LIZ ON ATTACKING CHOICE

Message from Liz . . .

A consequence of the resurgence of the political/religious right in the last election has been the serious threat to reproductive rights.  Both in Washington and in State Capitals across the country, it is clear that there are going to be increased attacks on access to contraception and abortion.

These attacks on choice are attacks on women and men!  In an effort to limit access to abortion, a bill has been introduced in the House that would effectively redefine rape in the laws related to insurance coverage for abortion.  Under the law as originally proposed, coverage would only be allowed in cases of "forcible rape" but not statutory or coerced rape, and in cases where a woman is in danger of death from her pregnancy but not of other calamitous health outcomes. Eliminating coverage for statutory rape calls into question our whole understanding of consent.   No one actually knows what "forcible rape" is, as the bill's authors don't define it and the term isn't found in the Federal Criminal Code.  I wonder, "what would constitute force under this law?  How would date-rape drugs be treated?  How violent would the assault have to be for the woman to prove it was 'forcible'?"  After a massive public awareness campaign about this proposed bill, the sponsor dropped the "forcible rape" section, but continues to push the bill.   In this one example, we see the direction in which they are moving!

Of course, this legislation imposes many more restrictions on abortions, including eliminating funding for cases of incest where the victim is above the age of consent, and making it much more difficult for women whose health is placed at risk by their pregnancy to get abortion coverage.  These restrictions would also apply to any health insurer who receives Federal funding, even if those funds are not used for reproductive health coverage.

These same forces have also begun a massive attack on the organization Planned Parenthood, introducing legislation to deny the organization Federal Title X funding.   Signed into law by President Richard Nixon in 1970, the Title X family planning program is the only source of Federal funds dedicated solely to family planning and reproductive health. The provision provides coverage for contraceptives, pelvic exams, breast exams, safe-sex counseling and basic infertility counseling, among other provisions. Title X funds cannot be used for abortions.  The irony of this attack is that by denying funding for contraception, these anti-choice activists are creating more unwanted pregnancies, and some of those unwanted pregnancies will end in abortions.  We also know that $1.00 spent in preventive services results in an ultimate saving of $4.00 - a financial and human win-win situation.

Throughout the country, and now here in New York, false claims have been made about Planned Parenthood services by an organization who opposes reproductive health care, including abortion.  I have been advised that we will soon hear of a number of secretly recorded videotapes made at NYC Planned Parenthood centers in an effort to undermine their services. Planned Parenthood has reviewed the tapes, and the conversations as portrayed are not accurate.

These tapes are part of a nationwide campaign.  Unlike other publicized tapes, the hoax patients in New York were not able to get beyond the reception desk for a private consultation.  Like other encounters that have been recently publicized in Virginia, Planned Parenthood staff responded professionally to questions, discussed these encounters with management, and provided a report to the FBI.
 

Attacks on choice are also ramping up in States across the country.  In both Florida and Kansas, where previous Governors vetoed anti-abortion measures, Legislators are reintroducing bills to their newly instated, anti-choice Governors.  There are now 29 Governors considered to be strongly anti-choice, compared with 21 last year. Similarly, in 15 States, compared with 10 last year, both the Legislatures and their Governors are anti-choice, including larger States that have traditionally been more protective of reproductive rights, including Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin.

In New York we fortunately have not yet seen significant successes for anti-choice policies, but I expect that in the State Senate we may begin to see a series of one-house bills attacking choice.  I also think it will be very difficult to pass the Reproductive Health Act, which would treat abortion under Public Health Law rather than Criminal Law. New York is the only State in the country that still regulates abortion in this manner and this structure undoubtedly places a chill on medical providers. The ability to decide to terminate a pregnancy before viability or when a woman's life or health is at risk must be brought into line with Constitutional standards.  Senate Republican Majority Leader Dean Skelos has said we don't need to worry about passing this law because we have Roe v. Wade.  I wish I was as confident as he is that we will not see a further erosion of Roe v. Wade by the current Supreme Court.