Act Now for Health Care Reform
Last modified November 10, 2009
While the version of health care reform recently passed by the House of Representatives (Nov. 7, 2009) offers many of the changes that we need (no pre-existing conditions, a (very watered down) public option, etc., it also represents the greatest attack on women’s reproductive freedom and human rights since the Hyde Amendment denied federal funding for abortion.
The Stupack Amendment goes beyond Hyde to say that if women want abortion coverage, they need to pay for it out of their own pockets. It enshrines one of the most egregious injustices women in this country have faced: you only have the right to abortion access if you can pay for it. It represents nothing short of a step back into the days before Roe v. Wade constitutionally guaranteed a woman’s right to privacy in making decisions about her health -including decisions about a pregnancy.
This provision needs to be removed. Limiting a woman’s right to an abortion has no place in reforming the broken health care system of this country.
Contact your Senators. They need to know that we will not stand for the use of women’s bodies and women’s lives as a bargaining chip for the reforms this country needs. Here is a website that you can use to send emails or get the phone numbers of your representatives (the site has been experiencing very high traffic, so it may be slow).
Here are some talking points:
Health care reform should help all women and families, not just a select few.
Right now we have a two-tier system in the United States: women with private health insurance or private funds can access health care, but poor women and families cannot.
Pregnancy and parenthood are not political issues; they are personal decisions that families should make for themselves.
Don’t let ideology get in the way of public health. Please support comprehensive reproductive health care and health care reform for all families in the Senate bill.
Include FULL coverage for comprehensive reproductive health care, including abortion coverage for all women.
Repeal the Hyde Amendment: it is an unjust piece of legislation that effectively tells poor women that they do not have the same rights and freedoms as women with money and resources.