Stupak says abortion compromise possible

Rep. Bart Stupak told the Associated Press on Monday that he thinks a compromise can be reached on the issue of abortion funding in the health care reform bill the Democrats are trying to pass.

Rep. Bart Stupak said he expects to resume talks with House leaders this week in a quest for wording that would impose no new limits on abortion rights but also would not allow use of federal money for the procedure.

“I’m more optimistic than I was a week ago,” Stupak said in an interview between meetings with constituents in his northern Michigan district. He was hosting a town hall meeting Monday night at a local high school.

“The president says he doesn’t want to expand or restrict current law (on abortion). Neither do I,” Stupak said. “That’s never been our position. So is there some language that we can agree on that hits both points – we don’t restrict, we don’t expand abortion rights? I think we can get there.”

Stupak, the chair of the House Pro-Life Caucus, is the leading voice of a group of 11 or 12 Democrats who want a prohibition on funding for abortion as part of the bill. They have said they will vote against the bill without such language — and the Democrats will have a very difficult time passing the bill without their votes, which gives them a good deal of leverage.