Statement from Reps. Slaughter and DeGette on abortion amendment to House health care bill

[wildflower]

"Placing onerous new restrictions on a woman's right to choose sets a terrible precedent and marks a significant step backwards. This effort will effectively ban abortion coverage in all plans, both private and public - marking a significant scaling back of the options offered under existing laws. Such a terrible, last minute amendment to a critical, historic piece of legislation is a shame. This kind of outrageous interference in health care by the government marks a sad day in this struggle and will result in women across America losing the right to health care."

(From http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/07/house-health-care-vote-br_n_349468.html&cp , which provided updates throughout the day on the health care bill in the house.)

[ThomCat]

1. I really hope this gets stripped out, or declared unconstitutional.

It is beyond sickening that our party negotiated this and approved it. Who the hell do they think their constituents are, if not millions of women?

Why are so many rich gray haired old men so damned worried about access to abortion being a moral issue when they clearly don't give a damn about all the huge immediate moral issues on Wall Street?

[wildflower]

2. You know, that's a good point...

Is this amendment constitutional?

(By the way, I hope it's okay to post this here and not the Choice group; I thought it might serve as a point of discussion for where feminism stands today.)

[BlueIris]

6. I won't repost this outside of this forum, but

IMO, as a layperson, the entire basis for the HCR package is constitutionally iffy. It's one reason I can't believe HRC made it this far.

[wildflower]

7. I don't know

But it seems to me that if the courts find a poll tax unconstitutional, this amendment is the same idea. In other words, mandating payment for a right is the same as taking away the right.

As a woman, I'm so conflicted on the health care bill. Because on the one hand, I know well that women are more prone to chronic illness and poverty and desperately need the help. But on the other hand, there's this horrible amendment.

[ThomCat]

9. That is why they are scrupulously avoiding saying

anywhere in the legislation or in the justification for it that health care is a right. They do not want anyone to be able to argue in court that they have a right to health care, because that opens up a whole lot of other issues like the one you raised. You can't be charged for a right.

[ismnotwasm]

3. Assholes

They did this on purpose, those conservative fucks. They're pissed their not getting their way, not having the majority, that their ridiculous conservative agenda was exposed as all smoke and mirrors; (even though far too many still believe in it) so they use a so-called 'wedge issue'--abortion, to fuck with the health care bill. A whose-got-the-biggest-dick-and-balls repugnantmacho bunch of bullshit. I fucking hate those dumbass conservative shits no matter what letter rides behind their name. They don't give a shit about poor folk, the under or non-insured, the middle class--even their constituents but especially that don't give a real shit about the 'unborn'. They could give a shit less, if that were possible. They use the fetus worse than anyone else for their own gain. It's all a horror movie power game to them. It's patriarchy goddammit, it's a direct result of patriarchy, just like every thing else that's wrong in and with society.

Entitled Straight White male motherfuckers rule this country, and this is the result. Take what is a very good thing, an idea whose time had come When HILARY CLINTION was trying for it, and fuck with it until somebody--anybody, --I don't think they are particular who-- as long as somebody gets hurt, and gets hurt bad.

[ThomCat]

4. They are creating a deliberate two-step to make abortions impossible to get..

The only real doubt is how soon they start pushing this, and how open they are about their reasons why.

First, no government funded or subsidized insurance can pay for abortions. This bullshit means that only women with significant amounts of discretionary money on hand will have access to abortions, especially in tough times. That bars the vast majority of women right there.

Then, because it will be mandated that everyone must have insurance, and billing will need to be streamlined, the next step will be that providers can only accept payment through that streamlined billing. You can only use your insurance to get services. No more cash for medical services unless you are very rich and have very private access to medical care. That will mean abortions not covered by insurance can't be procured at all, anywhere.

Finding a doctor who will still provide services outside of contracts will become something valuable reserved for wealthy people who can pay any price and travel anywhere.

For everyone else abortions will become totally unavailable. Gone. Impossible to get regardless of whether or not it is legal.

I guarantee that the streamlining billing is going to be a major issue. It necessarily has to be. Then, forcing people to only accept payments through this streamlined billing will be the obvious tactic for anti-choicers to use. There are all kinds of fake but convincing sounding tax and reporting reasons why they might claim that everything has to be paid through centralized insurance billing, getting rid of cash services.

[ismnotwasm]

10. You know what really blows me away?

That abortion rights are even in question. I look at it this way. Human beings in order to continue to exist, have to procreate, right? Simple. But when half the human population bears the risks evolved, why haven't we evolved socially enough to see the benefit in strong reproductive care, including seeing abortion not as an emotionalized 'necessary evil' but part of a greater good? Making each pregnancy not sacred, but along the lines of a sacred choice, no matter what that choice me be. And it HAS TO BE the honored and supported individual choice of the one pregnant, anything else will lead to some type of eugenics, or continue as reproductive slavery.

It's a type of power, true. (Which is most likely the real reason abortion rights are threatened) And, it certainly is life over death, or vice verse matter if that needs to be said bluntly. I'm not one of those who argue schematics about whether or not a fetus is human life-- of course it is. What is also true, is not every life gets a continence whether choice is involved or not, so when there is a choice, a true choice, a woman takes us one step toward a higher evolution, a maturation of society, a deeper realization of what it's like to be-- I'll use the term self actualized, because I can't think of the word I want.

Science someday will eradicate the need for abortion, perhaps eradicate the need for pregnancies themselves, so that every pregnancy will be a full choice, not one required for the continuation of the species. Not in my lifetime, of course.

I've been quoting Ms. Firestone a lot lately; "pregnancy is barbaric" It's entertaining to watch reactions, because it's true, but I've always been easily entertained.


So much is involved in creating a truly healthy society, but where it starts is where it starts and it starts with very basic things, mating, pregnancy, birth. A culture safe enough to raise a big brained, slow growing intelligent species to maturation. A society healthy enough to support that culture. So when we divide over healthcare-another basic for a truly healthy society-- and throw what should be an antiquated and destructive moral idea of abortion as a point of division, it's a sign of severe societal pathology as far as I'm concerned.

None of my musing here will help the situation, and I have to agree with your opinion, but it makes me so angry that they do this.

[wildflower]

12. "A sacred choice"

Wow, I really, really like that.

[musette_sf]

11. +1

[bliss_eternal]

14. ...........!

:hi:

(bliss waving to musette_sf)

[bliss_eternal]

13. bam!

love this rant...!

:thumbsup:

....and yeah, ditto to all you said.

[ismnotwasm]

5. e

e

[femrap]

8. I'm beginning to believe that Health

'Reform' was just a way to rid the world of legal and safe abortions.

Kick some ass, women.