March 19, 2010
Seems all the wining and dining, including a Super Bowl party at the WH, couldn’t buy Rep Ahn “Joseph” Cao’s (R-LA) final vote. He at this time is a “firm no” with the abortion language the problem. Rep Coa is a former Jesuit Seminarian so the issue comes from his conscience – not political grandstanding – and therefore not likely going to change under duress.
REP CAO:
It is not wrong to vote against what my constituents want but it is wrong to vote against my own conscience.
Right now, I am a firm no, because I do believe that the Senate language on the abortion issue is insufficient for me to support the Senate bill.
The present language in the Senate bill provides a tremendous loophole for federal funds of abortion and will eventually expand abortion services. Based on my reading of the Senate bill, many of the fundings through the health care reform bill will not be subject to the Hyde Amendment.
Hyde Amendment = the longstanding policy against federal funding of abortions.
He deserves props for even reading it. While the vote is being taken, each House Member should have to go on record as to whether they read the bill.
