Bishop undecided on healthcare vote; abortion language key

Support from Bishop and other Democrats who are currently on the fence will be key if the measure is to make it out of the House.

Fellow Georgia Blue Dog Democrats Jim Marshall, D-Macon, and John Barrow, D-Augusta, are expected to vote against the bill.

Thursday afternoon, Bishop’s Press Chief Jennie Gibson told the Herald that the congressman was “still undecided until he has a chance to read the bill.”

Gibson confirmed media reports that Bishop had concerns that language in the bill passed by the Senate on Christmas Eve didn’t have strong enough language to ensure that tax dollars didn’t fund abortions.

A vote on the measure will likely come as soon as Sunday, officials say. House rules bar officials from voting on the bill for 72 hours after it has been distributed to the public.

According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, preliminary estimates of the revised bill show it will cost roughly $940 billion over the next 10 years and reduce the deficit by $180 billion in the first 10 years and $1.8 trillion in the next 20 years.