In the dead of a Saturday night, the House of Representatives passed a health care reform bill that will place the government firmly between patients and their doctors. The House voted 220-215 to pass the massive health care reform bill. While 39 Democrats and all but one Republican voted to stop this travesty, it was still rammed through Saturday night.
How will this bill put the government between patients and their doctors? It's thanks to an amendment voted in Saturday evening called the Stupak amendment, authored by Michigan Democratic Rep. Bart Stupak. This amendment forbids any use of federal funds to pay for abortions except in cases of rape, incest, and danger to the mother's life. This bans abortions not only under the public option, but also in any private insurance plan purchased by citizens using a government subsidy.
This will primarily impact the poorest and often most vulnerable women in our country. While no one is pro-abortion, if a woman decides abortion is her best option, and her doctor agrees to perform the legal procedure, the federal government will step in and overrule the patient and her doctor.
This is the largest restriction of woman's health care in a generation. Republicans have loudly voiced their opposition to government interference in patient-doctor decisions, but they unanimously supported this amendment. Look for women voters to hold their Representatives, both Republican and Democrat, accountable in the next round of elections.
I encourage all my readers to comment below on this important issue.
Comments
My rep voted for the bill, but not the amendment. I have called my senators urging them to purge this language from their version of the bill. Everyone should call their senators and demand action today!!!
Passing health reform by throwing women and women' rights under the bus is not acceptable. This is a bad bill and is a hand out to the insurance companies. I could barely stomach the thought and when a bunch of men decided to trample on women's rights, well, it is just despicable.
It's about time we started putting together a comprehensive national health care program for our citizens! Though the bill is not perfect, at least it's a start. Hopefully we'll get to single-payer in my lifetime.
The Stupak Amendment--appalling! Republicans voice so many false concerns about the government getting between you and your doctor, but they do that exact thing when it comes to abortion, a LEGAL procedure. Hypocrites! I certainly don't want the Republican party deciding what legal medical procedures I can pursue.
yessssssssssssssssssss. told u it'd pass
This POS will die in the Senate. As well as it should. It is un-constitutional.
Actually, it isn't unconstitutional, but that was a well thought out and coherently argued point and comment, new media. If it were unconstitutional, the supreme court would quickly overturn it. All of the reps and senators who are lawyers wouldn't waste their time writing the bill. The US is light years behind the rest of the industrialized world in providing access to affordable health care for its citizens. Hopefully this bill will be a small step in the right direction.
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