Stupak: 'Until there is an agreement, I'm a 'no' vote'

Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) personally confirmed Sunday that there's no agreement yet on abortion provisions in healthcare.

"There is no agreement," Stupak told reporters after a series of House votes. "Until there is an agreement, I'm a 'no' vote."

Stupak, the leader of a bloc of Democrats opposed to abortion rights, said that while he was working to overcome disagreements with party leaders on the healthcare bill's abortion provisions, he still intended at this point to vote against the underlying bill, contrary to some earlier media reports.

Stupak said he's working on language with the White House on an executive order on abortion that would satisfy his concerns, along with the members of his bloc opposing abortion rights.

Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.), the co-chairwoman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said Sunday afternoon that lawmakers expected the language of that order to emerge before the House votes on rules of the health debate this afternoon.

Stupak wouldn't comment on whether or not the executive order would mirror the Hyde amendment, a longtime prohibition on taxpayer funding for abortion. He said, though,  that the language would be "determined by the members," and not the U.S/ Conference of Catholic Bishops, who have weighed in heavily against the measure.