Friday, November 20, 2009

Clarification

As for the previous post... I posted it only because I don't feel the government has the right to tell women (or anyone) what they can or cannot do in regards to their own bodies (health care).

It doesn't matter what I would do or what my beliefs are- what does matter is that the Stupak Admendment is trying to take away my right and the right of every other woman in this country on what they could do if faced with perhaps the most difficult decision of their lives.

Protect Women's Reproductive Rights: Strike Down Stupak!

Note: As I am putting this post together, I am getting news that the new senate bill doesn't include Stupak language.That could change any moment. We need to keep up the pressure.

Just as the country is on the brink of making a crucial and historic overhaul of our health care system, Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Michigan) forced a poison pill into the House health care reform bill. The Stupak amendment would bar coverage for abortion under any plans that use federal funding. It would be the most far-reaching abortion restriction in decades – more severe than the Hyde Amendment.

Millions of women who have access to abortion services would no longer have it. Women receiving tax subsidies could not even use their own money to purchase private insurance that covers abortion. In most cases, low-income women would have NO ACCESS AT ALL to abortion services.

If the bill passes with the Stupak amendment, it would break President Obama’s promise that women would not be harmed by health care reform. Women would be worse off than they are today.

We cannot let this stand, and our window to do anything about it is closing fast:

Please call Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer and let them know you want the anti-choice Stupak amendment stripped from the health care reform bill!

1) Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s office: 202-224-3841 (To e-mail Sen. Feinstein, follow this link: http://feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactUs.Home )

2) Sen. Barbara Boxer’s office: 202-224-3553 (To e-mail Sen. Boxer, follow this link http://boxer.senate.gov/contact/ )For more information about the Stupak amendment, go to: http://www.prochoicepower.org/get-involved/

Please help us save health care reform and make sure women are not left out! Your calls are what make the difference!

Note: This post was written by CityMama's friend Sue Hutchison, Communications Director/Writing Specialist at Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, San Jose CA.
She has graciously allowed CityMama to reprint it and hopes that YOU WILL, TOO. If you've wanted to blog about this important issue but haven't had the time to put your thoughts down--here you go! Please cut, copy, and paste the above post into your emails, Facebook notes, and blog posts. Tell all your like-minded friends to do the same. We must strike down the Stupak Amendment and its anti-women's reproductive rights language.