A sorry tale
By Ellen R. Malcolm on 12/19/2009 @ 07:55 PM
If there ever was a case study for why we need more pro-choice Democratic women in Congress, it is the fiasco around abortion coverage in health care reform. Our elected women are the ones who fought long and hard to defeat the Stupak-Nelson forces in Congress. Sen. Ben Nelson made attempt after attempt to add versions of the Stupak provisions to the Senate bill, which would take away health care coverage of abortion for millions of women. A compromise ultimately was forged to preserve health care reform, but it is deeply flawed and the choice groups are working hard to improve it. Meanwhile Stupak and Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell continue to try and undo even this compromise and put in the Stupak language. It's a sorry tale.
How infuriating that women are the political pawns for those who oppose health care reform and those who have their own religious agenda! Though my disgust with this process beckons me to drop away from politics, my anger rears up.
There's absolutely no way this would have happened if half the members of the House and Senate were women.
As Joe Kennedy famously said, "Don't get mad. Get even."
Getting even at EMILY's List means electing so many pro-choice Democratic women that it will be impossible to use women as political pawns; that there will be no doubt that health care policies will include full reproductive coverage; and that consensus building will replace grandstanding, posturing, and political temper tantrums.
There's much good in the reform bills, and the elected Democratic women are at the center of making progress for women's health. But they would be the first to acknowledge that it's not enough. We're grateful for their efforts. But we -- you and me through EMILY's List -- need to give them more help. And so as we thank them, and we also pledge that reinforcements are on the way.
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