BOSTON (AP) — A day after criticizing Attorney General Martha Coakley for saying she would have voted against a federal health care bill because it contained an anti-abortion amendment, Rep. Michael Capuano said he'll vote against the final version of the bill unless the amendment is eliminated.
"If the final version of the bill has it, I will vote no," said Capuano, one of four Democrats vying for the late Edward Kennedy's Senate seat.
Capuano voted against the amendment, but it was included in the final bill, which he supported. Coakley's campaign seized on what they saw as an about-face, saying they were glad to see he "had reversed his position."
"As Martha has said, we can and must pass meaningful health care reform with a strong public option without compromising women's access to reproductive health services," said Coakley campaign spokesman Corey Welford.
Capuano said Tuesday that he hadn't changed his position and called Coakley's comments "a naive approach."
Boston Celtics co-owner Stephen Pagliuca, who also is seeking the Democratic nomination, called the amendment "repugnant" but said if faced with the choice, he would vote for the final health care bill even if it included the amendment.
"I find the statements that Martha Coakley and now Mike Capuano have made signaling potential opposition to landmark health care reform legislation alarming," Pagliuca said in a written statement Tuesday.
The other Democrat seeking the nomination, City Year co-founder Alan Khazei, has said he would have voted for the bill in the House to keep the debate alive.
The wrangling over the so-called Stupak-Pitts Amendment, which prohibits abortion coverage for any health insurance product subsidized in any way by the federal government, has opened up one of the biggest fissures in the special election to replace Kennedy, who died of brain cancer on Aug. 25.
Capuano said there's a big difference between voting on one version of a bill to keep the debate alive and a final vote when there's no possibility to improve or change the bill.
He said if he and other abortion rights supporters had voted against the entire bill because of the amendment, it would have killed any chance of extending health care to up to 36 million uninsured Americans.
"You have to move these debates along," he said. "The House had to vote yes on the bill to keep the debate on the health care bill alive."
He also noted the bill won approval of all 10 members of the Massachusetts House delegation, as well as every member of the chamber identified as an abortion-rights supporter.
Coakley is the state's first female attorney general and is seeking to become the state's first female U.S. senator.
She has said she is not trying to take advantage of being the only woman in the race, but also has sought the endorsement of the pro-woman, pro-abortion rights group EMILY's List and held high-profile events with women supporters.
Capuano, a six-term congressman, has cast himself as an experienced Washington player who understands how to pass legislation and bring home congressional pork.
The party primaries are Dec. 8. The special election is Jan. 19.
Competing for the Republican nomination are state Sen. Scott Brown of Wrentham and Duxbury attorney Jack E. Robinson. Brown's staff have said he would have supported the amendment but opposed the bill because it would raise taxes.
The health care bill now heads to the Senate for its consideration.
