Blog 8; Possible Bill to affect women

House Republicans are pushing to get a new bill passed, Protect Life Act. Currently, there is federal funds to hospitals to give emergency care. This emergency care includes abortions to women who are in life threatening situations. Protect Life Act states that hospitals could/would refuse abortions to women even if their lives were in danger with claims of religious and moral wrongness. The article states that over 15 percent of the United State's hospital beds reside in Catholic hospitals. This poses a great problem for women in need of emergency abortion care who only have access to religious affiliated hospitals. Another bill is being proposed, the Pitts Bill. The Pitts bill would rid all insurance coverage of abortions in the new health care reform. An addition to riding women of coverage, the bill also would allow states to override the health reform that makes preventative medicines free (or just without a co-pay). This makes good, free access to birth control at risk. The article also states that these bills have little chance of surviving right now because of the Democratic majority as well as President Obama being a Democrat.


Although the bill has small chances of being approved, that is only for the time being. We always call for separation of Church and State but our law makers are bringing in their own personal beliefs and convictions into politics. It seems to me that pro-life politicians would push for free preventative medicines (birth control) so that abortions would in essence decrease because of a nation having more access to birth control. Furthermore, politicians creating bills that would affect a woman's chance to live is scary. Some may ask when would an abortion be necessary so that the woman could live. A woman could be in an accident and be hemorrhaging and need to undergo surgery or have an abortion to save eternal damage. I think that the hardcore people and politicians never put into account how difficult decisions of abortion are and feel that women carelessly and easily make decisions to procure them. If people continue to harshly influence and restrict health care for women, this country is not as democratic as we feel it is or should be. For that matter, men are not being targeted in the health care reform nearly as great as women. I am far from feminist, however bills like the Pro Life Act and Pitts Bill show just how the important people of our country think of the women here.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/20/opinion/playing-politics-with-womens-lives.html