie who represents Michigan's mainstream values" (Isenstadt, Politico, 3/25).

Antiabortion Groups Retract Democratic Endorsements

Meanwhile, Stupak and fellow antiabortion-rights Democrat Rep. Steve Driehaus (Ohio) have both lost key endorsements for their primary campaigns, The Hill's "Ballot Box" reports. The antiabortion-rights group Ohio Right to Life on Wednesday announced that it would no longer support Driehaus, instead offering its endorsement to his general election opponent, former Rep. Steve Chabot (R-Ohio) (Blake, "Ballot Box," The Hill, 3/25).

Also on Wednesday, Stupak lost the endorsement of the Susan B. Anthony List, a group that works to elect antiabortion-rights politicians, the New York Times' "The Caucus" reports. The group's president, Marjorie Dannenfelser, said that despite Stupak's continued opposition to abortion rights, the group is dropping its plan to help him in the primary and will seek a candidate whose views match its own.

The Susan B. Anthony List also announced that it would not seek a new recipient for a "Defender of Life" award it initially intended to present to Stupak at its annual Campaign for Life gala on Wednesday (Phillips, "The Caucus," New York Times, 3/24). Wednesday night's event featured comments from Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) and Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), Politico reports. In her remarks, Bachmann attacked Stupak and other antiabortion-rights Democrats who voted for health reform. "We saw a myth explod[e] this week, the myth of people who said they would stand with the pro-life movement," she said (Barr, Politico, 3/24).

House Dems Continue To Receive Threats Over Health Reform, Hoyer Says

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) on Wednesday said that at least 10 House members -- including Stupak and House Rules Committee Chair Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) -- have expressed concerns about their personal security in the wake of Sunday's health reform vote, the New York Times reports. Hoyer said the security issues include violent threats made through phone calls and faxes. FBI spokesperson Paul Bresson said that the bureau is investigating the threats with the Capitol Police (Hulse, New York Times, 3/25). On Wednesday, Stupak spokesperson Michelle Begnoche released excerpts of the threatening messages, including faxes calling Stupak a "baby killer" and callers wishing illness or death on the lawmaker.

MSNBC's "Andrea Mitchell Reports" on Wednesday discussed the threats with Politico's Ken Vogel, who said the threats are "emblematic of a larger trend" of anger within the health reform debate (Mitchell, "Andrea Mitchell Reports," MSNBC, 3/24).


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