PLANNED PARENTHOOD CONDEMNS PASSAGE OF STUPAK/PITTS AMENDMENT Read their full statement here.

[Better Believe It]

Press Release
November 8, 2009

PLANNED PARENTHOOD CONDEMNS PASSAGE OF STUPAK/PITTS AMENDMENT

STATEMENT BY CECILE RICHARDS, PRESIDENT, PLANNED PARENTHOOD FEDERATION OF AMERICA
CONDEMNING PASSAGE OF STUPAK/PITTS AMENDMENT

“Planned Parenthood condemns the adoption of the Stupak/Pitts amendment in HR 3962 this evening. This amendment is an unacceptable addition to the health care reform bill that, if enacted, would result in women losing health benefits they have today. Simply put, the Stupak/Pitts amendment would restrict women’s access to abortion coverage in the private health insurance market, undermining the ability of women to purchase private health plans that cover abortion, even if they pay for most of the premiums with their own money. This amendment reaches much further than the Hyde Amendment, which has prohibited public funding of abortion in most instances since 1977.

“Planned Parenthood serves three million women every year through its more than 850 affiliate health centers across the country and has worked tirelessly on behalf of those patients for affordable, quality health care. On behalf of the millions of women Planned Parenthood health centers serve, the Planned Parenthood Federation of America has no choice but to oppose HR 3962. The bill includes the Stupak/Pitts amendment that would leave women worse off after health care reform than they are today, violating President Obama’s promise to the American people that no one would be forced to lose her or his present coverage under health reform.

“The Stupak/Pitts amendment violates the spirit of health care reform, which is meant to guarantee quality, affordable health care coverage for all. In fact, this amendment would create a two-tiered system that would punish women, particularly those with low and middle incomes, the very people this bill is intended to assist. The majority of private health insurance plans currently offer abortion coverage, and the Stupak/Pitts amendment would result in the elimination of private abortion coverage in the ‘exchange,’ the new insurance market created under health care reform, as well as in the public option, if one is created.

“The Stupak/Pitts amendment would purportedly allow women who want comprehensive reproductive health care coverage to purchase a separate, single-service rider to cover abortion. But such abortion riders do not exist because women do not plan to have unintended pregnancies or medically complicated pregnancies that require ending the pregnancy. These so-called ‘abortion riders,’ which would be the only insurance policy through which abortion care could be covered in the ‘exchange,’ are discriminatory and illogical. Proposing a separate ‘abortion rider’ or ‘single-service plan’ is tantamount to banning abortion coverage since no insurance company would offer such a policy.

“It is extremely unfortunate that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and anti-choice opponents were able to hijack the health care reform bill in their dedicated attempt to ban all legal abortion In the United States. Most telling is the fact that the vast majority of members of the House who supported the Stupak/Pitts amendment in today’s vote do not support HR 3962, revealing their true motive, which is to kill the health care reform bill. These single-issue advocates simply used health care reform to advance their extreme, ideological agenda at the expense of tens of millions of women.

“Planned Parenthood applauds the members of Congress who stood up for women’s health and voted to oppose the Stupak/Pitts amendment. We will work with those members to rectify this travesty.

“As a health care provider, Planned Parenthood is committed to passing health care reform that will guarantee affordable, quality health care coverage for all, including access to comprehensive reproductive health care. In the coming weeks, Planned Parenthood will work with its allies in the Senate to ensure that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and those who oppose abortion do not once again hijack the legislative process in their ongoing campaign to make abortion illegal. Planned Parenthood will join forces with women and their families and health providers to ensure that health care reform does not take away benefits that most women with private health coverage have today. Together, women and their allies are going to make their voices heard, so that they do not become second-class citizens in a newly reformed health care system in the United States.”

http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/newsroom/press-releases/planned-parenthood-condemns-passage-stupak-pitts-amendment-30821.htm

[tekisui]

1. It won't matter to the blind apologists, but knr!~

[emulatorloo]

6. Seriously, I doubt you will find any "Apologists" for Stupak at DU

Nobody here thinks it is a "good idea"

I personally think it is going to be GONE out of the final bill, it is hateful and ridiculous. I also believe that Stupak and the bluedogs know that, it was a grandstanding show put on for their fundy base.

At anyrate it is important to call your Sens and say "NO STUPAK TYPE AMENDMENT IN SENATE BILL"

[tekisui]

10. Look around, plenty are not only making excuses for it,

but also claiming it is good law. There are posters here that are against federal money going for abortions.

[emulatorloo]

13. I have seen excuses for letting it be voted on, I have not seen ones that claim it is "good law"

I guess I will have to look harder.

[niyad]

2. k and r-- can't wait to hear how the pom-pom crew spins this

[emulatorloo]

19. Again, I doubt you will find a "Pom Pom Crew" for Stupak Amendment at DU n/t

[Thrill]

3. Harkin won't allow it in the Senate bill

and it won't come out of the conference. But its a good thing that they put the pressure on

[niyad]

5. sure hope you are correct

[emulatorloo]

8. Call your Senators and put pressure on them. Harkin will do his best, lets help hiim.

[Better Believe It]

12. The Senate will move the legislation farther to the right.

What President Obama calls the "sliver" of the health care bill, the so-called public option, will be weakened even more or perhaps totally removed from the Senate bill and the abortion ban will be adopted by the Senate.

[emulatorloo]

15. Are we sure there are plans to even include a Stupak type amendment in the Senate bill?

I have been trying to find that out, but so far have not found any. At anyrate, I am still calling my Senator today.

[Better Believe It]

20. Yes. The Catholic Bishops are talking to Senators. It shall be done ....

On earth as it is in heaven!

Is there any real doubt about it?

[AndyA]

4. Government needs to get out of America's bedrooms, and stop trying

to tell women what they must do.

I don't think ANYONE but the woman who will be carrying the child could possibly be in a position to know what that woman is thinking. Certainly she should not be forced to dark back alleys again.

This is America. Churches do not call the shots, that's why there's a thing known as separation of church and state. It's there for a reason.

[Hello_Kitty]

7. People need to understand that you don't compromise with anti-choicers.

"Oh it's not that big of a deal" "It won't change anything, really" "It won't affect that many women" "Women can still get abortions" - This shit was all over DU yesterday. Wake up, people. This is a MAJOR victory for the forced birth movement. Any legislation they get passed is, because it brings them one step closer to the end goal, which is a complete ban on abortion and contraception.

[juno jones]

14. Just wait until they go after birth control.

It'll be pathetically funny to hear the spin that is used to justify THAT. :eyes:

[Hello_Kitty]

22. Yep. Enjoy paying all that child support, dudes. eom

[VMI Dem]

9. Is it ideal? No. But for someone out there,

its better than nothing.

[Better Believe It]

17. This bill is being written by the insurance industry and big Pharma.

As the health care insurance legislation continues to move farther too the right, it will clearly become nothing more than a handout to the insurance industry and will do nothing to hold down medical costs. And it's designed to make the public option fail which in turn will destroy any chance to pass a single payer health care system for generations. But, that's better than nothing! Is it?

Dump this bill and start out brand new with a single payer Medicare for All proposal that the public can support.

But first of all, how about putting America back to work? That's the number one concern and priority right now.

If the economy isn't a whole lot better and this fake insurance reform is passed into law, the Republicans will regain control of Congress and the White House in 2012. And they will do it in a landslide by pretending to represent working folks while they attack Wall Street, government waste and the elite politicians!

[emulatorloo]

18. It removes the anti-trust exemption and taxes the health industry, so I doubt that the insurance

industry wrote it.

House Health Bill Removes Insurer Anti-Trust Exemption, Taxes Health Industry
http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/10/29/details-house/



I do believe they helped a lot with the "Republican Alternative Bill" as that relied on the discredited AHIP report.

But we digress -- Stupak has got to go.

[juno jones]

11. K&R!

NOW and NARAL have also published statements about the possible legal percussions of this bill.

I also don't like the fact that it was the bishops who finagled this.

[Better Believe It]

21. Pelosi even consulted with a Catholic cardinal in Rome on this legislation!

Since when did the Pope and his cardinals get to vote on congressional legislation or the power to veto it?

[emulatorloo]

16. Recommending n/t