Native Americans

If we're going to do health care reform we need to do it right -- lest we expand the historic failure of government-provided healthcare for Native Americans nationwide.

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The far right has been waging a war against sex education, contraception and family planning for decades, More than 100 members of congress write Bush on HHS proposal, New gag rule for Indian Health Services, Family planning in the Phillipines, HIV/AIDS in the US South.

Passage of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act has been delayed by anti-abortion politicians, who have proposed restrictions on abortion funding that would discriminate against Native American women.

The Senate last week approved an amendment to an Indian health care bill that would permanently prohibit the use of federal dollars to fund abortions for Native Americans except in rare cases. The move has prompted an outcry from women’s health advocates and from tribal groups.

The Senate today passed a bill that would severely limit funding for abortion within the Indian Health Services (IHS). But the ban, introduced by anti-choice Sen. David Vitter, would result in no change to current IHS policy.