Republicans Question Abortion Agreement in Effort to Stop Health Care Momentum
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}House Minority Leader John Boehner, who has vowed to do all he can to derail President Obama's health care overhaul, sought on Saturday to cast suspicion on an abortion agreement that helped secure the support of several moderate Democrats.
The agreement, reached late Friday, allowed Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., and other abortion opponents to insert tougher abortion restrictions into the legislation during debate on the House floor.
But Boehner accused House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of secretly promising Democratic supporters of abortion rights that the restrictions that would strengthen a ban on federal funding to end pregnancies would not make it into the final version of the health care bill.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Boehner made the move in part to give pause to Democratic opponents of abortion whose votes are needed to pass the legislation.
Boehner asked Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., whether he could guarantee the restrictions would remain in the bill.
Waxman said he could not make that guarantee because it would be up to the Senate and House negotiators if the legislation advanced that far.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I have my doubts this language if it passes has any chance of being in the final version of this bill," Boehner said.
The House is expected to vote on the Stupak amendment Saturday night.
Fox News' Chad Pergram and Jim Angle contributed to this report.