Posts Tagged ‘ nelson ’

2010 Political Review (Slideshow)

December 31, 2010
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Here is a look back at just a few of the political stories we were talking about in 2010. What do you think 2011 will bring?

Another Wild Weekend

March 22, 2010
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We spent all day yesterday glued to our Blackberry and to C-SPAN. The House finally voted in favor of healthcare reform sometime around 11 p.m. Sunday – but not before some very ugly moments elapsed and some serious negotiation –using women’s health as the bargaining chip – took place.

On Saturday, protestors in Washington yelled hateful racial and homophobic slurs at several Congressmen, and in cyberspace plenty of hateful posts could be viewed in Twitter streams. Then late Sunday night, someone on the House floor yelled “baby killer” at Rep. Bart Stupak.

Stupak had been threatening to derail healthcare reform unless the final bill included his amendment containing some very restrictive abortion language. But the bill before the House contained the Nelson amendment, which also restricted access to abortion coverage. Even though pro-choice advocates said the Nelson amendment was a major blow to women’s reproductive rights, Stupak wouldn’t yield. After whisperings about closed door negotiations between Stupak and Pelosi, and Pelosi and pro-choice Democrats, a deal was struck. President Obama agreed to sign an Executive Order effectively supporting the Hyde amendment, which is already in place and prohibits the use of federal funds for abortions, and Stupak agreed to support the bill.

Meanwhile, closer to home, it looked as if we might be getting our first application for the job we just posted. Late Friday a group of supporters posted on Blue Mass Group and Facebook that Harmony Wu, a Needham, Mass. resident and Democratic activist, was considering a run for the 9th Congressional District if Rep. Steven Lynch voted against the healthcare bill. He was indeed a “no” vote.

Here is a statement from Ms. Wu issued this morning. “Late last night, members of Congress cast an historic vote to pass comprehensive health care reform. I know I share my excitement of its passage with millions of Americans across the country. My gratitude goes to all who worked tirelessly to earn this important victory; when we work together, and each do our part, we can make great things happen. As excited as I am about this historic step toward health care for all, I am extremely disappointed that my Congressperson voted against the health care reform bill, demonstrating that he is out of touch with our families’ most important concerns. With this betrayal of key Democratic principles and priorities, we in the 9th district must strongly question whether Mr. Lynch can effectively represent us and stand up for our values. In the coming days, I will be in discussion with my family, members of my community, activists, and voters from across the district as I consider challenging Mr. Lynch for the Democratic nomination for Congress from our 9th district.”

We don’t know enough about Harmony Wu yet to determine if she meets all of the qualifications outlined in our job description. But she is definitely one to watch.

The Right to Life

March 16, 2010
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More than two women die every day in the United States from pregnancy related causes. Repeat. More than two women die every day in the United States from pregnancy related causes. The incidences of “near misses,” complications where a woman comes close to dying, have increased since 2005. The maternal death rate has almost doubled since 1987. And some officials believe the numbers are underreported as the U.S. has no federal requirements to report maternal deaths.

These disturbing facts were recently highlighted in a report called “Deadly Delivery” published by Amnesty International. That’s right, Amnesty, the human rights organization. From the report, “According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately half of all maternal deaths in the USA are preventable. Preventable maternal mortality is not just a public health issue, it is a human rights issue.”

The United States spends more on healthcare than any other country in the world. Yet women in this country face a greater risk of dying from pregnancy or childbirth than women in 40 other countries. Women of color face the highest risk. The risk of dying for a black woman is four times greater than for a white woman. The report points out that women of color are less likely to begin a pregnancy in good health due to lack of access to healthcare, thereby increasing the risk of pregnancy-related complications. Women of color represent 51 percent of all uninsured women even though they only represent 32 percent of all women in this country.

Said Larry Cox, executive director of Amnesty International USA, in a press release about the report, “Mothers die not because the United States can’t provide good care, but because it lacks the political will to make sure good care is available to all women.”

The report goes into great detail about what contributes to these staggering numbers including lack of protocols around c-sections and VBACs (virginal birth after caesarean), inadeqaute access to contraception and family planning methods, lack of comprehensive postpartum care and not enough prenatal care. Women cite lack of access to healthcare facilities, no paid time off from work, no childcare, language and a host of other barriers as obstacles to obtaining prenatal care. The challenges are greatest for women in poverty and women of color.

Amnesty also places responsibility on the current healthcare system. The report states, “…under the existing system, the way in which the health care system in the USA is structured and financed is failing to ensure that all women have equal access to the health care they need. …Half of all births are covered by private insurance. However, policies that exclude coverage for maternal care are not uncommon and pregnant women may also find that they cannot get private health insurance because pregnancy is regarded as a “pre-existing condition”. Some 42 percent of births are covered by a government-funded program for limited categories of people on low incomes – Medicaid. However, complicated bureaucratic requirements mean that women eligible for public assistance often experience significant delays in receiving prenatal care.”

Which brings us to healthcare reform. We have asserted all along that healthcare should not be a political issue. It is a matter of equity. As President Obama moves to pass some type of a healthcare overhaul, it is infuriating that people and organizations are derailing the efforts in the name of “life.” Supposedly, in the name of life, Reps. Stupak and Pitts, Senator Nelson, and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops would not only restrict access to the full spectrum of reproductive health services, but Stupak would also derail the entire process, if he can gain the votes. Let’s be honest. “Life” is not the issue here. If it were, wouldn’t the lives of American women matter too?

Stupak inspires deadline extension for Ignorant Male Legislator Week

March 4, 2010
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 I was sick last week* and therefore did not finish the posts for Ignorant Male Legislator Week. But just for you, Rep. Bart Stupak, I have extended the deadline.

Mr. Stupak appeared on ABC’s “Good Morning America” today and vowed to block healthcare reform unless “that kind of language” in the Senate bill is removed. The language he is referring to is the language on abortion courtesy of Senator Ben Nelson (who also makes the Ignorant Male Legislator list). Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, has said of the Nelson language, “If the current Senate language introduced by Senator Ben Nelson is maintained, it would result in the most significant restriction in access to abortion coverage in the nearly 35 years since the U.S. Congress first adopted the Hyde Amendment.”

But “that language” isn’t good enough for Stupak. Nope, Stupak says he and 11 other Democrats are prepared to block healthcare reform unless his even more stringent language from the House bill is included in the final bill. “We’re prepared to take the responsibility,” he said.

Stupak and Nelson are distorting the truth in order to advance their agenda – destroying a woman’s right to choose. Stupak says his bill merely protects current law that bars federal funding for abortion. Not true. His bill is much more restrictive than current law. And he claim’s Nelson’s bill would allow federal funding of abortion. More distortions.

Stupak told George Stephanopoulos, “I want to see health care pass. We must have health care but, boy, there are some principles and beliefs that some of us are not going to pass.”

Bottom line: Mr. Life-is-precious-Stupak is willing to gamble with the lives of all Americans in need of healthcare reform unless his principles and beliefs are adopted. And what does he believe? That women should not have rights.

Watch the GMA interview here. And for in-depth coverage on this unsettling issue, visit RH Reality Check.

*I received treatment because I, unlike tens of millions of Americans, am insured.

Not Under The Bus

December 11, 2009
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notunderthebusThe Senate voted down the Stupak-like Nelson amendment, which would have severely restricted a woman’s right to an abortion and other related reproductive health procedures, during its healthcare debates this week. But women’s rights activists don’t think we are out of the woods yet. Both the Stupak-Pitts and the Nelson amendment were aggressive moves to take away women’s reproductive rights. Both amendments would have left women with fewer health benefits than they have now – despite the fact President Obama has promised no American will be worse off after a health bill passes.

The fact that these two amendments were even introduced and carried so much weight, signals a renewed interest by some to restrict women’s rights, not expand them. Women have raised their voices during the national debate on healthcare to demand equal coverage for equal premiums – to tell Congress we are not a pre-existing condition. And we were dismayed to see how our health was ultimately used as a bargaining chip to pass healthcare reform.

 In order to “to amplify the voices of women and organizations devoted to a health care reform that is fair to women,” the Women’s Media Center has launched “Not Under The Bus.”

From the WMC:

NotUnderTheBus.com opposes recent amendments which propose the most draconian restrictions on women since the 1977 Hyde Amendment that cut federal funding for abortions by Medicaid.

 NotUnderTheBus.com will serve as an aggregator and media resource center in the fight to safeguard women’s reproductive rights in the national health care reform debate.

 NotUnderTheBus.com calls on all women and men who support women’s equality to take the initiative, climb aboard and start driving the bus right down Pennsylvania Avenue to ensure that health care is fair, safe, and accessible to all.

 Visit Not Under the Bus to get informed and Take Action to protect women’s health.

Good News: Coakley Is In and Nelson Is Out

December 9, 2009
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presents

Santa brought us a few early Christmas presents yesterday. Martha Coakley won the Democratic Primary in the Massachusetts Senate race, bringing the state one step closer to electing its first ever woman senator. And the Senate killed the Stupak-like Nelson Amendment.

Coakley would be a strong advocate for women in the Senate. Senator Al Franken is another. Spare Candy posted a transcript of his comments on the Nelson Amendment. It’s a good read.

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