Guardian UK: Anti-abortion movement tramples on US women again

[marmar]

Anti-abortion movement tramples on US women again
Planned Parenthood's funding may have survived, but women's reproductive rights have suffered under the budget deal

Katha Pollitt
guardian.co.uk, Monday 18 April 2011


It's getting awfully crowded underneath that bus. You know, the metaphorical one that women keep getting thrown under, along with their rights, their health and their money. Women lost much of their insurance cover for abortion during the fight over the healthcare reform bill last fall, but at least they got some good things out of it: cover for millions of uninsured women, preventive care including breast and cervical cancer screenings and a bar on refusing cover for such pre-existing conditions as having been a rape or domestic violence victim. Overall – and assuming the law is not overturned or sabotaged by the Republicans – women will be better off in terms of affordable healthcare, including reproductive healthcare, than if the bill had been scuttled over the Stupak-Pitts amendment.

The budget deal just concluded was no such compromise. The headlines are all about how the Democrats refused to cave to Republican demands to remove funding from Planned Parenthood and saved the day for women's reproductive health – at least until September, when the GOP and its media spokespeople will crank up their misogynistic fog machine all over again.

It's hard to see how they'd go further: Arizona's Jon Kyl claimed on the floor of the house that "90% of what Planned Parenthood does is abortions". It's actually about 3%, and his office later said his statement was "not intended to be factual". Rush Limbaugh claimed that "Planned Parenthood is a money-laundering operation for the Democrat party". Glenn Beck said that only "hookers" use Planned Parenthood. In fact, one out of every five women has visited a PP clinic, including this writer.

Widespread mockery of these weird remarks might lead you to think they backfired. Not necessarily. Look at the fine print: to keep Planned Parenthood's federal funding, Democrats agreed to bar Washington DC from using its own revenues to pay for abortion care for women on Medicaid. And in a tiny footnote, the final budget cuts Title X by $17m. You have to hand it to the Republicans: even when they lose, they win. ............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/apr/18/anti-abortion-movement-us-planned-parenthood

[vim876]

1. Um...

Even if only sex workers did use Planned Parenthood, it would still be providing an important public service. The fewer diseased hookers, the fewer diseased clients/clients' spouses. But as it is....man, I just hate how ingrained sexism is in American culture.

[Skittles]

2. the GOP really, really hates women

you HAVE to have that baby dammit but don't expect any help

[Citizen Worker]

3. "You have to hand it to the Republicans: even when they lose, they win." That's because both

political parties share the same vision for the country. The difference is in how to get there, that's all.