Dems may have solution to one health-care obstacle, but path forward remains rocky

Rep. Bart Stupak, the Michigan Democrat who is leader of a pro-life contingent of House Democrats, appeared more intent than ever on voting against the health-care bill unless a solution is found that enables Democrats to change the Senate bill that passed in December.

“Most of us, we are not voting for health care because the president wants us to, because it’s good for the Democratic Party or anything like that. We’ll vote for quality legislation, and the Senate bill is not quality legislation in my humble estimation,” Stupak said in an interview with Fox Business.

If Stupak’s claim to have about a dozen lawmakers behind him on this issue is true, that alone could be the nail in the coffin for health care.

Abortion language cannot be changed through reconciliation, which addresses only budgetary measures, and to pass a separate piece of legislation changing the law after the fact would require 60 votes in the Senate, which Democrats would almost certainly be unable to muster.

Stupak appeared convinced, however, that the abortion language could be changed through the reconciliation process, during an appearance on Good Morning America.

“Where there’s a will, there’s a way,” he said.

That the abortion issue has become such a barrier to a health-care bill clearly grated on Pelosi.

“This is not about abortion,” she insisted to reporters at her weekly press conference. “This is a bill about providing quality affordable health care for all Americans.”

“I will not have it turned into a debate on –,” she said, before cutting herself off.

An aide to Pelosi said afterward they did not know of a way to change the language, which the Stupak bloc of lawmakers says mandates the use of federal funds to pay for abortions.

The political environment is also a major complication. Virtually every poll in the last few months has shown more Americans oppose the current bill than support it. The election of Scott Brown in Massachusetts was a loud signal that Americans are not happy with Washington, a trend related to the health-care debate.

A poll released Thursday by a pro-life group, the Susan B. Anthony List, showed that voters in all but one of the districts for eight key House Democrats — some of whom voted for health care in the fall and others of whom voted against it – support starting over on health care or scrapping reform efforts this year all together by higher percentages than they support passing the current bill.

Judging by the actions of key lawmakers as well Thursday, momentum was against the health-care bill.

Rep. Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin, South Dakota Democrat and a leader of the 54-member Blue Dog coalition of conservative Democrats, said she will not vote for the current Senate bill.

A spokesman for Rep. Frank Kratovil, Maryland Democrat, who had declared himself undecided earlier this week, told The Daily Caller he also opposes the Senate bill.

The White House said that the president will continue to lean on members of Congress to vote with his bill.

“The president will spend a considerable amount of time with lawmakers and the public, explaining the benefits of the legislation that will be considered, why it’s important to do, and why we can’t walk away now from health-care reform,” Gibbs said.