Abortion-Rights Activists Need To Fight Stupak Amendment

There is an old saying that applies to those who wish to turn the pages backwards on women’s reproductive rights.  “Give them an inch, and they will take a mile”.  The abortion issue that has been needlessly injected into the health care debate in Washington, and  is a clear example of how the phrase applies to politicians.  While conservatives already had a law on the books that prohibited federal funds from being used for abortions, they had to try and grab for more control of the rights over women’s bodies.  Typical.

In the House debate earlier this month, an amendment offered by Congressman Stupak stated that the health bill’s publicly run health-insurance plan couldn’t cover abortions. But then it went even further into areas not  entered before and forbid anyone who receives a federal health subsidy under the health bill from buying an insurance policy, even if with mostly their own funds, that would allow for abortion coverage.  Then in a slap to women in almost every state these members of the House allowed people to purchase a rider covering abortion with their own money, knowing damn well that such abortion riders are available in only a handful of states.

Needless to say it is time for abortion-rights activists to rally to the cause of  common sense and work to stop this regressive action in the Congress.

Activists plan to rally in Washington and lobby on Dec. 2, during the week that Senate floor debate begins on health care. The Center for Reproductive Rights has aired television ads criticizing the reckless restrictions.  A new group, the Coalition to Pass Health Care Reform and Stop Stupak, a network of more than 30 groups will be announced next week.

Will you write a letter to the newspaper, or call your representative in Congress to make sure that women’s reproductive rights are not made into yet even more political football?

This is 2009, after all, and we are still fighting about the rights women can have over their own bodies!