Boehner: House will not approve healthcare compromise without abortion language

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) predicted that the lower chamber will not approve a healthcare reform compromise if it does not contain prohibitions on abortions.

Fresh from a week outside of Washington D.C., the top-ranking House Republican on Tuesday renewed his attack on Speaker Pelosi's decision to allow a vote on an anti-abortion rights provision that ultimately was included in the House's final healthcare bill.

Asked if the House would approve a conference report without the ban on abortion funding, Boehner replied “I do not believe so.”

The House approved the healthcare bill with a slim 220-215 majority just over one week ago.

Abortion rights proponents including top-ranking House Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Shultz (Fl.) were quick to say via national media that the provision championed by the pro-life lobby would be stripped in the final conference report.

As it is, the Senate bill does not contain the strict prohibitive language on funding for abortions.

“This was a sham vote in the House on a very serious issue. Speaker Pelosi only allowed the vote to occur because she absolutely had to,” Boehner said of the speaker's decision to hold an up or down vote on the amendment offered by staunch abortion opponent Democratic Rep. Bart Stupak (Mich.)