"Throughout my career, I've been a consistent and strong supporter of reproductive justice, and have consistently had a 100% pro-choice rating with Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice America. ...
"But we also know that Roe v. Wade is about more than a woman's right to choose; it's about equality. ..."
- Barack Obama, on the 35th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, January 2008
From the Senate Finance Committee's discussion of two rejected anti-abortion amendments yesterday, I gathered from counsel's comments that the chairman's mark maintains the current conscience clause exemption to abortion procedures by federally funded health care providers. It further extends the conscience clause exemption to private health plans, which also won't now be allowed to discriminate against persons, providers or facilities for either a willingness or unwillingness to provide abortion. The "willingness" part was meant to provide balance.
Some recent background: There was much rejoicing earlier in the year that Obama repealed a Bush conscience clause rule that extended the same protected refusal rights designated for abortion services to, well, all kinds of things:
... Under the rule, workers in health-care settings -- from doctors to janitors -- can refuse to provide services, information or advice to patients on subjects such as contraception, family planning, blood transfusions and even vaccine counseling if they are morally against it. ...
Obama thought this was overbroad and rescinded it, but promised worryingly that he was a staunch supporter of "robust" conscience clauses and that health care professionals who would prefer not to do jobs they were hired for could safely express their bigotry towards women.
Allegedly, this is in the interests of the faith community. As if religious people are all the same.
The House Tri-Committee bill doesn't contain a conscience clause, but as noted, the Senate wants to extend it broadly to private insurers. When the Senate and House bills go to conference, there'll be a bill that doesn't allow health care providers to discriminate against women, and one that does.
In the middle will be President Obama, currently drafting his own take on a health care bill, who doesn't mind hiring HHS personnel who oppose even contraception. It'll be all Democrats negotiating with themselves.
There won't be any Republicans to blame if a broadening of this odious law makes it into the final bill, and it would be obvious that it made it there with the president's consent. Yet without consistent access to reproductive health services, a theoretical right to an abortion is without remedy and Democrats' talk of gender equality so much hot air. Guess I'll find out soon enough.
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