Late amendment strips abortion coverage

The Stupak-Pitts Amendment, an eleventh-hour addition to the health care reform bill passed yesterday by the U.S. House, prevents any plans in the proposed health insurance exchange from receiving federal subsidies if they cover abortion, and prohibits abortion coverage in the new public option. In other words, millions of women will be denied coverage for a legal medical procedure, and many who have it now will lose it if their plans are included in the exchange.

Supporters of the amendment presented a twisted logic about how women could buy separate insurance riders for abortion coverage if they wanted it. Never mind that such riders don’t exist.

If you are so inclined, there’s a letter on the Planned Parenthood website you can send to President Obama, urging him honor his pledge and to stand up for women’s health care as the reform debate moves to the Senate. Or you can go to Congress.org, a great website that makes it easy to write to your elected representatives anytime about anything.

The anti-abortion activists won’t stop their efforts to restrict women’s rights and freedom of choice. They will insinuate themselves into anything and everything they can in an effort to impose their religious beliefs on every woman in the country. If you disagree with them, go send that letter to the president and urge others to do so. This particular fight’s not over till a final bill leaves the Senate and goes to the president’s desk.

And don’t bother coming back at me with the argument that you oppose abortion and shouldn’t have to support it with your tax dollars — not until you figure out a way to exempt my tax dollars from supporting faith-based initiatives and wars I oppose.