Women Demand Our Rights: Beyond Abortion Ban in Health Care Reform

This amendment would have permanently banned federally funded abortion, and eliminated abortion coverage from most privately funded health plans — institutionalizing discrimination against women, and further restricting access to abortion services.

 

The Senate moved to launch debate and ultimately vote on the Senate version of health reform. Fortunately, on November 8, the Senate defeated the proposed ban on abortion coverage (the Nelson and Hyde Amendment); however, it is likely that more anti-woman amendments will come forth as the health reform package is being debated and rolled out.

Women’s lives and their right to choose were thrown under the bus in the House and Senate bills.  This is a dangerous strategy to stop real health reform.  At a time when access to reproductive services is already strained though a shortage of providers, lack of transportation, economic barriers, and the stigmatization of abortion –women’s lives have been further endangered by political interference and by threatened elimination of  insurance coverage for abortion by the creation of new layers of government bureaucracy.

Our message is this:

Don’t let health “reform” destroy our reproductive choices. We demand health reform that includes women’s health care from birth to death, prohibits gender and age discrimination, and include everyone in the U.S. healthcare system.

Now, more than ever, we must join forces to build coalitions that resist, defy and end all acts of reproductive oppression directed at women. We will build momentum by organizing ourselves and our allies, by flooding our representatives with phone calls, emails and letters. We will work together to ensure all voices are heard. No woman will be left unrepresented. Our voices must be voiced and heard in unison and our message must be clear:  all women must have equal access to reproductive services.

Work to reject anti-choice language and all repressive amendments that may come before the Senate.  Contact your Senators now at: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm  

 

Helpful websites on health reform:

 

Womenstake – From the National Women’s Law Center

Access: Women’s Health Care Rights of California