Cantor plans vote on abortion bill

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WASHINGTON, Oct. 12 (UPI) -- U.S. House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Md., has accused Majority Leader Eric Canter of wasting the chamber's time with abortion legislation.

Hoyer said the GOP leader is "taking time up for political agenda" if he calls for a floor vote Thursday on a bill to prevent federal funding for healthcare plans that provide abortion services, Roll Call reported.

"There's not a Republican who believes that bill is going to be passed in the Senate -- I think, maybe I'm wrong on that -- or that the president would sign it," Hoyer said Tuesday

Cantor told the conservative Values Voter Summit in Washington Friday that he would be taking up the abortion measure this week.

Although abortion has not been a major part of the GOP's internal agenda for the fall, Cantor's office informed lawmakers that the abortion measure would come to the floor.

It is part of the Pledge to America, a list of proposed legislative items that the GOP promised to pursue if it took control of the 112th Congress.