Bart Stupak won't run for reelection.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Obama's EO basically just restated the Hyde Amendment which has been Federal policy for 20 years.

DD is actually right that the Hyde Amendment has to be renewed every year. There is always potential that it doesn't pass.

[Ecofarm]

It does. There was no change.

No, it doesn't. Because of the EO, private insurance companies must have a separate insurance package that does not include abortion and only those packages can be subsidized under the bill. That is the result of Stupak. Before Stupak, the bill would have subsidized insurance packages that included abortion coverage, circumventing Hyde.

[Imran Siddiqui]

The entire point of this arguement is that accepting Stupak's original arguement as valid, Congress wasn't silent on the issue and allowed for abortion funding. Making the EO moot.

Congress being silent and allowing for abortion funding aren't exactly mutually exclusive.

PS The issues presented here aren't remotely similar to those in Youngstown Steel v. Sawyer. Truman wasn't a) inserting provisions into laws passed by Congress (remember the line item veto has been struck down by SCOTUS and I've not seen a cogent arguement that the reverse position would be accepted) nor b) was he withholding funding from a duely authorized program created by the Legistlative branch.

You do realize that (b) happens all the time, right? Especially when a new administration comes in and has other priorities - it'll shift funding within a department to allow for its priorities to be elevated, which does cause other programs to have lesser funding.

[Dinner]

DD is actually right that the Hyde Amendment has to be renewed every year. There is always potential that it doesn't pass.

OK, then I guess that can be said to be a change. An EO continues until with drawn so there would be no need to renew the law each year.

[Ben Kenobi]

The EO hasn't been signed. What's Barry's holdup?

[Ben Kenobi]

As for Stupak:

"Life is difficult. It's even more difficult when you're Stupak."

[Imran Siddiqui]

The EO hasn't been signed. What's Barry's holdup?

Seriously, WTF is wrong with you?

http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/03/24/obama.abortion/index.html

Washington (CNN) -- President Obama signed an executive order Wednesday ensuring that existing limits on the federal funding of abortion remain in place under the new health care reform law.

On:

March 24, 2010 5:35 p.m. EDT

[Ecofarm]

^^

[Ben Kenobi]

I stand corrected. I did not see that.

Thanks Imran!

Because an EO in this instance is worth as much as a roll of Charmin in as much as it can not change a law passed by Congress.

Oh, and this.

Couldn't have put it better.

[Hauldren Collider]

Clarifying for everyone who thinks Stupak is a turncoat: he gave a press conference and apparently said that by the time he flipped the dems already had the votes, so he cut the best deal that he could.

[Ben Kenobi]

He got a nice shiny airport out of it.

He could have said no. He chose to vote for it and pass obamacare.

[Hauldren Collider]

Argh, I clicked view post and now i feel compelled to respond.
BK, I know you can't read, but part of me still deep down wishes you could actually see five words and read the same five words so here it is again:

BY THE TIME HE FLIPPED, THE DEMS ALREADY HAD THE VOTES!

[DinoDoc]

BY THE TIME HE FLIPPED, THE DEMS ALREADY HAD THE VOTES!

The vote totals don't make that statement as clear as you wish it to be.

[The Mad Monk]

Argh, I clicked view post and now i feel compelled to respond.
BK, I know you can't read, but part of me still deep down wishes you could actually see five words and read the same five words so here it is again:

BY THE TIME HE FLIPPED, THE DEMS ALREADY HAD THE VOTES!

In other words, he had no reason to do it, other than the bribe on the table?

[Ben Kenobi]

Thanks guys. Glad to see it's not my comprehension that's the issue.