The House is planning a vote next week on legislation banning Obamacare subsidies from being used for insurance plans that cover abortion services.
The Republican-led chamber has passed the bill before, offered by Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., but abortion foes had pushed for a fresh vote for newly elected members. As it did two years ago, Congress will pass the bill the same week as the annual March for Life protest.
Republican leaders are tentatively planning the vote for Tuesday. The bill, dubbed the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, would make it illegal for individuals to use the Affordable Care Act’s insurance subsidies to buy marketplace plans that cover abortions.
The measure signals little more than wishful thinking on the part of Republicans and abortion opponents, as Senate Democrats are certain to block it. But it would likely be a key priority should Republicans get a 60-vote majority in the Senate in 2018, enabling them to override Democratic filibusters.
The issue of whether marketplace plans could cover abortions was a major holdup for abortion-opposing Democrats during creation of the Affordable Care Act. Democrats eventually came up with a requirement that insurers keep federal funds separate from claim payments for abortions, but that didn’t satisfy many Republicans who say the law still allows taxpayer funding for abortion.
