Senate Republicans will meet with House Republicans in the House Chamber Thursday morning to strategize about ways to help defeat the $1 trillion Democratic health care reform bill, House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence said Wednesday.
After the bicameral meeting, the GOP lawmakers will hold a press conference to voice their reasons why they oppose the bill.
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“I think we need to continue to tell the American people that this is a government takeover of health care,” Pence said. “We need to continue to tell the American people that the bill that will be voted on by this backdoor method will be a fundamental break with decades of American law and will provide funds for elective abortion for the first time in American history.”
Republicans have been hammering the abortion issue, hoping their message will help sway pro-life Democrats to vote against the bill despite assurances from Democratic leaders that the bill does not use taxpayer dollars to pay for the procedure.
Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., isn’t buying his leadership’s argument and says a dozen Democrats will vote against the bill unless the language is changed to expressly prohibit federal funding of abortion. Democratic leaders need to convince some of Stupak’s dozen to pass the bill.
“I think my people are holding strong,” Stupak told The Examiner on Wednesday.
Republicans are also protesting a plan by Democrats to use a special procedure in which they would pass the health care bill without actually voting on it. House Republicans will offer a resolution Thursday demanding an up of down vote on the bill.
