If you thought the abortion battle during the health care debate was fierce, just wait until Republicans take over the House in January. Strengthened by congressional victories in the midterm elections, Republican abortion foes plan to push hard in the new year. Their top goals: enshrine tough restrictions on abortion funding into federal law and defund Planned Parenthood. And they’ll have Democratic help to do it.
The tip of the spear when it comes to GOP efforts advance anti-abortion legislatin is the the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act (HR 5939), which was introduced by Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) and already has 185 cosponsors. …
The other big goal of conservative anti-abortion opponents is a heavier lift: defunding Planned Parenthood and groups like it. (A third big goal, banning federal funding for embryonic stem cell research, will probably be a lower priority until a court battle over the subject is resolved.) The federal money that currently goes to Planned Parenthood—some $300 million of it annually—is monitored so that none of it is used to fund abortions. Instead, it pays for things like family planning, condoms, sex education, and other programs that defenders of the group argue actually reduce the number of abortions in America. But the Republicans, led by Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.), a possible presidential candidate, want to cut the money anyway. Pence’s bill (HR 614) has 103 cosponsors. A version of it got 183 votes back in July 2009. But big conservative anti-abortion groups, like Concerned Women for America and the Susan B. Anthony List are pushing hard for it.
We’re going to have a big fight on our hands. I’m worried.
This is a big fucking deal. I want to reiterate this portion (emphasis mine):
The federal money that currently goes to Planned Parenthood—some $300 million of it annually—is monitored so that none of it is used to fund abortions. Instead, it pays for things like family planning, condoms, sex education, and other programs that defenders of the group argue actually reduce the number of abortions in America. But the Republicans, led by Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.), a possible presidential candidate, want to cut the money anyway.
This is not about abortion. This is not about helping women. This is not about anything other than controlling women’s bodies.
