USA Today
By Eugene Kiely

The National Right to Life Committee today said it is sending letters to abortion opponents in the U.S. House to urge them to stand firm and support the abortion language in the House version. 

“The Senate-passed bill contains provisions that would ultimately result in substantial expansions of abortion, driven by federal administrative decrees and federal subsidies,” a sample letter says.

The letter goes on to outline six areas where the group feels the House bill has stronger language. It warns members that a vote on the health care bill will be included in the group’s “scorecard,” which is used in campaigns to define the candidates’ level of support for or opposition to abortion. 

Abortion remains one of the tough issues that could derail health care. Yesterday, Sen. Bob Casey — a Pennsylvania Democrat who opposes abortion — was heckled by anti-abortion protesters, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported today. The protesters were angered by Casey’s role in brokering a compromise on abortion that convinced Sen. Ben Nelson, another anti-abortion Democrat, to vote for the health care bill.

“Casey can’t claim to be pro-life. He really showed how weak he is on this issue,” Mike McGonagle, a spokesman of Pro Life Union of Southeastern Pennsylvania, told the Inquirer. 

Democratic leaders are privately meeting to reconcile the House- and Senate-approved bills in an attempt to send President Obama a bill he can sign soon, perhaps as early as late January or early February. 

From: http://blogs.usatoday.com/onpolitics/2010/01/abortion-issue-threatens-health-care-deal.html