Obama Concedes Pro-Abortion Health Care Bill May be Dead Until 2010 Elections

National   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Feb 5, 2010   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

Obama Concedes Pro-Abortion Health Care Bill May be Dead Until 2010 Elections

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
February 5
, 2010

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — President Barack Obama conceded Thursday night in a speech at a Democratic fundraiser that the pro-abortion health care bill may be dead. With the election of Scott Brown in Massachusetts, the Senate no longer has the votes to pass the House bill and the House doesn’t have the votes for the Senate bill.

Obama vowed not to quit his plans for the pro-abortion health care bill but said that the issue may ultimately be decided by what happens in the 2010 Congressional elections.

A Reuters report indicated Obama struck a "defeatist" tone saying he still wanted to promote a government-run health care bill but is bowing to the political reality.

"I think it’s very important for us to have a methodical, open process over the next several weeks, and then let’s go ahead and make a decision,” Obama said.

“And it may be that if Congress decides, if Congress decides we’re not going to do it, even after all the facts are laid out, all the options are clear, then the American people can make a judgment as to whether this Congress has done the right thing for them or not," Obama added. "That’s how democracy works, and there are elections coming up."

Despite Obama’s comments suggesting the bill may be dead, when he said he still wanted to press for pro-abortion health care, the crowd chanted, “Yes, we can! Yes, we can!”

Recognizing the defeatist attitude of the Democratic party right now, Reuters indicated he told the crowd to "feel discouraged" but to fight against "the forces of the status quo" — despite his standing as the holder of the White House.

Specifically, Obama laid out a challenge to Republicans to support smaller steps on health care reform. The political goal may be to put Republicans on the defense by making it appear they are reluctant to support any kind of improvements.

Obama endorsed what appears to be the current plan — passing smaller health care bills. Although they won’t all address pro-life issues like abortion, abortion funding and rationing, some of them may present problems.

"Let’s just go through these bills, their ideas, our ideas, let’s walk through them in a methodical way so that the American people can see and compare, what makes the most sense. And then I think we have to go ahead and move forward on a vote," he said.

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