What War?

While Speaker Boehner claims that the war against women is a political tactic designed to direct attention away from the Obama economy, he fails to consider all of the legislation passed by recently elected Republican controlled state legislatures and signed into law by Republican governors. A few examples follow: South Dakota enacted a 72 hour waiting period. Virginia barred the state heath insurance exchange from paying for abortion services as well as requiring abortion clinics to meet hospital regulations. Arizona allows the presumptive father to halt an abortion as well as requiring MDs to administer RU-486 rather than nurse practitioners. Minnesota require minors to get parental consent. Indiana ban abortions after 22 weeks and require doctors to read scripted anti-choice propaganda even though it contains false information. Florida legislature filed 18 separate bills restricting abortion rights. Missouri allws abortions in only 4% of the state’s counties as well as banned post 20-week abortions and allowed pharmacists to deny women emergency contraception. Kansas banned post 22-week abortions and a law requiring both parents to sign off on a minor wanting an abortion. Alabama is trying to pass a “personhood” amendment which states life begins at conception abd has claimed that birth control pills “kill” babies. Idaho claims 20 week fetus can feel pain and banned abortions after 20 weeks. Since November 2010, across the country, over 900 anti-abortion bills have been filed in state legislatures. States have also blocked legislation requiring equal pay for women. Here are some of the other examples of Republican sponsored legislation that are definitely anti-woman: Republicans are actually trying to redefine rape. Republicans in Georgia wants to change the legal term for victims of rape, stalking, and domestic violence to "accuser." In South Dakota, Republicans proposed a bill that could make it legal to murder a doctor who provides abortion care. Republicans want to cut nearly a billion dollars of food and other aid to low-income pregnant women, mothers, babies, and kids. In Congress, Republicans have a bill that would let hospitals allow a woman to die rather than perform an abortion necessary to save her life. Maryland Republicans ended all county money for a low-income kids' preschool program. Republicans want to cut that same program, Head Start, by $1 billion. Two-thirds of the elderly poor are women, and a spending bill would cut funding for employment services, meals, and housing for senior citizens. Congress just voted for a Republican amendment to cut all federal funding from Planned Parenthood health centers. Finally, Republicans are pushing to eliminate all funds for the only federal family planning program. (For humans. But Republican Dan Burton has a bill to provide contraception for wild horses. You can't make this stuff up). While Republicans try to deny that there is a war on women, one wonders what action would be taken if they were serious about anti-woman legislation. There is not enough room to list all of the anti-woman laws passed by Republicans but if a woman voted for a Republican legislator her daughter will pay a hefty price.