An incredible series of events took place yesterday which resulted in abortion coverage being mandated in both the public option for government health insurance and (to less of a degree) for coverage of abortion in private insurance.

This amendment will now have to be voted on by the entire House after the August recess.

Jeff Emanuel has the details at Red State: 

Yesterday afternoon, House Energy and Commerce Committee member Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA) proposed an amendment to the House health care overhaul bill to allow for federal funding of elective abortion coverage for those enrolled in the “public option,” to mandate that every regional Health Insurance Exchange contain at least one private insurance plan that offers abortion coverage, and to permit taxpayer subsidies of those private insurance plans and others that cover elective abortion.

The Capps amendment passed 30-28, with E&C Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA), Capps, and 28 other Democrats voting in favor of mandating (and allowing taxpayer funding to be used to subsidize) abortion coverage.

Taxpayer dollars do not currently pay for, or subsidize, insurance plans that cover elective abortion services. This amendment, if the health overhaul bill to which it is attached is passed and signed into law, would alter that policy, using the tax dollars of every American - pro-life or pro-choice - to subsidize abortion coverage (and, by extension, abortion services).

A counter-amendment introduced by Rep. Joe Pitts (R-PA) was defeated only after Rep. Waxman decided he wanted to bring the counter-amendment back for "reconsideration" and a re-vote.

Bottom-line: now the health care plan not only allows for abortion coverage - it mandates them.