Nelson Crafting Abortion Amendment 'Nearly Identical' To Stupak's

[cal04]

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/12/nelson-crafting-abortion-amendment-nearly-identical-to-stupaks.php?ref=fpa

If it seemed like the congressional row over abortion coverage in health care reform had ebbed, it was probably just an artifact of Thanksgiving recess. Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) is charging ahead, and plans to introduce an amendment to the Senate health care bill in the spirit, if not the precise letter, of the controversial Stupak amendment.

"It's as identical to Stupak as it can be," Nelson told CongressDaily.

Senate experts will be unsurprised to hear that it will likely have the support of Pennsylvania Democrat Bob Casey.

"I think it's likely to be one of the amendments we'll vote on," Casey said.

[Demeter]

1. I'm Usually Opposed to Death Penalties

but in this case, I'm willing to make an exception.

[MNDemNY]

2. And certain DUers are cuting and pasting to defend it.

:o :thumbsdown: :patriot:

[Joanne98]

3. I'm beginning to hate this bastard!

[Warpy]

4. This is why choice is the one line I'll never cross

I don't give a shit how they vote on other issues, voting to enslave half the population to unwanted childbirth is unacceptable.

Don't kid yourself that this is only about funding. Reproductive care is basic health care for women, and you can bet your ass they want to kill contraception, too. Making us second class citizens in health care as well as in all other walks of life is what these men are really about.

I could not have crossed the abolitionist line in the 1850s, either.

[Zoeisright]

5. These old white men need to STFU and mind their own business.

The audacity of old white men never ceases to amaze me.

[n2doc]

6. If this passes, it will be the final straw

Making a poor health care bill into an evil one.

[CrispyQ]

7. If Obama signs a bill with this in it, then he's lost my vote for good.

There will be no way to earn it back.

[saracat]

8. Me too. And I am really scared he will sign it.

[MNDemNY]

9. If it passes, he WILL sign it, to the applause of many here on DU.

I am not among them.

[saracat]

11. How could anyone applaud such an egregious act against women? Pres.Obama

said he didn't support Stupak. If the final Bill contains a similar amendment and he signs it, it will be a travesty.

[MNDemNY]

12. Ask babylonsister, ask ProSense, there are a lot of them.

Their mantra is pass a bill , any bill, at any cost.Obama needs a "win". That is all that matters.

[JohnWxy]

13. Health Care Bill Would Reduce Abortions - Rachel Laser, program director, Third Way

making birth control available to women who previously didn't have a doctor would enable many women to preclude getting pregnant.



http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=103&topic_id=497309


Over two million women who are in need of access to contraception but are not insured or covered by Medicaid would receive this coverage through the health care bill, highlighted Rachel Laser, culture program director at Third Way.

She also noted how many uninsured women might decide to keep their baby if they had health coverage that would ease the cost of pregnancy and early childhood.

Fifty-seven percent of abortions, Laser pointed out, are preformed on women who live at or below 200 percent of the poverty line.

[CrispyQ]

14. Well Bravo. That makes me feel so much better!

Let me remind you, that over the past several years, woman have encountered more & more episodes of pharmacists refusing to fill their BC prescriptions on "moral" grounds. Sadly, many of these episodes occur in small & poorer communities, leaving the woman in a position of having to find a pharmacy that will fill her script, often times, many, many miles from her home. The anti-abortion part of the bill is the foot in the door to start restricting other types of female reproductive medications & procedures that the religious right oppose.

John, when they restrict a vital element of your health care due to "morality" issues, let's talk & see how you feel about it.

[JohnWxy]

16. TAking a moralistic tone with me won't work. I quoted Rachel Laser, who is an advocate for

women's rights and let me remind you, she is a woman.

she states in the article referenced below that over 2 million women who do not have health insurance do NOT HAVE ACCESS to contraception would have such access with passage of the HCR bill under consideration.

In HER opinion this is a good thing.. I don't know any woman alive who would not prefer to use contraception to avoid a pregnancy to having to get an abortion. It seems to me Ms. Laser makes a very good point. If your objective is to help women, making contraception available to over 2 million more women is eminently worthwhile.

If you have an objection with that position I suggest you convince Ms. Laser that she is wrong ....and insensitive to women's medical concerns.


NOw, the fact that some pharmacists refuse to fill prescriptions for contraceptives is NOT an argumant against this HCR bill as obviously it is a small fraction that are doing this. It is not impossible to get these prescriptions filled and many insurance plans make it possible to get your prescriptions filled through the mail.

For my part I think we should keep religion out of government and legislation. I hope that we can reassert the principle of separation of church and state. But, killing HCR with it's provision of the means of contraception to millions of women who currently do not have such access is not accomplishing anything positive.

There are those who are out to sabotage HCR any way they can. These people will use any issue available to them in a cynical tactic to kill HCR. I think many well meaning people are being fooled by these machinations. Republicans will use any tactic they can no matter how cynical to undermine progress and protect corporate profits. Republicans (some call themselves moderate-Democrats) are trying to get a provision to deny abortions to women into the bill only to kill HCR. I hope amendments to restrict access to abortions in the end are stricken from the final bill.


http://www.christianpost.com/article/20090907/health-care-bill-would-reduce-abortion-says-progressive-think-tank/index.html


Over two million women who are in need of access to contraception but are not insured or covered by Medicaid would receive this coverage through the health care bill, highlighted Rachel Laser, culture program director at Third Way.

She also noted how many uninsured women might decide to keep their baby if they had health coverage that would ease the cost of pregnancy and early childhood.

Fifty-seven percent of abortions, Laser pointed out, are preformed on women who live at or below 200 percent of the poverty line.

“Prevention and support are keys to reducing abortions,” wrote Laser in a column posted in The Huffington Post. “Thus, the overall effect of this reform package, with increased prevention and support services, will likely be to reduce abortions.”
(more)

[CrispyQ]

17. I'm not taking a moralistic tone with you & I apologize if it came across that way.

I believe we are arguing two different points. I don't disagree with Ms. Laser that abortion numbers go down when healthcare & BC are available to all women. I'm arguing that this heinous section of the bill is a slippery slope to allow the right wingers & blue dog "dems" to further limit women's choice. I do take exception to the argument that most women would carry their babies to term given that healthcare was available to them. That is not the point. The point is, abortion is a legal procedure & it should be covered.

I stand by my statement that if Obama signs a bill with this provision in it, he will have lost my vote for good. Same for my senators & rep. Too many dems are waffling on a woman's right to choose & frankly, that pisses me off to no end.

[quiet.american]

10. You can always count on Nelson to be a big bag of useless. Worse than useless.

He can craft all he wants.

It will not pass.

Seems like as a Democrat, he could find something else to spend his time on.

Wait -- did I just refer to him as a Democrat? What was I thinking.

[JonQ]

15. How feasible would it be to have national healthcare without abortion

and then cover abortions at a state or local level for those using the public option?