WASHINGTON - Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., said Tuesday that he expects to soon review new proposals to tighten restrictions in the health care bill on federal funding for abortion coverage.
"We’ll just get a chance to look at language later and try to get the best protection we’ve got against any kind of federal funding, direct or indirect, for elective abortions," Nelson said.
He said that he had heard broad outlines of some of the proposals, but declined to discuss them until he had seen the exact language. He said that could come as early as today.
Abortion restrictions have come down as one of the last sticking points in the health care debate, but Nelson disputed the suggestion that he is the last Democratic senator to get on board with the legislation.
"There are some who haven’t committed who have told me that . . . they, too, have serious concerns of the same type that I’ve registered," Nelson said.
Nelson said he has other unresolved concerns regarding new taxes and unfunded federal mandates in the bill.
But he also said that the reality of the status quo cannot be ignored and said that doing nothing means more Nebraskans will be forced into bankruptcy because of unaffordable medical bills, more will lose their health insurance and more will see their health insurance premiums rise.
"I’m not sure whether I’ll be able to support a bill . . . but not trying to help Nebraskans would be the worst thing I could do," Nelson said.
