KAPTUR WILL BACK REFORM BILL…. With a no margin for error, and a dwindling number of undeclared members, every announcement from an undecided House member becomes a key development. But this one is arguably bigger than most because of what it tells us about the pro-life bloc.
In a big step forward for House Dems, Rep Marcy Kaptur of Ohio, one around a half dozen Stupak holdouts, just confirmed to a local TV station that she’s voting Yes on the Senate bill.
Kaptur made the announcement on WTGV-TV, the ABC affiliate in Toledo, at around 9:50 AM.
The interview is not yet online but I confirmed Kaptur’s quotes with WTGV investigative reporter Zack Ottenstein.
“Yes I will,” Kaptur said, when asked if she’d be supporting the Senate bill.
The interview has since been posted, and Kaptur explained that the legislation “addresses a serious problem before the country today, which is that people are finding their insurance plans unaffordable.”
As for the abortion-related provisions, Kaptur, a pro-life Dem and Stupak ally, added, “We received assurances last night that we will work with the administration and [HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius] and the President to ensure existing law is maintained. And not to change it in any way but to make sure it applies to this bill.”
Asked if health care reform will pass, Kaptur said, “I’m pretty confident at this point.”
This is not to say Stupak no longer has a key voting bloc that puts success in jeopardy; he does. The point, though, is that his group is getting smaller, and more of the votes he thought he had in his pocket have declared their support for the final bill.
