NARAL Pro-Choice America Statement on Senate Health-Care Bill

Washington, D.C. – Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, said she is encouraged that the Senate bill does not include the extreme new anti-choice restrictions adopted by the U.S. House. However, the legislation includes a compromise that continues existing laws that unfairly single out abortion care, including a ban on federal funding.

On Monday, Keenan delivered a petition with 97,218 signatures to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, calling on the Senate to keep the egregious Stupak-Pitts language in the House bill out of the Senate version. Keenan vowed to continue to mobilize her organization’s members to fight anti-choice senators’ plans to push additional anti-choice attacks as the legislation moves forward.

“America’s pro-choice majority is speaking up loudly and clearly,” Keenan said. “Our goal is to ensure that women do not lose ground in the new health-care system and that attempts to expand existing restrictions on abortion are defeated. Some anti-choice politicians, such as Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), will follow Rep. Bart Stupak’s example and inject anti-abortion politics into health reform. However, we believe that senators understand that the Stupak amendment in the House bill goes far beyond the status quo and prohibits women from using their own money to buy the insurance coverage they want in the new system. Our activists will continue to remind senators that we’re expecting cooler heads to prevail at this stage of the process and that means the Stupak language is not an option.”

In addition to the petition delivery, the media have reported on NARAL Pro-Choice America’s other mobilization efforts, including automated calls and volunteer-led phone banks by its state affiliates. As a result of strong member support, the organization now is conducting this mobilization in 20 states.