House: Yes to Extreme Anti-Choice Politics, No to Women's Health and Privacy
Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, released this statement upon the passage of a stunning last-minute anti-choice amendment to health reform: :
Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, called House passage of a stunning last-minute anti-choice amendment to health reform an outrageous blow to women's freedom and privacy -- and she vowed to fight to remove this provision as the process goes to the Senate.
The amendment, offered by anti-choice Reps. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) and Joe Pitts (R-Penn.), was adopted late tonight by a margin of 240-194.
The Stupak-Pitts amendment makes it virtually impossible for private insurance companies that participate in the new system to offer abortion coverage to women. This would have the effect of denying women the right to use their own personal private funds to purchase an insurance plan with abortion coverage in the new health system -- a radical departure from the status quo. Presently, more than 85 percent of private-insurance plans cover abortion services.
"This vote is a reminder to America's pro-choice majority that, despite our gains in the last two election cycles, anti-choice members of Congress still outnumber our pro-choice allies," Keenan said. "It is unconscionable that anti-choice lawmakers would use health reform to attack women's health and privacy, but that's exactly what happened on the House floor tonight. Even though the bill already included a ban on federal funding for abortion and a requirement that only women's personal funds could pay for abortion care, Reps. Stupak and Pitts took their obsession with attacking a woman's right to choose to a whole new level. We will hold those lawmakers who sided with the extreme Stupak-Pitts amendment accountable for abandoning women and capitulating to the most extreme fringe of the anti-choice movement. In short, the fight is not over. That's why we will continue to mobilize our activists and work with our allies in Congress to remove this dangerous provision from the health-care bill and stop additional attacks as the process moves to the Senate."
Keenan said anti-choice members of Congress and their allies distorted key elements of the Stupak-Pitts amendment to make the proposal appear less extreme. Here are rebuttals to these distortions, including the myth of an abortion "rider" that they say women could purchase in addition to their insurance plan:
- The Stupak-Pitts amendment forbids any plan offering abortion coverage in the new system from accepting even one subsidized customer. Since more than 80 percent of the participants in the exchange will be subsidized, it seems certain that all health plans will seek and accept these individuals. In other words, the Stupak-Pitts amendment forces plans in the exchange to make a difficult choice: either offer their product to 80 percent of consumers in the marketplace or offer abortion services in their benefits package. It seems clear which choice they will make.
- Stupak-Pitts supporters claim that women who require subsidies to help pay for their insurance plan will have abortion access through the option of purchasing a "rider," but this is a false promise. According to the respected National Women's Law Center, the five states that require a separate rider for abortion coverage, there is no evidence that plans offer these riders. In fact, in North Dakota, which has this policy, the private plan that holds the state's overwhelming share of the health-insurance market (91 percent) does not offer such a rider. Furthermore, the state insurance department has no record of abortion riders from any of the five leading individual insurance plans from at least the past decade. Nothing in this amendment would ensure that rider policies are available or affordable to the more than 80 percent of individuals who will receive federal subsidies in order to help purchase coverage in the new exchange.
The release can be read online here.
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Abortion, Bart Stupak, Health care, Health insurance, Law, Nancy Keenan, Nancy Pelosi, NARAL Pro-Choice America, Pro-choice, Rep. Pitts, Rep. Stupak, United States,
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Nancy is stunned? Really?
I was similarly amused by this cry from NOW yesterday: CALL NOW - Women's Rights and Lives Are on The Line
by Erin Matson, NOW Action Vice President
TAKE ACTION:
Please call your Representative RIGHT AWAY and tell her or him to vote NO on the anti-abortion, anti-woman Stupak Amendment. Then forward this message to everyone you know who supports women’s rights!
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Sorry Erin and Nancy, we were so beguiled by the "public option" we forgot to care about a woman's right to an abortion and birth control. Just out of curiosity, I wonder where you were when so many well meaning liberals were SO concerned about who would be appointed to the Supreme Court, that they IGNORED HOW Obama became the Democratic Party's "nominee"?
Surprise guys! Turns out there are many ways to skin a cat and there are people that know how. There are people that have the guile, the power and the will. So, too bad about women's reproductive rights, but rejoice!
At least we have the "public option", which BTW:
"According to a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) study of the House bill, only 6 million Americans would be enrolled in the public option by the time it's fully phased in, in 2019. That's just 2 percent of the 282 million Americans younger than 65 (who aren't covered by Medicare). The CBO explains that the low numbers are in large part because the plan "would typically have premiums that are somewhat higher than the average premiums for the private plans."
Gee ladies, why would the public option premiums be higher than the average private plan? I wonder?
Well, how about this:
“Clearly, the insurance companies are the problem, not the solution. They are driving up the cost of health care.... H.R. 3962 would put the government in the role of accelerating the privatization of health care. In H.R. 3962, the government is requiring at least 21 million Americans to buy private health insurance from the very industry that causes costs to be so high, which will result in at least $70 billion in new annual revenue, much of which is coming from taxpayers. This inevitably will lead to even more costs, more subsidies, and higher profits for insurance companies — a bailout under a blue cross. " (Kucinich)
"Bail-out?" Well, it's another run-away train but as long as we have a president that will appoint people we like to the Supreme Court what worries could we possibly have.
Nice job.
Where did the real feminist go?
As I read the anger and outrage by so many of us, I have to ask my sisters?: How many of YOU who live in Virginia and New Jersey worked and voted FOR the Democratic candidates...Pro-Choice ALL of them..and yet...far too many of my pro-choice friends were 'too busy' or 'not interested' enough to get up off their duffs and work...what did any of us think would happen not ONLY to legislation regarding women's reproductive rights IF these Republican so-called pro-lifers' won?..the blue dogs and the weak Nellies in Congress were/are going to see those wins as 'the writing' on the wall, and not only support legislation like this latest outrage of Stupak's..but other progressive action our President puts forward...and if you think that vote is bad..believe me, unless YOU get up, work and become active..just wait until 2010..'cause, honey, ya ain't seen nothin yet.! So as I told my daughter who was bemoaning that hateful addition to the health care reform.." I don't wanna hear it, until and unless YOU, my dear girl, are willing to start NOW to become active to assure that those members who support choice know it. and willing to work toward that end, and those who do not support our President's choice for judgeships..and those who oppose HIM and pro choice legislation, know damn well that you will work against them!.
I would like to see NARAL step up to the plate ASAP and give us a concrete action plan to work to get this horrible amendment off the table. I am ready to do the work, but I need guidance to find out where to start!
NARAL and NOW choose Obama (man with no experience and no principles) to be their poster boy for "this is what a feminist looks like".
The sane part of the world voted for the actual winner of the primaries, Hillary (presumably you DO know of the theft of Hillary's delegates on May, 31, 2008. Millions of us have not forgotten -we are the new Independents) You know, the woman who actually worked to get where she was, the one who was registering blacks to vote at age 18, the one who has fought for women's rights from the dawn of time.
But YOU and YOU wanted to play with the oh-so-handsome boy, and you left your girlfriends sitting home alone. You left your POWER at home!
So now we get a 2000 page health care bill, full of details, but none of those pesky little female details - but I bet it has VIAGRA! Once again, why pay attention to the women under the bus? Nothing to see here, drive right over them. (are you finally catching on that it is YOU under that bus???????)
3rd wave feminists need to tear up their "man-identified-woman" membership card, and drive straight to a training program, wherein each 2nd waver will be providing mentoring to a 3rd waver. The "leadership wings" that you earned by totally fouling up the movement, turning it into nothing but sex and the objectification of women, will be ripped off your blouses. You must become grunts, and learn at the feet of the masters. (sigh) yet again.... when will you learn?
And don't EVER AGAIN put Obama on stage wearing a t-shirt saying "this is what a feminist looks like". Boy, how are you EVER going to live that one down? What a collosul mistake.
You're doing a 'heck ov'a job, there, 3rd wavers.... now go home and reflect on what you've done. The big girls will attempt to clean up your mess, including this health care for men bill, which was the result of your absolutely, fantastically, g*d-awful leadership. hang your heads low. But for g*d's sake, get out of the way. The rest of us have a lot of work to do. Nothing worse than a man-identified woman. We women-identified-women will get out of our rocking chairs to save our country once again.
And you wanna know what?
WE are what FEMINISTS look like!!!!!!! (not you)
And PS - Go listen to some Meg Christian music, and some Dierdre McCalla music. How about some Holly Near and Theresa Trull and Lucy Blue Tremblay. And yeah, throw the rap out. If you haven't noticed, it's misogynistic.
Nancy,
Why blame the anti-choice legislators for what happened on Saturday night when we can look directly at the representatives and the President NARAL helped elect?
They all stood by and put politics before principle once again, thought nothing of sacrificing the health of women to get their bill passed.
NARAL needs to be out there giving their members quick and clear direction as to next steps; pro-choice Americans need their voices heard loud and clear on this issue.
It is shameful that the Speaker used this issue to get her bill passed, saying that she could find "common ground" on this issue in conference.
This bill is an OUTRAGE! Buying votes with the health of women is despicable.
If the Stupak Pitts amendment is not removed during the conference, any democrat who votes for this bill is risking their seat, and that is change President Obama and Nancy Pelosi can and should believe in!
Valerie
I am so appalled and disgusted at this amendment. My stomach is literally in knots and I have tears in my eyes. If this were a man's issue, this amendment would not exist and yet these men continue to be allowed to decide women's fates. Who are the highest percentage of uninsured Americans? Children and women and they create a double-edged sword for women stating you get this or this but not both. How disgusting of these congressmen to make it appear to the public that there was no option but to have this amendment or no public health care. Despicable and Nancy Pelosi, shame-shame on you. I truly hope the senators are able to stop this amendment. Let me know when we rally because I'm ready.
One thing you can say for the christian right, they are motivated. While we have been sitting on our complacency they went and pulled the rug out from under us.
I'm not sure why this amendment was so "stunning" after our so-called feminist President Obama previously and clearly stated in his news conferences about the health care plan that it would "absolutely not" include payments for abortion. This is the problem with trusting male politicians on women's issues. Women's issues are seen as expendable to get things done on "real" issues. Women need to stand up and be FIRM that we won't let our rights be sacrificed in the name of "progress" on healthcare. Sisters, we can't sell ourselves out to be "nice" for the "greater" goal of healthcare!
Considering the number of women, both in the House & the Senate, I cannot belive that NOT ONE of them has stood up and said, 'When men become responsible for their sperm & take an "active" role in birth contol options; then and only then may they even discuss the issue but never will they have the right to vote on it or tell a woman what she can and cannot do with her body" It is a personal choice.
Wow..
Enough venom in here to kill an elephant, several times over.
1) Learn nothing from the Senate election in Albany, NY. Division within the party only weakens the party, as the GOP now knows.
2) The GOP will support NOTHING Obama and the Dems want to do. It's bad enough to know we have to try to sneak 1 or 2 votes from them, because our own super-majority are not united. The GOP understand unity better than the Dems.
3) To suggest ALL women are for "pro-choice" are forgetting the legions falling behind Sarah Palin lunatic views. As one of you stated, they ARE motivated.
That's it, just sit there griping and moaning.. and spewing your venom in a fit.
Because really, that clearly has helped the Democrat party all along hasn't it?
If you have made Obama and the Democratic congress your enemy, please stand up and carry a bright sign or brand your forehead... At least let us know now... instead of waiting until we get someone in office only to have you stab us in the back the second something doesn't go the way YOU want it to.
Seriously, go change your pad.. your diapers.. or whatever is making you so damn cranky...