We urge U.S. Rep. Bart Stupak to hold the course regarding abortion provisions in the proposed health care bill and to not compromise on this measure.
Stupak has been the leading congressman against abortion funding provisions in the bill, and has maintained that he would vote against his party's peers, if necessary, regarding the legislation if it continued to contain pro-abortion language.
This week in Tawas City, Stupak said he would be meeting with other House members in a quest for wording that would satisfy his position of not allowing the use of federal dollars for an abortion. Stupak indicated he was optimistic such wording could be worked out.
We aren't so sure. Simply put, we want to make sure any wording is crystal clear on the subject and leaves no loophole to be exploited later.
The day before Stupak was in Northeast Michigan, for example, President Barack Obama made an appeal to Democrats in private meetings to just "trust him" on the health care issue and pass the legislation.
We're sorry, but that isn't enough to convince us.
Worse, according to wire reports, Obama apparently told several congressmen that he was as upset as they were over having to compromise on several sensitive issues to date, but that once the foundation was in place, he would work with them to change health care laws.
Why would we then want to trust the president on anything having to do with abortion?
At this stage any change in wording only would be designed to garner needed votes and overcome a sensitive stumbling block. Do we really expect that should the legislation be enacted, that the president and others wouldn't work immediately to rewrite the legislation back to its original form?
Hold the course Congressman Stupak. We urge you to continue to stand tall on this issue and know you have the support of many.