Abortion in Health Care Reform: The Fight is Far From Over

How quickly joy can turn to outrage.

Women had a lot to cheer about Saturday night when the House passed the historic Affordable Health Care Act. Among other major strides in health-insurance reform, it would eliminate "gender rating" in insurance pricing and unequal taxation of domestic partner benefits, ban discrimination based on preexisting conditions and stop the practice of dropping or capping coverage for sick people.

But our celebration was quickly dampened by an ugly amendment to the bill. The so-called Stupak amendment, named for one of its cosponsors, Bart Stupak (D-Mic.), bans abortion coverage not only in the public health-insurance option but in private plans participating in a new national health-insurance exchange.

This is an outrageous denial of choice to women, dictated behind the scenes by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops and their army of lobbyists. Millions of poor and middle-class women would be denied abortion coverage and millions more would lose the coverage they already have, since 85 percent of private plans now cover abortion. Far from being abortion-neutral, the Stupak amendment is a giant step backward for women. It's unacceptable. In the compromise to get the bill passed, women and their health-care rights were thrown under the bus.

Fortunately, the fight is far from over. Many pro-choice legislators and groups are now determined to strip the amendment from the bill before it is finally approved by Congress and signed by the president. As the legislation proceeds to the Senate and then to a House/Senate conference committee to iron out differences, pressure will be stepped up. There are many more pro-choice than anti-abortion Democrats; the question Democrats must now answer is if they're more willing to dance to the tune of the Catholic bishops or instead listen to their overwhelming constituency of pro-choice women.

We must stop federal legislation from being used as a vehicle to cut back reproductive rights. Young women's lives cannot continue to be a political football. We must free this historic Act of abortion politics--and then we can begin to celebrate anew.

 

Comments

[biggduude]

49% of women call themselves "pro-life," 44% "pro-choice."

http://www.gallup.com/poll/118399/more-americans-pro-life-than-pro-choice-first-time.aspx

[DRaymond]

If the pro and anti abortion forces want to make a stink in order to show that you are still big players and to make funraising appeals to your donors, go ahead.

But don't kill women in the process.

I have never heard of a woman who was stopped from having a first trimester elective abortion because of the 300 to 900 dollar cost. Since having the baby is more expensive they can usually find some way through their friends or the father's to pull together the funds. It sucks, but so does any of a number of other unexpected crisis that cost 300-900 dollars.

But when a woman has a diagnosis of breast cancer or ovarian cancer or something of that seriousness and they are uninsured or underinsured what happens? They die. Or they and their families go bankrupt first fighting it and then very likely still die.

Sorry, you may have trouble believing it but we are dealing with a something more important than free abortions for the poor and middle class. We are dealing with tens of thousands of people dying each year from being uninsured and underinsured.

So wave your flags and rally your troops to show how important you think it is. But if the threat is carried through and health care overhaul is smashed against the anvil of the Stupack ammendment I don't want to hear one word, not one word, about having stood up for women's health. Because women will be dying.

[mostly amused]

Please report the National Conference of Catholic Bishops to the IRS. Use this form:

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f13909.pdf

[DUSAA-1775]

It's too bad that people feel that woman are being 'thrown under the bus" but the right to an abortion is not being denied by the amendment. My President has vowed that no tax money will be allowed to pay for this procedure and I do not feel that the Catholic Church has forced him to this position. Obama has reached this position through his personal and moral beliefs..

[Beckinspate]

Read the news--this amendment goes beyond the Hyde amendment about federal funds for abortions and restricts private insurance options. Lobbyists from the National Conference of Bishops did participate in these tactics.

[ShakeYourComplacency]

Thank you, Eleanor. It sickened me to hear this amendment pass, and it heartens me that so many women are stepping forward and calling it out. We need to keep speaking out. And while we've watched our rights and our dignity in every arena be downgraded over the past couple decades, incrimentally, bit by bit,..here is an occasion where we get the big back of the hand (as my smart and outspoken florida representative says) in one swing. So maybe it got our attention. Maybe this is when we swing back.

[valkyrie607]

Look, folks. We're all in this together. I know you think that if I'm poor, I shouldn't have sex. But guess what? I'm not going to stop having sex, just because of the remote possibility that my birth control may someday fail. Like every other human being, I want love in my life and I enjoy sex. Conservatives who base their solutions to problems off of fantasies of a world where people no longer have a sex drive and only ever have sex when they feel they are ready to raise a child are living in a dream world. Come back to earth and deal with reality AS IT IS.

Abortion is not an outcome any woman wants but sometimes it's necessary. Some women are stupid about sex, and some women are smart. But what are you going to do about the stupid ones? Set up screening panels where a board of bureaucrats can sort the responsible, morally upright women from the slatternly harlots? The former, of course, can get any type of reproductive health care they want, including abortion. The latter, the floozies and doxies who could have avoided pregnancy if only they weren't too drunk to put on a condom, shall be punished by being forced to give birth and possibly raise a child, thereby contributing even MORE to the tax burden. Right. Makes total sense.

Like I said, come back to earth and deal with reality. You can live in heaven when you die.

[coloradodreaming]

What is it about women's rights to their reproductive organs that these politicians don't understand. They scream for the rights of the fetus to enter this world and then turn their backs on that same child from the minute of birth. I think all of the people dying today from lack of medical care should have someone worrying about their right to life. Is it only a religious conviction to save the fetus and to hell with the person? If every politician out there would put their money where their mouth is they can really be life savers by financially and emotionally adopting each baby. Any woman who would have financial security, the chance for an education for her and her child would be able to think the abortion issue through without the fear of what will happen to her unwanted pregnancy. They want it all in this abortion issue, no help for preventing the unwanted pregnancy, no help for the woman and her child after birth, no help for getting support from the father of this child. I have to be bombarded with the ads for male's erectile problems daily, isn't it time that we start thinking about a woman's right to birth control? If this world ever turns around in it's thinking I may not be so bitter about the injustice of someone being able to come between the decision made between myself and my doctor. they should try giving the right to life to the living.

[VMax1029]

I do hope for the sake of women and free choice that the amendment is removed from the bill before the final vote. I'll be contacting my state legislators today to urge their support in removing this item completely.