Abortion rights group to Stupak: 'Yup, we're playing with fire'

A prominent abortion rights group is encouraging its members to call senators to express their opposition to the inclusion of abortion restrictions similar those in the House's healthcare reform bill. 

NARAL Pro-Choice America President Nancy Keenan wrote an e-mail to supporters warning them of Rep. Bart Stupak's effort to reach out to senators to include an amendment similar to his in the Senate bill. Stpuak (D-Mich.) amended the House bill to prevent plans in the proposed health insurance exchange and public option from paying for abortion coverage. 

Keenan struck back against Stupak's remarks last week that abortion rights activists are "playing with fire." The subject line of Keenan's e-mail is "yup, we're playing with fire."

"The man behind the ban passed in the House, Rep. Bart Stupak, is using his victory to embolden anti-choice senators," Keenan wrote. "If Rep. Stupak wins, women lose. If we win, women win. It's that clear cut."

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) has said that she has the votes to block the inclusion of the Stupak language in the Senate bill. 60 senators would need to vote to strip the Senate bill of its current abortion language and replace it with Stupak's. 

Keenan's letter, however, shows that abortion rights activists are still concerned that the amendment may still be included in the Senate bill.

The addition of Stupak's language to the Senate bill could spark a fight within the Senate Democratic Caucus over the health bill. Stupak's language played a key role in attracting the support of anti-abortion rights Democrats who voted for the final House bill, which passed 220-215.

Some view the language's inclusion in Senate bill as necessary to attract the 60 votes necessary to invoke cloture.

But abortion rights Democrats have criticized the bill, saying it restricts access to abortions under private plans as well. A bloc of about 40 House Democrats led by Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) have said they would oppose a final bill should it include the Stupak language.

"We must win in the Senate to keep women from losing their private insurance coverage for abortion in the new health-care system," wrote Keenan, touting a petition the group sent to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) that attracted over 97,000 signatures.