Will the Executive Order Restrict Abortion?

Would the executive order concerning abortion change the health care overhaul?

On Sunday, a bloc of House Democrats announced they would support the health care bill as long as President Obama signed an executive order to clarify that no taxpayer dollars could be spent on abortion because of it. The executive order essentially reiterates the long-standing restrictions on taxpayer funding of abortions except for cases of rape, incest or endangerment of the woman’s life. The bill already included similar restrictions, but Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) and others were concerned that funding for community health centers and other programs could still end up paying for abortion services since it was not explicitly addressed in the bill.

The executive order was designed to reassure those lawmakers. However, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) noted that a future president could still overturn the executive order, and some House Democrats want to end the existing restrictions.

– Ryan Teague Beckwith, Congress.org