Reproductive News & Action
Keep up-to-date with the latest information about abortion and health care reform from these reproductive justice advocacy organizations:
Raising Women’s Voices
RH Reality Check
Planned Parenthood Federation of America Action Center
TURN OUTRAGE INTO ACTION!
National health care reform raised the hope of equalizing abortion coverage by repealing the Hyde Amendment, the ban on federal Medicaid coverage of abortion for more than 30 years. Then the House of Representatives included the Stupak-Pitts Amendment with its health reform bill. This represents the most far-reaching restriction on abortion access in a generation.
The right always intended the Hyde Amendment as a first step toward banning abortion altogether. Stupak takes the next logical step by expanding this injustice to millions more working-class and middle-class women. It effectively prohibits both public and private coverage of abortion in the new insurance exchange.
We cannot accept the already abysmal status quo on abortion coverage. Because of the Hyde Amendment, tens of thousands of poor women and women of color are denied access to abortion care every year. Women are forced to sacrifice basic necessities to scrape together the money to cover the cost of an abortion. We must maintain our commitment to an eventual repeal of all abortion funding bans.
We will not cede any more ground. The so-called abortion-neutral Capps Amendment already represents a painful concession that does nothing to redress three decades of interference with the reproductive choices of low-income women. This is the very breaking point—there will be no further compromise on the backs of women and girls.
True health care reform must provide comprehensive health care for every woman residing in the U.S., including access to the full spectrum of reproductive health care services, including abortion.
How do we move forward now? Turn your outrage into action!
The Senate will begin debate on their health reform bill this week. Senators who oppose abortion rights plan to offer an amendment like the Stupak-Pitts Amendment. If the Senate adopts this harmful amendment, it will likely remain in the final Senate-House conference bill and become law.
Let your elected officials know how you feel! Urge them to oppose all anti-choice efforts to restrict abortion coverage. Tell them that reproductive health care is a basic need for women and should be treated like any other type of health care.
President Obama: click here or call (202) 456-1111
PA Senator Specter: click here or call (202) 224-4254,
PA Senator Casey: click here or call (202) 224-6324
NJ Senator Frank Lautenberg: click here or call (202) 224-3224
NJ Senator Robert Menendez: click here or call (202) 224-4744
Join us for a National Day of Action!
On Wed, Dec. 2 we will take buses to DC to rally and lobby the Senate for health care reform that ensures women's access to reproductive health care. Let us know if you can join the Southeastern PA contingent.
Stay informed with weekly updates!
Raising Women’s Voices, http://www.raisingwomensvoices.net
Planned Parenthood Federation of America, http://plannedparenthoodaction.org/healthreform