The recent debate on health care reform has brought new focus to the important issue of reproductive choice -- and a clear understanding that it cannot be taken for granted.
As the Senate prepares now to take up its version of a massive health care overhaul, pro-choice Americans are watching closely to see if the Senate will sell out the reproductive rights of women, just as the Democratic leadership did in the U.S. House. The potential ramifications of any legislation that would eliminate women's reproductive health choices -- effectively discriminating against American women -- will undoubtedly reverberate to the 2010 elections, and beyond.
The renewed focus on reproductive choice was triggered by the House's actions. In the frenzy to pass a health care bill -- any bill -- Nancy Pelosi and House majority leadership allowed a vote on the now-infamous Stupak Amendment. Sponsors of the amendment misrepresented their efforts as a move to stop federal funding for reproductive choice. In fact, there is already a ban on federal funding for abortion. What Stupak did was effectively ban insurance coverage for most abortions from all public and private health plans in the new health exchange. Translation: it would make it nearly impossible for any American woman to obtain insurance coverage for abortion.
This travesty took place on the Democrats' watch. They cannot explain it away, and they cannot deny that they had complete control over this amendment's viability. This was an outrageous "compromise" that constituted no compromise at all. House Democrats, determined to push a health care reform bill this year, decided it was acceptable to sacrifice women's current reproductive health rights in the process.
The most unfortunate fall-out from this vote is that Congress is now legislating policy that is discriminatory against women, particularly low-income women. Abortion can be an expensive procedure, and many women, who use protection and practice responsible sex, still find themselves faced with an unwanted pregnancy for a multitude of reasons. The price tag attached to an abortion often means that, while every woman has the right to an abortion, only wealthier women have access to it.
Like it or not, abortion is a legal medical procedure and a decision that has to be left to doctors and families. Why are women being singled out and denied coverage, even through private plans? The claim that abortion is preventable or elective only underlines the discriminatory aspect of the Stupak Amendment. The truth is, countless treatments for preventable conditions, such as smoking cessation or the effects of obesity, are covered by private and public insurance plans. Would Congress ever offer amendments to unduly punish people who act 'irresponsibly' and make poor lifestyle choices by smoking, failing to wear seat belts or eating unhealthy foods? Of course not.
We do not, as a society, say, "I don't want my tax dollars to care for someone who has been in a car crash and didn't have a seat belt on." It sounds ludicrous. We all pay for people's regrettable decisions, and the financial impact of these 'preventable' medical needs is staggering. According to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, $96.7 billion is spent on public and private health care combined annually due to smoking. Each year, each household spends $630 in federal and state taxes for expenses related to smoking. A new report released this week projects that in 10 years, 21% of all medical costs will go to treat diseases linked to obesity up from 9% we spend now.
Congress, the Senate and the President need to understand that women's reproductive health deserves the same equitable treatment that these other preventable medical procedures enjoy. It certainly must not be used as a bargaining chip in the rush to pass one of the largest legislative initiatives of our time. In fact, if the controlling Democrats cannot get their own majorities to agree on a health care compromise, that should make it clear that there are major problems that need to be addressed before dumping another expensive, government-run program on the American people.
As difficult as it is for real Republicans like us to admit, we've seen misguided efforts like the Stupak Amendment from extremists in our own party far too often. We have sadly watched as more and more women and 'moderate' voters have left our party because they believed the Democratic Party would do anything and everything to protect our individual freedom of reproductive choice. In one vote, that assumption was erased and pro-choice Americans are outraged.
Arianna Huffington: Will The Unemployment Disaster Be Obama's Katrina?
There's a Category 5 storm about to make landfall, and the president and the officials in charge of preparing for the approaching disaster don't seem to be particularly worried. Sound familiar? Just as Katrina exposed critical weaknesses in the priorities and competence of the Bush administration, the unfolding unemployment disaster is threatening to do the same for the Obama White House. The members of the Obama administration may not be attending a birthday party at John McCain's ranch in Sedona or shopping for expensive Ferragamo shoes in New York as a great American city is destroyed, but their decidedly lackadaisical response to what job losses are doing to multiple great American cities raises the question: will unemployment be Barack Obama's Katrina?
The sexually active men and women of America who want to end a pregnancy can do so-all thery have to do is pay for it. It's really their responsibility. If they can get private insurance that covers abortion-fine. But all this outraged rhetoric about how women are being abused is ridiculous.
Dust of those checkbooks, abortion wanters.
How is this any different? Do you propose we have separate insurance policies for every single preventable outcome? You have to buy separate insurance for car accidents where you didn't wear a seatbelt, effects of smoking, effects of drinking, substance abuse treatment, accidents involving lawnmowers, power tools, and kitchen utensils, ski accidents, and so on? It gets ridiculous. Abortion is a legal medical procedure that should be covered just as all other medical procedures are. To single out one specific medical procedure that is only needed by women is ridiculous.
My tax dollars are responsibly spent paying a few hundred for the abortion instead of tens or hundreds of thousands to subsidize an unwanted child for 18 years via welfare, orphanages, counseling etc.
Not to mention growing all the bureaucracies that care for unwanted children and watch for abuse/neglect (something that doesn't happen much when all children are wanted).
And paying for the juvenile detention centers, guards, etc when unwanted children get caught up in criminal elements because their parents aren't watching out for them (possibly because they are working two jobs to make ends meet which is why they didn't want to have a child).
http://primal-page.com/unwanted.htm
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it's not just the European studies which show that unwanted children have a higher involvement in crime and were imprisioned at a higher rate than the multi-control group; the problem is in the U.S. also. I dare to say that it is universal.
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If you want to reduce it to dollars and cents then providing easy access to abortion is the fiscally responsible choice.
It used to be said that if you needed one million dollars for a road in Washington, you ask for ten million and then settle for two million. Is Health Reform just about abortion then?
It makes no sense to squabble over no-win scenarios while the world is changing around us and the power that is, is the power that was, and they control the truth and divide you up when you are all the same and your children are dying.
It's not like we're getting Medicare for all, and trading abortion coverage for that. We're getting mandatory buy-it-yourself insurance, and making sure that women can't even buy full reproductive health coverage. Why should we have to settle?
with the giveaways to BigPharma and the insurance cos, courtesy of our government and led by our President, we can expect more rationing of medical services by the establishment so they can continue to see their profits rise, while the rest of us are left to twist in the wind.
Planned Parenthood can do abortions and will be glad to do it with the support of rich peoples donations, a movie called Maafa 21 recommended viewing for anyone discussing this issues, shows how Bill Gates and Warren Buffet with help by Nancy Pelosi and the Democrates are more than happy to end a life in order to not have to support and care for "one of the massives".
There will not be a problem getting funding if you need help financially, or you could ask your friends to pitch in on the costs. But for those of us who do not want to be forced to pay for the act of destroying and innocent human being, please try to understand and stop screaming about your rights.
"Your rights" is one of the ways planned parenthood has dooped so many woman. Go watch Maafa 21 if your wanting to know 100 years of American history on Abortion based on Fact.
While we are at it, I hate that my tax dollars go to 'faith based initiatives' because if I wanted to give money to a church I would do so. But I am guessing that won't stop either.
About Bill Gates (one of THE most philanthropic weathy men around) and Warren Buffet not wanting to "care for one of the masses"...well, I'm sorry, but for too long the majority of those with the most financial power have refused to relinquish any of it. There is no such thing as trickle down economics and the hard truth is that we ALL have to do our part to take care of one another in this country. The move towards individualism has made this country weaker, not stronger. And our poorer citizens have suffered immeasurably because of the greed of so many. And who's to blame? Who double- and triple-mortgaged our future for two wars and tax breaks for the weathy? The so called "party of God", that's who.
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Now you tell us that with health care reform, we'll be victimized by having those same options you have made almost impossible to obtain made -- impossible to obtain? And it's all going to be the fault of a government run by Democrats. Of course, the fact that many, if not most, of the worst limitations in the bill were put in by C-Street Republicans, by Republicans who voted against women having the right to take their rapists to court -- that we're not supposed to remember.
Threaten away, fearmonger away. We will have health care reform. There's not a d@mn thing you can do about it. And when we get to the polls, lady, we are going to remember ALL your names.