The GOP’s Zika Bill Could Actually Limit Access to Contraception and Abortion
The GOPs Zika Bill Could Actually Limit Access to Contraception and Abortion
BY CELISA CALACAL at Think Progress
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2016/06/24/3792272/zika-gop-bill/
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Speaker of the House Paul Ryan said it was a significant step to battling Zika, and other Republicans have expressed similar support for the bill.
Given the urgency of the Zika threat, I hope Senate Democrats will rise above politics so we can get this done, Ryan said.
Theres just one catch: the bill doesnt get to the heart of solving the problem for women who may be at risk for contracting Zikam which has been linked to serious birth defects. The proposal allocates $1.1 billion primarily for mosquito control programs, vaccines, and diagnostics with no funding for condoms nor contraceptives. To make matters even worse, the legislation also excludes funding of $50 million that would have gone toward maternal and child health and prevents Planned Parenthood from receiving any additional funding to provide birth control services.
While Republicans are touting the passage of the bill as a success, Democrats are furious, as the legislation represents a culmination of months tangling with Republican lawmakers over funding to combat the spreading virus.
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