Thanks to Nation reader and peerless Twitter activist Sarah Emily Labance for alerting me to the One Voice for Choice campaign, which aggressively takes the position that passing healthcare reform should not come at the expense of a woman’s right to reproductive choice.
Reps. Diana Degette and Louise Slaughter recently wrote a letter signed by 41 pro-choice members of Congress, who stated quite clearly their position on the health care bill:
We will not vote for a conference report that contains language that restricts women’s right to choose any further than current law.
Nonetheless, House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi has said that the final bill will contain the abortion language passed by the Senate. According to One Voice for Choice:
**The Senate language allows states to opt out of allowing plans to cover abortion in the insurance exchanges, a clear violation of Roe v. Wade.
**It prohibits insurance companies by law from taking into account cost savings when estimating the costs of abortion care, which raises premiums, thus limiting access.
**It includes “conscience clause” language that protects both individuals and entities that refuse to provide, pay for, provide coverage for, or refer for abortion.
As Jane Hamsher writes in support of the campaign on FireDogLake, "Choice is already in grave danger with the current radical Supreme Court majority, and every time Congress tinkers with this, it just creates another opportunity for the Supremes to whittle away or reverse Roe v. Wade."
This petition calls for members of Congress to keep their promise to vote against any bill that restricts a woman’s right to choose, and implores Reps. DeGette and Slaughter to release the names on their letter. Join the call today.
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