Comprehensive Healthcare for All! (unless you’re a woman)

When Nancy Pelosi introduced House Bill 3962, the Affordable Healthcare for America Act, there was general excitement in the pro-choice community at the thought of democratic, pro-woman healthcare legislation. There was also a healthy dose of fear that women’s healthcare would become the bargaining chip in passing this bill.

And it became exactly that. To avoid a voting delay on this historical healthcare legislation and under pressure from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and other anti-choice Democrats in the House, Speaker Pelosi and the Rules Committee caved and allowed abortion opponents to offer the Stupak/Pitts Amendment to the healthcare bill. If this amendment passed, it would impose severe restrictions on abortions through not only the proposed “government run healthcare” but through private insurance plans as well.

Despite a monumental “Call Your Representative” campaign against this amendment, the pro-choice community and women everywhere suffered a significant loss as this amendment passed with a vote of 240-194. This passage included 64 democrats who sold women out by voting in favor of this amendment. Shortly after this vote, the entire House healthcare bill passed with a vote of 220-215.

The excitement that should have erupted from Democrats everywhere was severely dampened by the stripping of abortion coverage through the Stupak amendment. Because of this archaic amendment, not only is abortion coverage stripped from the “public option” but also from any private insurance company participating in the highly-competitive “insurance exchange” that was created. It effectively blocks women from using their own personal private funds to purchase an insurance plan with abortion coverage in the new health system—which is a radical departure from the status quo in the current private-insurance market, as more than 85 percent of private-insurance plans currently cover abortion services.

Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, issued a statement labeling the passage of the Stupak amendment “an outrageous blow to women's freedom and privacy.” Planned Parenthood also chimed in pointing out that this overreaching amendment “undermin[es] 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 is the biggest restriction on abortion funding since the Hyde amendment. Women can’t afford to have their healthcare placed on the back burner of our nation’s healthcare reform conversation.

Linnea House, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Minnesota, states “this was a surprise attack and the resulting vote is stunning and unacceptable. The Stupak amendment is the biggest restriction on women’s access to abortion we’ve seen in more than 30 years. The vote on this amendment shows yet again why we must continue to elect pro-choice officials, and continue to stand up for the reproductive rights of all women.”

We will be sure to keep you all in the loop on our next steps we all need to take to ensure that this outrageous amendment is stripped from the entire health care reform bill. Now is the time to continue to Raise Your Voice for Choice!