Where are we on the abortion standoff? Still fighting, from all reports. Politico reports that leadership has twisted arms in the vast majority of the caucus which is pro-choice, and Stupak won't be the poison pill.
Asked whether her allies in the pro-choice movement would support the bill with the language offered yesterday by Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), Speaker Nancy Pelosi offered a one-word answer: "Yes."
"I don't believe any of us believe we can hold up what we've been fighting for ... and that's health care," said Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.).
But the lawmakers said they would work hard to whip the Stupak amendment in hopes of keeping it out of the final bill, and several said they weren't ready to declare how they would vote if Stupak's language made it in.
"We're nor conceding that," Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) said. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."
Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) said "pro-choice members are not happy this morning."
We're with you, Diana. Keep whipping and keep fighting against this amendment, and force the handful of anti-choice Dems to make the tough decision over whether they will be willing to blow up the bill. One member says that if their bluff is called, they'll fold:
Rep. Mike Honda (D-Calif.) told the Huffington Post he felt confident that a compromise reached last night -- to allow a vote of Rep. Bart Stupak's (D-Mich.) amendment, which would make it harder for insurers to provide abortion -- would placate lawmakers on the fence, regardless of whether the amendment passed.
"Will that be sufficient?" Honda asked. "I didn't hear anybody say 'Yeah, that would be sufficient. But I think there is a sense that it would (satisfy these folks)."
So we need to help our pro-choice allies in the House call their bluff by helping to defeat the Stupak amendment. All of the Republicans are going to vote for Stupak. That's the company Stupak and his buddies keep.
Slinkerwink has the action list, the members to target and the toll-free numbers to use to call. They're repeated below the fold, just to make the point that you need to call. You can use this great tool from HCAN.
Here's the target list of Representatives to call. Toll-free: 1-800-828-0498. House switchboard: 202-224-3121.
Arcuri (D, NY-24)
Bean (D, IL-08)
Bishop, S. (D, GA-02)
Boswell (D, IA-03)
Butterfield (D, NC-01)
Cardoza (D, CA-18)
Chandler (D, KY-06)
Cooper (D, TN-05)
Costa (D, CA-20)
Doyle (D, PA-14)
Edwards, C. (D, TX-17)
Etheridge (D, NC-02)
Gordon (D, TN-06)
Kratovil (D, MD-01)
Langevin (D, RI-02)
McMahon (D, NY-13)
Michaud (D, ME-02)
Minnick (D, ID-01)
Neal (D, MA-02)
Nye (D, VA-02)
Obey (D, WI-07)
Owens (D, NY-23)
Ruppersberger (D, MD-02)
Ryan, T. (D, OH-17)
Salazar (D, CO-03)
Space (D, OH-18)
Unknown
Biggert (R, IL-13)
Carney (D, PA-10)
Castle (R, DE-AL)
Cuellar (D, TX-28)
Davis, A. (D, AL-07)
Dent (R, PA-15)
Ellsworth (D, IN-08)
Frelinghuysen (R, NJ-11)
Kirk (R, IL-10)
Lynch (D, MA-09)
Pomeroy (D, ND-AL)
Snyder (D, AR-02)
Tanner (D, TN-08)
Visclosky (D, IN-01)
Leaning anti-choice
Altmire (D, PA-04)
Barrow (D, GA-12)
Berry (D, AR-01)
Boccieri (D, OH-16)
Bright (D, AL-02)
Capito (R, WV-02)
Donnelly (D, IN-02)
Hill (D, IN-09)
Jenkins (R, KS-02)
Kildee (D, MI-05)
Lance (R, NJ-07)
Lee, C. (R, NY-26)
Matheson (D, UT-02)
Mollohan (D, WV-01)
Ortiz (D, TX-27)
Paulsen (R, MN-03)
Perriello (D, VA-05)
Rahall (D, WV-03)
Ross (D, AR-04)
Spratt (D, SC-05)
Wilson, C. (D, OH-06)