Abortion rights groups step up lobbying
Abortion rights groups today announced a lobbying campaign to strip restrictions out of the health care legislation in Congress.
They plan a national week of action next week, including a lobbying day in Washington on Dec. 2, to stop the provision, sponsored by Representative Bart Stupak, in the bill that the House passed this month that would not only ban a government-run public plan from covering elective abortion services, but would also ban any private insurer accepting federal subsidies from doing so. The bill being considered by the Senate includes a less restrictive provision.
Supporters of the Stupak provision say it would guarantee that current law barring the use of taxpayers money for abortion would stay in place during a health overhaul, but abortion rights groups say it would go much further, stopping women from using their own money for elective abortions.
"The Stupak amendment is a radical proposal that upends current law on abortion coverage in the United States," the Coalition to Pass Health Care Reform and Stop Stupak said in a statement. "It goes far beyond the Hyde amendment, which has unfairly prohibited the use of federal funds for abortion in most cases for more than 30 years. The Stupak amendment goes beyond Hyde because it would restrict abortion coverage by private health insurance plans in an unprecedented and dangerous manner."
The list of coalition members is below:
COALITION MEMBERS
Alliance for Justice
American Association of University Women (AAUW)
American Medical Student Association (AMSA)
Association of Reproductive Health Professionals (ARHP)
Black Women for Reproductive Justice (BWRJ)
Black Women’s Health Imperative
Catholics for Choice
Center for Community Change
Center for Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE)
Center for Reproductive Rights
Choice USA
Coalition of Labor Union Women
EMILY’s List
Feminist Majority Foundation
Latina Sexual and Reproductive Justice Coalition (LSRJC)
MoveOn.org Political Action
NARAL Pro-Choice America
NARAL Pro-Choice New York
National Abortion Federation (NAF)
National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum (NAPAWF)
National Association of Social Workers (NASW)
National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW)
National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association (NFPRHA)
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Action Fund
National Institute for Reproductive Health
National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health (NLIRH)
National Network of Abortion Funds (NNAF)
National Organization for Women (NOW)
National Partnership for Women and Families
National Women’s Health Network (NWHN)
National Women’s Law Center (NWLC)
New Prospect Family and Worship Center, Washington, DC
No Limits
People for the American Way (PFAW)
Personal PAC
Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health (PRCH)
Planned Parenthood
Raising Women's Voices (RWJ)
Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice (RCRC)
Religious Institute
Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS)
SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Health Collective
Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations
YWCA
About Political Intelligence
Glen Johnson is Politics Editor at boston.com and lead blogger for "Political Intelligence." He moved to Massachusetts in the fourth grade, and has covered local, state, and national politics for over 25 years. E-mail him at johnson@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @globeglen. |
