"A Sea Change": With 100 Women in Congress, Lawmakers Go on Offensive

[ismnotwasm]

"A Sea Change": With 100 Women in Congress, Lawmakers Go on Offensive with Landmark Pro-Choice Bill

In a landmark push to turn back the record tide of anti-choice restrictions, pro-choice U.S. lawmakers have introduced a bill to expand insurance coverage of abortion. The Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance Act, or EACH Woman Act, would dismantle the nearly 40-year-old Hyde Amendment, which bans federal funding of abortion, except in cases of life endangerment, rape or incest. The Hyde Amendment denies coverage of abortion to many of the country’s poorest women, who are disproportionately women of color. We speak with Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), lead sponsor of the bill. "In the past, we’ve just been on the defense constantly, just defending a woman’s right to choose, a woman’s right to privacy, Roe v. Wade. Well, now it’s about time we take the offense," Lee says. "This is a major first step."

TRANSCRIPT

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.

NERMEEN SHAIKH: In a landmark push to turn back the record tide of anti-choice restrictions, pro-choice lawmakers have introduced a bill to expand insurance coverage of abortion. The Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance, or EACH Woman, Act would dismantle the nearly 40-year-old Hyde Amendment, which bans federal funding for abortion, except in cases of life endangerment, rape or incest. The Hyde Amendment cuts off funding for a routine medical procedure sought by one in three women, to members of the military and their families, federal employees, women in federal prisons, Peace Corps volunteers, Indian Health Service clients and Medicaid recipients. Research has shown one in four women on Medicaid who want to end their pregnancies instead give birth when the funding is unavailable. While a minority of states do provide Medicaid coverage for abortion, a number of states have gone beyond the Hyde Amendment, banning abortion coverage on any insurance plan or on plans sold through healthcare exchanges.

AMY GOODMAN: Dubbed "the third rail of abortion politics" by MSNBC’s Irin Carmon, taxpayer funding for abortion is an issue even pro-choice Democrats have hesitated to touch. In 2010, President Obama issued an executive order ensuring the ban on federal funds for abortion would stand under his signature healthcare law. But on Wednesday, Democratic Congressmember Barbara Lee of Oakland and her colleagues introduced the EACH Woman Act to repeal the ban and prevent political interference in abortion coverage by private insurers. Congressmember Lee spoke Wednesday along with other sponsors of the bill, including Congressmember Judy Chu of California and Congressmember Raúl Grijalva of Arizona. This is Congressmember Brenda Lawrence of Michigan.

REP. BRENDA LAWRENCE: Today, I stand as a member of Congress, one of the first in our history, having 100 women sitting in Congress. This is a time for leadership.

http://www.democracynow.org/2015/7/9/a_sea_change_with_100_women

[randys1]

1. about time

[ismnotwasm]

2. Right?

[randys1]

3. One bonus to this will be to watch the exploding heads of the children in adult bodies

aka teaparty, screaming about how their freedumb is threatened by this.

Jesus they are some really fucking dumb people.

[malthaussen]

4. 100 women and 335 cro-magnons.

And the 100 may not all line up on the same side. I wish I could figure what it would take for the tide to reverse, but frankly I think it is going to get worse before it gets better. Pessimist, yah.

-- Mal

[CTyankee]

5. I'm not sure you are right, tho. I have seen a tidal wave of change on marriage

equality that I never thought I'd see so quickly. Even some in the gay rights community were stunned by the SCOTUS ruling. And similarly, the ACA, both in the Court and in the general public. I fully expect a turnaround on the Hyde Amendment and on gun control, despite the naysayers.

I don't think it's all gonna be easy, but it's time has come.

[malthaussen]

6. That would be nice...

... but we're talking about women's rights, here, and women are always going to get the short end of the stick. But a nice liberal tide that lifts all boats would be nice.

-- Mal

[CTyankee]

7. But the women's vote is going to make the difference in lots of these primaries and

in the general. We got the votes...

[malthaussen]

8. But 4 female senators voted against equal pay.

And 45% of women voted for Rmoney, and 54% of married women voted for him. These are points that disturb me. Now, the flip side of that is that 55% of all women voted against Romney, and that is the stat that is going to have to count -- if the women will turn out.

-- Mal

[CTyankee]

9. I think we have to make it an issue. Make younger voters get really pissed off.

We've been avoiding the Hyde Amendment and simllar legislation. But now there are poorer women who will be even stronger on equal pay and on abortion rights, esp. if they are affected by an unintended pregnancy...

[malthaussen]

10. Yes, pissed-off voters would solve a lot of problems.

There is so much to be pissed about, the apathy is puzzling. Yeah, I understand the "a plague a' both your houses" philosophy, but the issue is still between a quick and painful death and buying time for possible change. Although I suppose that could be a generational perspective.

-- Mal

[CTyankee]

11. We need a strong leader on our side of course, but I don't recall Obama doing anything

that brought about the total flop of Ann Romney. She managed to do that all on her own. And I think the overreaching of the Repubs on abortion rights and equal pay will topple them. If they are counting on folksy Rick Perry or youthful Marco Rubio to pull them out they are going to be very disappointed...

[sheshe2]

12. Good news.

Now we need more women in Congress for 2016.