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"It's all federal money," Day said. "In this case, it wouldn't be separate because it would all be coming out of the U.S. Treasury."

On the House side, a version of the bill in the Ways and Means Committee does not contain the Capps amendment. Day says that because the language of the bill doesn't address abortion funding at all, Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius could still mandate abortion coverage once it becomes law.

Party leaders will not bring to the floor legislation sponsored by pro-life Democrat Bart Stupak of Michigan that would expressly ban federal funding for abortion.

"If it's true that the president and the leadership believe there isn't any funding for abortions, they should have no problem with this language," Day said. "I think if we had taken care of this weeks ago, we would have 20 or 30 more votes for the health care plan and have a better chance of passing it."

The House Energy and Commerce Committee initially passed Stupak's amendment in July, but it failed by one vote after a re-vote.

Stupak says that it is impossible to clearly segregate funds in a way that would keep abortion from being federally subsidized."Once you get the affordability credits (subsidies) in there, that's public funding of abortion. We're not going there," Stupak told the Associated Press. "How do you get past the affordability credits is really the issue. And we can't."

On Thursday, Stupak met with Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee but failed to come to an agreement on abortion language.

"We have a difference of opinion at the moment we cannot bridge," Waxman told the AP. "We have done everything we can to ensure that there will be no federal funds for abortion services."

In late September, 25 Democrats and 158 Republicans sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, asking her to allow them to vote on the amendment.

One of those legislators was Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.), who says he has "every confidence" that it would pass if brought to the House floor. Like Day, he believes that neither the Hyde or Capps amendments would block federal funds from abortions. The Hyde Amendment applies only to plans for Medicaid patients, while the Capps amendment would make abortion available through a government-sponsored insurance exchange, he told CT.

"They create this accounting scenario, but ultimately it's a government-run insurance plan," Pence said.

Democrats are committed to retaining current prohibitions against federal abortion funding, according to Rep. Stabenow. She said they are adding a change to the bill, however: one that would make maternity care a basic part of any health insurance plan.

"We all have a commitment that this debate is not about changing federal policy as it relates to abortion services," Stabenow said. "I can tell you that what we are trying to get in is prenatal and maternity care."

Copyright © 2009 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Christianity Today follows political developments on the politics blog.

CT's c care coverage can be found in our science & health section, including:

The Health Care Debate, Early Church Style | Early Christians focused on of the sacredness of individuals, not demons, says historian Gary Ferngren. (August 26, 2009)

We Need Health-Care Reform | And the real question is who gets to decide who gets attention. (July 22, 2009)

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October (Web-Only) 2009, Vol. 53