Iowa House Democrats says GOP majority asked for votes to pass human services budget, abortion provisions

DES MOINES – Progress toward adjournment of the 2013 Iowa legislative session ground to a halt this evening when differences over Medicaid funding of abortion prevented House majority Republicans from putting together the votes needed to pass a $1.7 billion health and human services budget.

Although the bill's floor manager had indicated the 53-member GOP caucus would put up the votes needed to send Senate File 446 to the governor. After an early evening caucus, GOP representatives indicated they might be as many as 15 votes short of the necessary 51 votes.

“I have now been asked by Republican leadership if we could supply votes to try to shut down this session,” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, D-Des Moines, said. GOP leaders told him they would need “at least 10-ish” votes from Democrats, McCarthy said.

“They have lost their ability to govern,” McCarthy continued. “They have lost their majority.”

House Speaker Kraig Paulsen, R-Hiawatha downplayed the breakdown of party unity that threatens to prevent adjournment indefinitely.

“I think you guys think this much more dramatic than I do,” he said.

His plan, Paulsen said, was to wrap up the session before morning. The House has a rule that prevents representatives from voting between midnight and 8 a.m., but Paulsen suggested that could be suspended.

“The rule is not there to constrain us,” he said. “The idea is we'll be done before (midnight).”

McCarthy rejected the idea that Republicans' failure to put up 51 votes for the human services budget created a feeding frenzy for the minority party.

However, he indicated Democratic leadership was not in agreement on what approach to take: make demands for policy changes or support a compromise that had been negotiated between the bill's floor manager, Rep. Matt Windschitl, R-Missouri Valley, and Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs.

That compromise, McCarthy said, would give the governor veto power over all Medicaid-funded abortion reimbursement.

Republicans had approved language that would have prohibited taxpayer-funded abortions. However, Windschitl said the compromise struck earlier Wednesday stuck to that principle, “”but, yes, the language is different.”

“I believe what we are proposing is the best we are going to get right now from divided government,” he said, but declined to talk about the specific language of the compromise. “I believe it stays true to the principles that we have been committed to as conservatives and Republicans and pro-life Republicans. It may not be everything we want, but it is a step in the right direction and it does move us forward.”

At mid-afternoon, Windschitl wouldn't say whether Democratic votes would be needed to approve the budget.

“I wouldn't say that. We're the majority party,” he said.