Last Chance To Kill Health Care?

It makes your average Hail Mary play at the end of the game look like a sure thing but it's the last bullet in the chamber.

After the bill passes the minority has the right to offer a Motion to Recommit with instructions.

Republicans might offer the original Stupak language as their instructions.

During his press conference, Stupak said that he would be inclined to support a motion to recommit containing only his abortion amendment.

"Just that? Boy that'd be a great day, wouldn't it?" Stupak said.

Speaking to The Hill after that press conference, Stupak said he won't necessarily make the argument that Democrats should reject a Republican motion consisting of just his abortion language.

“I don't know if I'll make the argument [to vote it down], but we'll do the colloquy to clarify our intent, the executive order that Hyde applied,” he said.

The Michigan Democrat admitted that the outcome of that vote would be uncertain.

"But we think that most of the members who stood with me throughout this whole process will also vote against the motion to recommit."

Some Democrats think Republicans will include elements of their healthcare alternative in their motion to recommit the Senate bill.

“If it's a completely stand-alone Stupak with nothing else on it, that would be great," said Rep. Kathy Dahlkemper (D-Penn.), one of the Democrats who is supporting healthcare legislation because of the Stupak deal. “But I believe that there will be other things in the package.”

"I do not believe that they will just put out the Stupak language, because that probably wouldn't serve the other side's purpose," Dahlkemper said.

A Motion to Recommit, if it passed would kill the bill. It would force another vote on the floor to pass it again with the added language and Nancy might not bring it to the floor. Even if it did come back, it would have to go to the Senate with the new language and die there.

I don't know what the 'other' stuff the Republicans might offer would be but it's probably their health care proposals. Why bother with that when it's a sure loser? The Stupak amendment and nothing else would put him and the people who were with him today in an awful tight spot.

If they were willing to sell themselves so cheaply before, they'd probably stay bought but what the hell it's worth a shot.

posted by DrewM. at 07:25 PM

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