Renée Carter, MD, MPH, FACP
The recent mid-term elections have turned the once Democratic House over to Republicans, and its new Speaker, Rep. John Boehner (R- Ohio), has pledged to be “the most pro-life Speaker ever.” He kicked off his newly earned position meeting with anti-choice extremist Randall Terry. Boehner and fellow conservative House members have wasted no time in developing their anti-choice agenda.
One such bill is HR 3, better known as the “No Tax Payer Funding for Abortion Act.” Introduced last month by Rep. Christopher Smith (R- N.J.), the bill would make permanent, and expand, provisions of the Hyde Amendment, which restricts the use of public funds for abortions except in cases of rape, incest, or threats to mothers' lives. The bill would narrow these restrictions to only allow abortions in cases of so-called “forcible” rape, and limit the incest exemption to only when the victim is a minor.
Rep. Pitts has also introduced HR 358, the “Protect Life Act.” This bill rehashes his previous attempt at limiting abortion coverage through health insurance exchanges depicted in the ACA. In addition, the “Protect Life Act” would hold harmless hospitals that refuse to provide patients life-saving treatment, for example, in cases of medically indicated abortions to save the life of the mother.
The “Title X Abortion Provider Act”, HR 217, introduced by Mike Pence (R- Ind.), prohibits the Department of Health and Human Services from providing federal funding for family planning providers that provide abortion care services even with private monies. This bill will essentially gut Planned Parenthood of critical funding that makes primary health care and cancer screening services available to rural and low income communities, negatively impacting millions of women.
The onslaught began in 2009 when Rep. Bart Stupak (D- Mich.) and Rep. Joe Pitts (R-Pa.) proposed their anti-choice amendment to the Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act (ACA). The amendment required women to purchase separate abortion coverage beyond their primary health insurance. It also prohibited the use of federal funds in connection with private health plans that provide abortion coverage. Though the House version of the amendment passed, the Senate version was voted down, keeping the amendment out of the final health care reform bill. Just when it appeared that things could not get worse regarding reproductive freedom for women, we now have a vociferous group of congressmen and women who want the nation to return to pre-Roe v Wade days.
Renée Carter can be reached at rencar@gwmail.gwu.edu. See www.oursilverribbon.org for the Trust Women/Silver Ribbon Month campaign by public health groups and others to increase the visibility of pro-choice views.