President Obama issues executive order on abortion to ensure votes for health care bill
To ensure passage of the health care bill, on Sunday President Barack Obama issued an executive order that no federal funds be used for elective abortions.
According to the Associated Press, the president lobbied for the bill by phone from the White House and then issued the executive order, which satisfied some anti-abortion Democrats in the House—many of whom now support the bill after initially rebelling against it.
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One of the holdouts, Rep. Bart Stupak of Michigan, has now promised to vote for the bill he once opposed.
The AP reports that passage of the bill in the House will result in it being sent to the president for his signature. Nonetheless, a last step awaits the bill as an accompanying “package of changes… would go to the Senate,” according to the AP.
At press, the House passed a key procedural vote regarding the bill, however, several more hours of discussion and debate will ensue until the final vote.
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