Stupak amendment

Today the GOP-led House of Representatives, with the blessings and encouragement of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and extremist religious groups such as the Family Research Council, as well as 15 Democrats, passed a bill that would, among other things, allow doctors and hospitals to "exercise their conscience" by letting pregnant women facing emergency medical conditions die.

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Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) claims his bill would “only” codify, or make permanent, the Hyde Amendment. But it goes far beyond current law, seriously compromise women’s access to reproductive health care, and hamstring government operations.

Pitts needs to be surrounded, diminished, shown to be unfeeling, harassed at every turn, picketed, criticized in his hometown papers and otherwise made to understand that the Pitts plan is the pits.

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Last week, the Obama administration resurrected the Stupak amendment in the high-risk pools. For 3 1/2 years, women in these pools will not be able to buy a comprehensive policy that covers abortion even though they will be contributing large amounts of their own money to the premium.

In the first trimester, we were introduced to the Stupak Amendment. Now, in the second trimester of healthcare reform, access to abortion gets an even bigger setback.

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To our readers and friends: I would like to interview women and their partners who have had to terminate a pregnancy due to health conditions, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease or other issues.  Confidentiality assured.  See contact info here...

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President Obama decided that women with serious health conditions, under the temporary high-risk pool insurance plan, do not deserve coverage of abortion care - even if they use their own funds. Women's health advocates respond.

Late last night the House passed the healthcare reform bill in a vote of 219 to 212. A last minute deal between Rep. Bart Stupak and President Barack Obama, who promised to sign an executive order after the House vote, retained his support. Reaction to the deal from pro- and anti-choice groups was swift.

Connie Saltonstall, a former county commissioner, plans to run against Stupak for the Democratic nomination of Michigan’s First Congressional District. She told RH Reality Check "I am without a doubt pro-choice."

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At the recent health reform summit, Minority Leader John Boehner again repeated the misleading canard that the White House’s healthcare reform bill would allow public funding of abortions.