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Blogs Comment On Wellness Reform Legislation, Maternal Mortality, Other Topics

admin — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Healthcare Prof:

The following summarizes selected women’s health-related blog entries.

~ “‘Operation Rescue’ Founder Warns of ‘Violent Convulsions’ if Health Bill Doesn’t Ban Abortions,” Ian Millhiser, Think Progress: Operation Rescue founder Randall Terry is “probably the first public figure to raise terrorism as a potential response to a health bill which allows Americans to keep the same access to reproductive care that they currently enjoy,” Millhiser writes in a blog post responding to Terry’s warning “that his supporters may engage in violent acts of terrorism unless Congress prohibits abortion services from being covered in the new health reform legislation.” According to Millhiser, Terry recently said that there are some people “‘who will be tempted to acts of violence’” and that “‘history will hold those in power responsible for the violent convulsions that follow’” the legislation. Millhiser writes that many conservative policymakers are “pushing a poison pill amendment” to Congress’ reform bill that would prohibit the coverage of abortion services in plans offered within a national health insurance exchange. He notes that 71% of U.S. residents oppose an amendment that would “cut off women’s access to reproductive care” (Millhiser, Think Progress, 7/20).

~ “Gestation Is a Life-Changing Experience for Women,” Jessica Grose, XX Factor: Grose’s post responds to Francis Kissling’s recent Salon opinion piece discussing the “‘new pro-lifers.’” According to Grose, this movement “seeks to make bearing and raising children easier, and reducing abortion that way.” She continues, “It almost sounds reasonable to pro-choice Kissling, except for one thing: making bearing children ‘easier’ doesn’t acknowledge how gestation can change a woman’s life.” According to Kissling, the “‘new pro-lifers barely acknowledge the difficulties of childbirth,’” and the movement “‘denies the reality that even in modern Western culture, in the high-tech U.S., every woman who agrees to be pregnant still risks dying if the pregnancy goes awry.’” Kissling also wrote that the “‘new antiabortionists want to use their rosy view of pregnancy as the frame for public policy, and that is where they become indistinguishable from the old antiabortion movement. For both groups, women are passive participants in gestation.’” Grose writes that “many of the new pro-lifers don’t support efforts to bring contraception to women who don’t have access to it,” an issue that is “likely to come back in a big way in the next few months as the administration’s new health plan is debated” (Grose, XX Factor, 7/20).

~ “Thanks, Abstinence-Only Education!” Feministing: “Thanks to a decade of misinformation and masquerading as sex education, teens are having the same amount of sex, using contraception less and getting pregnant more,” a Feministing blog entry states. A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that trends in reproductive and sexual health of U.S. teens and young adults “‘have flattened, or in some instances may be worsening.’” According to the blog entry, “We’re reaping what we’ve sowed.” Although President Obama’s 2010 budget proposal includes cuts in abstinence-only education funding, “de-funding these programs is not enough,” the blog says. It adds, “We have to undo the damage that’s been done to young people and support real solutions.” The blog concludes, “The purity-pushers are not going anywhere, but this is about more than politics, … it’s about our health and futures” (Feministing, 7/20).

~ “Human Rights Resolution Spotlights Disparities in Maternal Health Care in the U.S.,” Ximena Andion Ibanez et al., RH Reality Check: A “vast majority” of pregnancy- and childbirth-related deaths are “preventable and can therefore be understood to reflect widespread indifference to the rights of the world’s poorest women,” Ibanez writes in a blog post co-authored by Center for Reproductive Rights Deputy Director Laura Katzive and Michelle Movahead, an attorney at the center. This “great global injustice is also evident, on a smaller scale” in the U.S., which has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the developed world, according to the blog. The Human Rights Council’s Maternal Mortality Resolution recognizes that maternal deaths “occur in all countries of the world and that there is a collective responsibility to eliminate it,” the blog continues. It adds that U.S. involvement with the resolution is a “heartening step towards putting women’s human rights front and center” and a “welcome shift towards positive and constructive engagement” with HRC. However, “[w]hat is needed now is to transform this commitment into concrete action to eliminate preventable maternal death and disease worldwide,” the blog states, concluding that the U.S. “has an opportunity to be a leader on this front, both at home and around the world” (Ibanez et al., RH Reality Check, 7/21).

Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.nationalpartnership.org. You can view the entire Daily Women’s Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women’s Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.

Obama Says Lawmakers Should not Turn into Sidetracked By Abortion Debate In Health Reform

admin — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Healthcare Prof:

5 (2 votes)

In an interview with CBS’ “Evening News” on Tuesday, President Obama said that lawmakers should “not get distracted by the abortion debate” as they weigh health reform legislation. When asked by “Evening News” anchor Katie Couric if he would “favor a government option that would cover abortions,” Obama replied that what he thinks is “important, at this stage, is not trying to micro-manage what benefits are covered.” He added that his “main focus is making sure that people have the options of high-quality care at the lowest possible price.” Obama also said, “As you know, I’m pro-choice. But I think we also have the tradition of, in this town, historically, of not financing abortions as part of government-funded health care.” He continued that “[r]ather than wade into that issue at this point, I think it’s appropriate for us to figure out how to just deliver on the cost savings, and not get distracted by the abortion debate at this station” (Couric, “Evening News,” CBS, 7/21).

Centrist Dems Say Abortion Problems Should Not Delay Health Reform; Conservatives Step Up Criticism

admin — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Healthcare Prof:

Five centrist House Democrats, led by antiabortion-rights Rep. Tim Ryan (Ohio), on Tuesday issued a proposal that would neither require nor ban private insurers from covering abortion services as long as federal dollars are not used, the Washington Post‘s “Capitol Briefing” reports. In a letter sent to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Ryan and Reps. Dale Kildee (Mich.), James Langevin (R.I.), Artur Davis (Ala.) and Kendrick Meek (Fla.) said that their proposal “maintains the current status quo in the private market” and would not “preempt constitutionally permissible” state restrictions related to abortion, such as parental notification laws. The representatives called their proposal a “common ground solution.” Current federal law prohibits the use of federal Medicaid funds for abortion services in nearly all circumstances.

The lawmakers said that they are “increasingly concerned about potential roadblocks around the issue of abortion” in the health reform debate in Congress. According to “Capitol Briefing,” antiabortion-rights Democrats are concerned that health reform legislation could lead to indirect federal funding of abortion services through private insurers participating in a proposed health insurance exchange (Eggen, “Capitol Briefing,” Washington Post, 7/21). In the letter, the representatives said that they would like to include language in the final health reform bill “that makes clear that no insurance company will be required to pay for an abortion except in extraordinary circumstances.” In addition, insurance providers would not be prohibited from paying for abortion services “so long as health insurance plans offered in the exchange that choose to provide abortion coverage pay for those services with funds that are separate and distinct from any federal subsidies,” the letter said. Ryan said he hopes the proposal will be introduced in committee on Wednesday as an amendment (Smith, Politico, 7/21).

House Members Step Up Efforts To Exclude Abortion Coverage

Meanwhile, antiabortion-rights House members are intensifying their efforts to exclude abortion coverage from the chamber’s health reform bill (HR 3200), which they said includes a “hidden mandate” that would allow federal money to cover the procedure, the AP/Houston Chronicle reports. Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) said that he plans to join other antiabortion-rights House members at a news conference on Wednesday to criticize the legislation. Stupak helped draft a June 25 letter to Pelosi saying that he and 19 other Democrats would not support any health reform bill “unless it explicitly excludes abortion from the scope of any government-defined or subsidized health insurance plan.” The bill does not mention abortion, which supporters say means that the legislation is neutral on the issue (Alonso-Zaldivar, AP/Houston Chronicle, 7/22).

Antiabortion-Rights Coalition Launches Campaign

A coalition of antiabortion-rights groups this week is launching a three-week campaign aimed at excluding abortion coverage from health reform legislation, Politico reports. The coalition includes James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family; Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council; Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention; David Bereit of 40 Days for Life; and Charmaine Yoest, president of Americans United for Life. Yoest said AUL intends to send a letter to President Obama on Thursday citing its “belief that the bills are intended to include abortion.”

Laurie Rubiner, vice president for public policy and advocacy at the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said that abortion is “not mandated any more than any other service or procedure in health reform.” She added that excluding abortion coverage could result in women losing the coverage they currently have under private plans. The abortion-rights opponents’ demand to exclude abortion coverage “violates the first principle of health care reform, which is: Don’t make people worse off under health care reform than they are today,” Rubiner said (Smith, Politico, 7/22).

Reps. Ryan, DeLauro To Introduce Bill To Lessen Want For Abortion

admin — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Healthcare Prof:

Reps. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) and Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) on Thursday will be joined by leaders of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and NARAL Pro-Choice America in announcing the latest version of a bill that aims to reduce the need for abortion by preventing unintended pregnancies, among other measures, Time reports (Sullivan, Time, 7/23). Ryan and DeLauro first introduced a version of the bill in 2006 (Crary, AP/San Francisco Chronicle, 7/22). However, this version”represents a dramatic break from nearly four decades” of political debate since Roe v. Wade, as both conservative antiabortion-rights groups and abortion-rights advocates have expressed support, according to Time (Time, 7/23).

The bill would increase support for comprehensive sex education programs, improve access to contraception, expand Medicaid family planning coverage, increase programs for pregnant or parenting college students, and expand adoption assistance. The Congressional Budget Office has not yet conducted a cost-analysis of the bill, the AP/San Francisco Chronicle reports (AP/San Francisco Chronicle, 7/22). In developing the bill, Ryan sought the help of Rachel Laser, director of culture programs at the policy and strategy think-tank Third Way. According to Time, Laser worked with advocates on both sides and modified the bill to help gather their support, while preventing the measure from becoming “uselessly watered down or split into two.”

DeLauro noted, “We had to reach a level of trust” with people on both sides and allow them time to become more receptive to the bill’s goals,adding,”Because so often this issue has been one about which there was nothing other than trying to score political points.”DeLauro said she hopes the Obama administration will look to the bill for guidance as it crafts its strategy for reducing the need for abortion and preventing unintended pregnancies. President Obama is expected to make an announcement about the plan next month, according to Time (Time, 7/23).

DeLauro and Ryan also noted that Rahm Emanuel, Obama’s chief of staff, endorsed an earlier version of the bill when he served in the House, which they hope could mean that Obama would support their measure. DeLauro said, “This is a bill that seems to mesh with the president’s interests,” adding, “I see no reason why the White House could not endorse it.”

Joshua DuBois, director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, said the administration is still reviewing the information it has gathered in recent meetings with representatives on both sides of the abortion debate.

Laurie Rubiner, director of Planned Parenthood’s Washington, D.C.,office, said “This isn’t a radical bill,” adding, “It only seems radical because it’s been so long that we could have a constructive conversation … with both pro-choice and anti-choice groups around the table.”

The Rev. Joel Hunter — an antiabortion-rights evangelical pastor in Orlando, Fla., who serves on the White House Faith-Based Advisory Council — called the bill “a landmark bill for the culture wars — a prototype for how we can approach things in the future.” He said the bill’s strengths were in its appeals to both liberal and conservative beliefs, adding, “When you realize you need someone who’s been an adversary to help you advance your own projects, that’s a big deal” (AP/San Francisco Chronicle, 7/22).

Residence Speaker Pelosi Works To Appease Concern Over Abortion Concerns In Wellness Reform Bill

admin — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Healthcare Prof:

Article Opinions:2 posts
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Wednesday held a private meeting with antiabortion-rights Democratic Reps. Mike Doyle (Pa.) and Tim Ryan (Ohio) in an attempt to quell pressure to exclude abortion coverage from the House health reform bill (HR 3200), Roll Call reports. Joined by abortion-rights supporter Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) — Pelosi’s “point person” on the Energy and Commerce Committee — Pelosi attempted to broker areas of agreement on the issue, according to Roll Call. However, antiabortion-rights Democrats contend that, beyond Wednesday’s meeting, Pelosi has not responded to their concerns by making changes to the House bill (Bendery, Roll Call, 7/22).

The House bill does not mention abortion, but antiabortion-rights critics of the measure say it could increase availability of the procedure by requiring health insurance plans to cover services and by providing government funding for subsidized plans, according to the Washington Post. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said this week that decisions on specific benefits like abortion services should be “left to medical experts in the field,” such as a proposed advisory board that would make recommendations on minimum benefits that private insurers must offer. Ryan and a group of centrist Democrats have proposed an amendment that would neither require nor prohibit insurers from covering abortion services, as long as federal funding is not used. Their proposal also says that current state restrictions on insurance coverage of abortion services would remain in effect (Eggen/Stein, Washington Post, 7/23). Currently, private insurers are neither required nor forbidden to cover abortion services. The Hyde Amendment and other federal measures prohibit the use of federal funds to pay for abortion except in very limited cases. Some states use their own money to cover the procedure for low-income women (Stein, Washington Post, 7/23).

Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich), co-chair of the Pro-Life Caucus, said abortion-rights supporters in the House “can continue to ignore us if they want, but at their peril.” He added that the bill should maintain current restrictions on federal funding for abortion. Stupak was among a group of Democrats who sent a letter to Pelosi in June threatening to oppose any health reform bill that does not explicitly?forbid federal funding?from being used?for abortion services (Roll Call, 7/22).

The Post reports that the health care reform debate has “reignited” claims from antiabortion-rights groups that President Obama’s efforts to find common ground on abortion-related policies are an attempt “to paper over … support for abortion rights with policies that will do little” to reduce the number of abortions.” Douglas Johnson, legislative director for the National Right to Life Committee, said that Obama “says he wants to reduce abortions” but that “the actual policies that this administration is promoting will result in massive public subsidies for abortion and result in a massive increase in the number of abortions.” Abortion-rights opponents plan to hold a rally Thursday against the House health reform bill, and Americans United for Life has demanded a meeting with the president to discuss the issue of abortion coverage in health reform.

Abortion-rights groups and Democratic leaders say opponents’ allegations are exaggerated and an attempt to use the health reform debate to further restrict access to legal abortion services under private insurance plans. Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, said, “This is the kind of divisiveness that the public has grown very tired of.”

The debate over covering abortion services comes as Ryan and abortion-rights supporter Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) prepare to introduce a bill that aims to reduce the need for abortion by encouraging pregnancy prevention and increasing government support for young women with children. The bill has generated “an unusual array of supporters” — including the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, NARAL Pro-Choice America and evangelical leaders like Rev. Joel Hunter of Orlando — because its co-sponsors represent each side of the abortion-rights debate, the Post reports (Eggen/Stein, Washington Post, 7/23).

Anti-Abortion Groups Threaten Overhaul As a result of Funding Concerns

admin — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Healthcare Prof:

“Abortion is not explicitly mentioned in any of the major health-care bills under consideration in Congress,” The Washington Post reports, but “abortion opponents charge that the legislation would make abortion more widely available and more common by requiring insurance plans to pay for the procedures and providing government funding to subsidize plans that pay for them.”

“White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said this week that decisions on specific benefits such as abortion coverage should be ‘left to medical experts in the field,’ referring to a proposed advisory board that would recommend minimum levels of coverage for private insurers. The dispute presents another unwelcome distraction for the White House and a political opportunity for Republicans, who are seizing on the issue as part of a broader attempt to kill health legislation that they believe is too intrusive and too costly.”

A proposed compromise offered by a group of conservative Democrats takes the position that insurers would neither be required to nor forbidden from covering abortions as long as no federal money is used. Others have called for an all out ban on funding, The Post reports.

“The conflict comes as two House Democrats on either side of the abortion divide prepare to introduce legislation this week aimed at encouraging pregnancy prevention and greater government support for young mothers. The measure from (Ohio Democratic Rep. Tim) Ryan, who opposes abortion, and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), who supports abortion rights, has attracted an unusual array of supporters ranging from Planned Parenthood to evangelical leaders such as the Rev. Joel Hunter of Orlando.”

“Abortion opponents are preparing to rally Thursday against the proposed health-care reforms, and the group Americans United for Life has demanded a meeting with Obama to discuss the issue. ?? Democratic leaders and abortion rights groups say those concerns (over abortion funding in reform) are exaggerated, and some accuse abortion opponents of attempting to use the health-care debate to further restrict legal access to abortion under private insurance plans” (Eggen and Stein, 7/23).

This information was reprinted from kaiserhealthnews.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at kaiserhealthnews.org.

Reps. Ryan, DeLauro Announce Bill To Minimize Unplanned Pregnancies, Present Social Supports

admin — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Healthcare Prof:

5 (2 votes)

Abortion opponent Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) and abortion-rights supporter Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) held a press conference on Thursday to announce a bill that aims to reduce the need for abortion by preventing unintended pregnancies, among other proposals, the New York Times‘ “The Caucus” reports. The bill — crafted in part by the centrist group Third Way — would increase access to contraceptive services, sex education, health care coverage for pregnant women and children, and adoption. It also would expand access to comprehensive sex education and adoption programs.

The bill has the support of abortion-rights groups like the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and NARAL Pro-Choice America, both of which had representatives at the press conference. The bill also has the support of antiabortion-rights religious leaders like Joel Hunter of Northland, Fla., and Derrick Harkins of Washington, D.C.

The bill, which has been introduced in each of the past three congressional sessions, could “broker a detente” and help “turn down the volume on the culture war,” DeLauro said at the press conference. Ryan called the bill an “idea whose time has come,” noting that it has gained support from advocates on both sides of the abortion-rights debate.

During the press conference, Hunter said advocates of the bill, regardless of their side in the abortion-rights debate, are “taking heat” from other members of their side. He added that the bill is important because it “links together traditional adversaries in a way that advances each of our goals without compromising any of our values” (Becker, “The Caucus,” New York Times, 7/23). Harkins said that he is “more optimistic now than I ever have been,” adding that women “need real support that divisive debates cannot provide” (Stephenson, CQ HealthBeat, 7/23).

Despite support from some antiabortion-rights advocates, the bill has not been welcomed by all groups opposed to abortion rights, including conservative groups Family Research Council, National Right to Life and Democrats for Life of America. Kristen Day, executive director of Democrats for Life, said her group does not support the bill because preventing unintended pregnancies already is a goal of other programs. She noted that her group instead supports the Pregnant Women Support Act (HB 2035, SB 270), which focuses on services for women who carry their pregnancies to term but does not include prevention (CQ HealthBeat, 7/23). In a statement, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins said the bill is “fraught with funding for abortion providers and provisions that further encourage promiscuous sex and discourage parental involvement.”

Although the White House has not voiced a position on the bill, there are “reasons to believe” that the Obama administration will support some of the legislation’s proposals, “The Caucus” reports (“The Caucus,” New York Times, 7/23). DeLauro said that she and Ryan plan to seek Republican co-sponsors for the bill, although they do not yet have any. She added that she thinks President Obama will support the bill because it includes language similar to his rhetoric on reducing the need for abortion. In addition, Obama’s chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, was a co-sponsor of the bill when he served in the House (CQ HealthBeat, 7/23). Ryan said that the bill, which does not yet have an estimated cost, is “now open for support from all quarters.”

According to “The Caucus,” the bill is being introduced at a time when abortion is a growing topic in health care reform legislation. Policymakers on both sides of the abortion-rights debate are expressing concern about how private insurance coverage of abortion is treated in health care reform. Ryan and DeLauro both support a policy that would neither require nor forbid insurance companies from covering the procedure (“The Caucus,” New York Times, 7/23). During the press conference, DeLauro said that the new bill would not force insurance providers to cover abortion services. She said, “What we don’t want to do is go backward. We should neither prohibit nor require insurance companies to offer these kinds of services” (CQ HealthBeat, 7/23).

USA These days Examines ‘Incendiary Debate’ Over Abortion Rights

admin — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000

3 (1 votes)

Healthcare Prof:

5 (1 votes)

Nearly 40 years after the Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade, the “incendiary debate over abortion rights endures” and continues to manifest itself in a number of ways, USA Today reports. According to a recent USA Today/Gallup Poll, 78% of U.S. residents want abortion to be legal under at least some circumstances, with 21% saying it should be legal under any circumstance. According to the poll, 18% of respondents said that they want abortion always to be illegal. The poll also found that 46% of U.S. residents self-identify as “pro-choice,” while 47% self-identify as “pro-life.”

Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights, said, “The enduring divide represents the reality that there are fundamental religious differences on the issue of abortion that do not exist on, say, campaign finance or even on health care.” Americans United for Life President Charmaine Yoest said that abortion-rights opponents are mobilizing to urge congressional lawmakers to exclude abortion coverage and funding from any federal health reform legislation.

During the confirmation hearings of Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, the judge said that she does not believe previous court rulings on abortion rights have ended the national controversy surrounding the issue. According to USA Today, Sotomayor, who has never ruled on the issue, declined to reveal her personal position on abortion rights. Several antiabortion-rights advocates also protested during Sotomayor’s hearings (Biskupic, USA Today, 7/24).

In addition, the Center for Reproductive Rights this week released a report that found physicians and employees of health care clinics providing abortion services in six states — Alabama, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Pennsylvania and Texas — face an increasing level of harassment and death threats. The report was based on a four-month investigation (AP/Houston Chronicle, 7/23). The report was tied to the murder of Kansas abortion provider George Tiller (USA Today, 7/24). Operation Save America Director the Rev. Flip Benham, whose group is mentioned in the report, said the center is trying to limit the free-speech rights of abortion-rights opponents (AP/Houston Chronicle, 7/23).

Blogs Comment On ‘Common Ground’ Bill, Abortion Coverage In Wellness Reform Legislation, Other Topics

admin — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0000

4 (1 votes)

Healthcare Prof:

The following summarizes selected women’s health-related blog entries.

~ “Democratic Bill Could Be a Preview of Obama’s Abortion Plan,” Dan Gilgoff, U.S. News & World Report‘s “God and Country”: A recently introduced bill aimed at reducing the need for abortion is “big news because moderate to liberal faith-based advocates are urging the White House to adopt the bill … as the core of its forthcoming ‘common ground’ plan on abortion and reproductive health,” Gilgoff writes. Some conservative religious groups, including the Southern Baptist Convention and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, “have warned the White House” that the bill is a “deal breaker” for them because of its support for comprehensive sex education and contraception, he writes. The White House “has refused to say which way it’s leaning,” Gilgoff writes, adding the Obama administration could “buck” the groups that support the bill and “get behind” the Pregnant Women Support Act, “which is generally considered more robust on reducing demand for abortions and which leaves out contraceptive funding.” However, he concludes, “that would be a pretty big surprise” (Gilgoff, “God and Country,” U.S. News & World Report, 7/23).

~ “New Report: Abortion Providers = American Human Rights Defenders, Now Under Increasing Attack,” Jodi Jacobson, RH Reality Check: A new Center for Reproductive Rights report “calls on both the federal and state governments to address the growing threats against and stigmatization and abuse of abortion providers throughout the United States,” Jacobson writes. The report “focuses on a key obstacle to the realization of women’s reproductive rights … and recognizes their work as human rights defenders,” she writes, adding that the U.S. has “historically been a leader both in creating and in encouraging accountability to human rights principles throughout the world.” However, “[a]ccess to reproductive health care generally and abortion care specifically are basic human rights largely ignored within the context of U.S. domestic politics,” Jacobson writes, noting that abortion access in the U.S. “has been increasingly limited due to the range of obstacles created through anti-choice advocacy.” The report highlights several “types of rights violations [that] are most pervasive in limiting women’s choices and the rights of abortion providers,” including “intimidation and harassment,” “stigma” and “legal restrictions.” The report makes a “series of recommendations for change at the state and local level for changes in policy and in law enforcement practices, as well as for the federal government, medical community and non-governmental organizations,” Jacobson concludes, adding that the report “makes a special plea for the United Nations Special Rapporteur to document violations of women’s human rights in the United States” (Jacobson, RH Reality Check, 7/22).

~ “Sixteen Governors Call on Congress To Include Medicaid Family Planning State Option in Health Reform,” Jodi Jacobson, RH Reality Check: “Sixteen governors have written a letter to both Senate and House Leadership ‘expressing strong support for the Medicaid Family Planning State Option,’” which is included in President Obama’s fiscal year 2010 budget proposal, Jacobson writes. The governors wrote, “Many of our states have created family planning expansion programs, though we have done so with great difficulty,” adding, “Since the early 1990s, 27 states have been granted federal waivers to expand their Medicaid family planning coverage. These demonstration projects have been unqualified successes, providing care to millions of women while saving states [millions] of dollars.” Jacobson continues, “The current Medicaid waiver process, however, ‘puts unnecessary roadblocks in the way of our efforts to maintain and expand coverage for family planning services,’” according to the governors. She adds, “Passing this law as part of health care reform ‘would give us the needed flexibility to quickly and efficiently expand coverage for this basic preventive health care under Medicaid,’” the letter says (Jacobson, RH Reality Check, 7/23).

~ “How’s That ‘Common Ground’ Going?” Frances Kissling, Salon‘s Broadsheet: “After four years of behind-the-scenes negotiating, pro-choice groups turned out in full force” behind Reps. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) and Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) on Thursday to announce the latest version of a bill aimed at reducing the need for abortion, Kissling writes. She adds that the “bill is bound to get good media coverage, as it fits nicely with the president’s ‘can’t we all get along’ plea for common ground on abortion.” According to Kissling, “[a]pparently everyone could not get along, and the task of lining up supporters for the bill … was a bruising experience” for the people crafting the measure. “Pro-lifers were disappointed that contraception was included,” and “[p]ro-choicers were concerned the language of the bill sent an ‘abortion is bad’ message,” she writes, adding, “It was a bitter pill for both sides to swallow, though, so far, no one has choked.” Kissling continues, “Frankly, it’s the kind of bill that should have been passed 20 years ago — what a shame that for women to get what they need, it must be framed in terms of reducing the need for abortion.” She writes, “Whether all this represents common ground is debatable, but it clearly represents renewed public attention on abortion, which is under attack by anti-choice members of Congress in the health care reform package,” concluding, “Let’s keep talking” (Kissling, “Broadsheet,” Salon, 7/23).

~ “Want Insurance To Cover Your Reproductive Health Care? White House Advisor Tells Grassroots ‘It’s Time To Bring It’,” Jodi Jacobson, RH Reality Check: “Want your basic reproductive health services covered under health reform? Want to keep the coverage for reproductive health care, contraception and abortion care you already have? Want to ensure that you, your mother, daughter, sister, friends, neighbors and the millions of women in the United States living without health insurance get coverage for primary reproductive health care once Congress gets through serving up sausage for your health benefits?,” Jacobson asks, adding, “Then it’s time for women to ‘bring it’ and get back into campaign mode.” Jacobson quotes Tina Tchen — director of the White House Office of Public Engagement — who addressed the 2009 Planned Parenthood Organizing and Policy Summit last week. According to Jacobson, Tchen “provided participants with a status update on health care reform and reiterated the Obama administration’s commitment to women’s health” and “reminded the group that they had elected a pro-choice president” who has “publicly re-affirmed his support for a woman’s right to choose.” Jacobson also examines the hurdles that women’s rights groups might face in their efforts to get insurers to provide coverage for reproductive health care, as well as the opposition to such efforts. She writes that “despite the evidence, the benefits and the clear public support for women to continue making their own medical decisions with their families and their doctors, and for full coverage of these services, anti-choice activists and politicians continue to play the same political shell games with women’s health and lives” (Jacobson, RH Reality Check, 7/22).

~ “How To Win a Culture War,” Jim Wallis, God’s Politics: The “biggest fear of those leading the culture war” against abortion rights is “common ground,” Wallis writes, noting, “Culture wars require a clash of incompatible ideologies; common ground acknowledges differences but finds practical shared goals.” Wallis continues that the “next casualty” in the culture wars “will be meaningful health care reform,” citing the current debate over abortion coverage by private insurance companies. “At this point in the debate, abortion should not become a wedge issue that could doom the chances of any legislation passing,” he writes, adding, “Any final legislation should make clear that no private insurance company will be mandated to pay for an abortion, nor should they be prohibited from paying for an abortion.” Such provisions “would maintain the current status quo and demonstrate how sensible common ground can bring people together,” Wallis writes. He also praises the Ryan-DeLauro bill, which aims to reduce the need for abortion by preventing unintended pregnancies. The bill “demonstrates how searching for common ground can lead to higher ground, in ways that both sides of the debate can embrace without compromising their core principles,” he writes, adding, “We have a great opportunity to advance our shared values and common goals at a crucial moment in our country’s history.” Wallis concludes that Sojourners “strongly support[s] this good and wise piece of legislation and applaud[s] the creative solutions it offers for real action” (Wallis, God’s Politics, 7/23).

Antiabortion-Rights Blog

~ “Pro-Life Leaders Unite To Fight ‘Abortion Mandate’ in Health Care Reform,” David Brody, The Brody File: Focus on the Family’s James Dobson and the Family Research Council’s Tony Perkins on Thursday led a “big pro-life webcast devoted to trying to stop potential abortion coverage in any future health care reform bill,” Brody writes, adding, “Like the White House didn’t have enough fires to put out on health care.” While President Obama “may have made some inroads with evangelicals” during the 2008 presidential campaign, “he may very well pay a steep price with religious voters” if abortion coverage is included in “any Obama-led health care plan,” Brody writes. He notes that he is “not talking just conservative evangelicals,” but is including “moderates and especially among Catholic voters.” Brody writes that the bills currently in Congress “do not specifically call for abortion coverage, but they also don’t specifically exclude it either,” which “leaves the issue very murky and therefore pro-lifers are definitely skeptical” (Brody, The Brody File, 7/22).

Preliminary Hearing Set For Suspect In Murder Of Abortion Provider Tiller

admin — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Healthcare Prof:

A preliminary hearing for Scott Roeder, the man charged with the May 31 murder of Kansas abortion provider George Tiller, is set for Tuesday, the AP/Houston Chronicle reports. During the hearing, prosecutors will attempt to convince a judge they have enough evidence for a trial, according to the AP/Chronicle.

Roeder is charged with one count of first-degree murder in Tiller’s death, as well as two counts of aggravated assault for allegedly threatening two ushers who tried to stop him from shooting Tiller in the foyer of his Wichita church. According to the AP/Chronicle, Roeder will enter a plea if the judge determines that the case can go to trial. He has not indicated what plea he intends to enter should that occur (Hegeman, AP/Houston Chronicle, 7/26).

In related news, the New York Times on Sunday examined the life and career of Tiller, who was one of the few abortion providers who performed the procedure later in pregnancy. Throughout Tiller’s career — which began in the 1970s — he “made himself the nation’s pre-eminent abortion practitioner,” according to the Times. In addition, antiabortion-rights advocates made his clinic the “most visible abortion battleground” in the U.S., as well as “a magnet for activists from all corners of the country,” the Times reports. However, Tiller “would not budge” and “[wore] their contempt as a badge of honor.” According to the Times, employees at the clinic said Tiller believed his work saved women’s lives and ensured their right to an abortion. “We have made higher education possible,” Tiller said in a speech, adding, “We have helped correct some of the results of rape and incest. We have helped battered women escape to a safer life. We have made recovery from chemical dependency possible. We have helped women and families struggle to save their unwell, unborn child after a lifetime of pain.”

According to the Times, advocates on both sides of the abortion-rights debate “have been measuring the larger ramifications” of Tiller’s murder. Abortion-rights opponents are “bracing for a drop in support, especially from those in the murky middle ground of the debate.” Abortion-rights supporters, on the other hand, are “reeling from the loss of one of their most experienced and savviest leaders,” the Times reports. The article also examined Tiller’s career choice, tactics employed by abortion-rights opponents and some of the legal challenges Tiller faced (Barstow, New York Times, 7/26). In addition, the Times on Sunday included an online discussion and slide show involving a man and woman with differing views on abortion rights (New York Times, 7/26).

Meanwhile, the Kansas City Star on Sunday included an interview with Roeder, during which he said he was “elated” that Tiller was dead and that he considers killing abortion providers to be justifiable homicide. In the interview, Roeder said that “[n]obody was willing to do anything” about the abortions performed at Tiller’s clinic, adding that it is wrong “for society to allow such an egregious sin to go on.” Roeder also discussed his actions on the day of the murder, his past dealings with the antiabortion-rights movement and his possible trial strategy (Thomas, Kansas City Star, 7/26).