New GOP bill would deny abortions to women in life-threatening situations: group

By Sahil Kapur
Thursday, February 3, 2011 12:19 EDT
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WASHINGTON – Engulfed by criticisms from women’s advocates, House Republicans have reportedly given up on legislative language that would deny some rape victims the ability to seek federally-assisted abortion coverage.

But according to the leading abortion rights group NARAL, a new version of a related bill would allow hospitals to deny abortion care to a woman even if her life is in danger. (NARAL obtained an advance copy of the new markup.)

A spokesperson for NARAL told Raw Story that Republicans have added a provision to H.R 358, the “Protect Life Act,” sponsored by Rep. Joseph Pitts (R-PA), to amend the Affordable Care Act in a way that could preclude women in life-threatening situations from receiving an abortion.

“Anti-choice politicians have gone from redefining rape to denying abortion care to women who will die without it,” NARAL president Nancy Keenan said in a statement. “When it comes to attacking women’s freedom and privacy, these politicians know no bounds. This debate is just getting started. Any member of Congress who has signed his or her name to this agenda must be held accountable for such extreme attacks against women’s reproductive-health services.”

Politico reported Thursday that Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), the sponsor of the “No Taxpayer Funding For Abortion Act,” would drop the controversial language that effectively redefines rape to exclude various nonviolent instances by terming the modified concept “forcible rape.”

“The word forcible will be replaced with the original language from the Hyde Amendment,” Smith’s spokesman Jeff Sagnip told the paper. A GOP aide was befuddled by the language itself. “Such a removal would be a good idea, since last I checked, rape by definition is non-consensual,” the aide told Politico.

Smith’s spokesman did not immediately return Raw Story’s request for comment.

The revelation that the anti-abortion bill would redefine rape, first broken by Nick Baumann of Mother Jones, earned scathing criticisms from women’s groups and a mocking skit Wednesday night from Comedy Central’s Jon Stewart.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), the vice chair of the DNC and an outspoken voice on women’s issues, told Raw Story that the bill amounted to “a violent act against women.”

 
 
 
 
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  • Anonymous

    There’s something genuinely sick about their obsession with fetuses.

    Being killed after they’re 18 years old in undeclared fucking wars, that’s no problem.

  • Anonymous

    Why are the republicans stuck on wedge issues that won’t pass, instead of dealing with the important issues of the day? JOBS BONER! Where are the damn jobs? Instead of trying to figure out how to allow unwanted children, why not try and find jobs, improve health care for all, regulate our air, food, energy so all who are born can eat, and breath and live healthy lives? You only care care about the unborn! I have a news flash for all of you dumbass stuck on stupid republicans only those who survive living in this world now can vote! Stop screwing around and start creating JOBS!!!!!!!!

  • Anonymous

    The GOP they’ve got your back from inception to birth, after that, they don’t give a damn about you.

  • Anonymous

    Dear GOOPers:

    I know you all miss your mommies very very much. But climbing into the uterus of every female in America is not going to help you find her.

  • Anonymous

    It is the sad truth.

  • Anonymous

    I believe that every woman who gets pregnant MUST take a DNA test to prove who the father is. This way the damage of an unwanted pregnancy will not only lay at the feet of the woman but also make it the mandatory responsibility of the father. He won’t be packing his bags for college while she stays back to take care of the baby. Let’s see how long this will last.

  • Anonymous

    Up Date Weeper Speaker Boner is busy with his two mistresses and bowing to the Corporations that put him in office. Boner paid the New York Times not to release the information about his long history of affairs until after the election, that way voters would believe his lies. Yes it seems the National Inquirer now has not only the names but pictures of Cry Baby Boner with his woman. All that talk about the “Lord and God was fake and voters brought it. Boner has many woman to pour his tanning lotion all over his body while laughing at how easy it is to trick the voters. Jobs what jobs that was never on the Republican or Tea Party agenda in the first place. The plan is to make things as bad for people as possible and then say we need a Republican/Tea Party President to clean up the mess Obama made in the last 9 years. Sounds stupid well it worked in the last election and gave Republican/Tea Party control.

  • Anonymous

    Pictures!!!! Oh I can’t wait to see them! I always figured he thought of himself as a lady’s man. Where there’s booze there’s woman and exaggerated egos!

  • Anonymous

    Or could they propose stronger legislation banning sex with animals or how about totally necessary laws banning humans from marrying their animals?

  • Anonymous

    Thank you, Denny!

  • http://twitter.com/btmfdrsheaven rebecca meritt

    As we get closer and closer to the END TIMES that the evangelical prophets spew to these repuggs more and more of our freedoms will be taken away to prove to G-d that the repuggs are on G-d’s side. They are having an identity crisis ,they believe they are Christ and G-d is going to let them die for everybody’s sins. What I do I will stand accountable for what someone else does they themselves will stand accountable for and the repuggs don’t seem to understand that basic law. No woman is asking them to make the decision for them nor to make abortion mandatory for all women only to have the right to make their own decision based on their own judgment,nothing less nothing more.

  • http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/3ETFGMQ3B7VD4AAMILBBEVMCWE JasonA

    The only way for this to work is for every male to be DNA tested. Sounds like a bad idea.

  • http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/3ETFGMQ3B7VD4AAMILBBEVMCWE JasonA

    Are you saying this criminal Republican is just another hypocrite? I am shocked. haha

  • http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/3ETFGMQ3B7VD4AAMILBBEVMCWE JasonA

    Stuff it.

  • Jaimie11

    Can’t read jason? I thought as much.

  • Anonymous

    When it comes to dealing with a people and their political party who cheer on ignorance, denigrate science and berate those who dare to ask questions by saying they do not have enough “faith”, the rest of us have to remember….

    Its the Christian, stupid.

  • dk504

    Wow, just wow. These goons want to take away medical procedure from women in life threatening situations. So Joey Pitts – if it were your wife (God help her) on the table, do you really have such a deep seated hatred for women, you let her die.
    It’s not like there is a question whether we are treated like 2nd class citizens, but seriously, this is so out of bounds.
    And Chris Smith(gee, why do they all seem to be GOPers?) is trying to redefine rape to exclude various “nonviolent instances”(I didn’t know there were any instances of nonviolent rape.)by terming the modified concept, “forcible rape”. Uh, Dude – THIS IS NO OTHER KIND ASSHOLE.
    No still means NO. Ya’ know Chris, it must be hard to be classified as male and not have a penis, but here’s the deal, don’t fucking take it out on us. Eunuch.

  • Anonymous

    The dems are trying to take away many freedoms as well, such as what kind of food we can purchase, where we can choose to live, what we say, what kinds of guns we can own, etc… Both dems and repubs are anti-freedom. Anyone that claimed to be Christ would be laughed at and denounced as a cult leader among the Christians, they are actually weary of anyone who would say that as that could indicate that that person is the anti-christ spoken of in the Holy Bible. And out of the strains of Christian thought I have not once come across once anyone saying they will die for everybody’s sins, Yahushua already did that. Just trying to clear up some misconceptions you seem to have on Christianity.

    On abortion, I feel it is wrong, but in no means would I outlaw it. Legislating morality does not end the practice, it would only force it underground where it would be more dangerous for the mother and would greatly increase her chances of dieing too, which would a tragic thing. All the people out there constantly yelling at any involved with abortion should change their tone and put their money where their mouth is. By that I mean they should offer to pay for all the medical expenses of the pregnant woman until the birth, and if the woman still doesn’t want the baby, find a way for it to be adopted. But while it shouldn’t be outlawed, no one’s tax dollars should be used to fund the practice, if the woman really wants she should find the funding on her own.

    .

  • Anonymous

    Jason just reported on the LA news Weeper Speaker Boehner is out here parting in West Hollywood. Yes Boner is living it up on the taxpayers dime and you can bet the drunk found a few honeys to rub his lotion so to speak. The report is he fly out to LA to party and was flying back to DC but he might get a little extra before he leaves. I look forward to TMZ report on the sightings.

  • PrissyPatriot®

    Maybe not evil, just self-loathing or stupid…look at Simple Sarah. Prime example of a republican woman.

  • Anonymous

    Just in time for Valentine’s Day, a “Die, Bitch, Die” bill.

  • Taleisin

    “…since last I checked, rape by definition is non-consensual,” the aide told.

    You needed to check did you? You must have been disappointed in what you found.

  • Anonymous

    There is a pea under one of these three shells. Can you guess which one it is?

    Republican = a woman’s bestest friend.

  • Taleisin

    This subject is what the old Australian Aboriginal Grandmother’s call, ‘Women’s Business.’

    I am a man. I have the easy excuse of saying it’s a woman’s issue, not mine.
    I am not pro-abortion for me, now. But when I was a younger man, the option was seriously considered. I have seen good and bad effects from abortion. I have seen good and bad effects from adoption etc. There is no easy answer to this conundrum. I can only know what is right for me.

    I support the case for raped women to have access to a medical procedure of her choice.
    There may be other instances that I am unaware of, where the procedure is beneficial. I don’t know, I’m a man.

    Why is the Orange One dictating to you, ‘Women’s business’ ? And the women stand quietly behind him. Let one of them speak.

    He is going the angle of old testament prophet.It is a good image to present to a population where 50% go to church. He would make an excellent fundamentalist TV evangelist. And if he has to choose between giving an under-aged rape victim a chance for mental health, or getting elected president, guess who loses? He may not back down like this when the Republicans have the White house again. And they will.

    When the rules become more important that the people they serve, the law is a tyrant.
    Both King David and Jesus understood that.

  • Anonymous

    Personally, I would rather have my tax dollars fund a raped woman’s medical procedure than funding a drone to kill civilians in Afghanistan.

  • Anonymous

    So this is what the teatards elected the wingnuts back into the majority to be focusing on, destruction, obstruction, gays, abortion, guns, tax cuts for the wealthy, cuts to those who are needy and blaming the democrats for the pitiful situaton we are in today. I am here to call every person who voted for the (R) un-American idiots. Get an education, morons.

  • Anonymous

    Because teapublicans believe life begins at conception and ends at birth. That is in the bible.

  • http://twitter.com/NewAmericaNow09 NewAmericaNow

    This is just the powers that be throwing something out there that governemnt has no business dealing with. This only serves to distract us and divides and does not bring us together to solve our miriade of problems

  • Anonymous

    It’s so simple – if you are against abortion, don’t have one. If you are against same sex marriage, don’t marry a gay. Meanwhile the freedom loving, small government advocating party of No, wishes to limit your rights through the use of government. Complete Hypocrites.

  • Anonymous

    Where are the jobs?

  • Anonymous

    Oh, Sweet Jesus on a jumping stick. So now we doom the mother AND the child. These idiots boggle the mind. Right to life???? Whose?

  • Anonymous

    they don’t want to fund education either. Stupid goes all the way through to the bone with these people.

  • Anonymous

    Why does the party who screams of how President Obama is taking away their freedoms wants to take away a woman’s freedom to chose? Our US Constitution grants rights to all Americans yet the republicans want to amend the Constitution take away rights and they say they follow the constitution! The Hypocrisy is appalling!

  • Anonymous

    Thank you teapublican party for focusing on the very important issues that face the nation and affect all Americans. Then I woke up.

  • AnzaSummer

    They believe in complete freedom for corporations and complete regulation of individuals.

  • AnzaSummer

    Now that’s what I’d call small, unobtrusive government. (snark)

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_2NPRPRYZC3RF424Y4G4NKPY3FM Anya O

    These people are really starting to infuriate me! I’m seething!! All they care about is abortion, gays, Muslims, and cutting taxes for the rich. That’s and that’s all.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_2NPRPRYZC3RF424Y4G4NKPY3FM Anya O

    Because they have a BELIEF that unborn fetuses are equivalent to out-of-the-womb human beings. They are legislating their BELIEFS and it needs to stop.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_2NPRPRYZC3RF424Y4G4NKPY3FM Anya O

    No kidding. They promote war and demote education. They promote death penalties while they demote abortion. They complain about the budget but refuse to even consider cutting back defense spending which is out of control and larger than ever in our history. They promote individual freedom and demote gay marriage. They’re walking fallacies.

  • Anonymous

    1984 and Brave New world is their inspiration with a little Robocop mixed in.

  • Anonymous

    That is quite accurate. They just never told us *which* citizens they wanted to grant a small government and which ones would enjoy the full invasive totalitarianism of their masters. It’s almost a fait accompli: Every non-rich-white-male has been speaking up about how they are second class citizens but no one, especially not the unwealthy white guys noticed how while everyone was sorting out their pecking order, the entire class of human citizens has been placed far beneath that of corporate citizens. This control of the masses via manipulation of religion (and the socio-political results of the same) is merely a tool to keep us infighting until it’s too late.

  • Anonymous

    There is no upside to this, but I can see if this shit passes how every woman in the country would put themselves on birth control to avoid this catastrophe. )That is, until they outlaw birth control.) I think these men need to be Lysistrada-ed.

  • Anonymous

    GOP, hypocrisy is thy name. DNC, I have no name to describe what you’ve become. Nazgul, perhaps, neither dead nor alive. They’ve all become so beholden to their corporate masters that they’ll use any distortion of religion and reality in order to control the masses of human citizens. Meanwhile killing hundreds of thousands of human citizens in foreign wars remains profitable to their Masters and therefore beyond reproach. Same for medicine, food supply speculation, monetary actions…the goal of our Government has changed based on who they serve. Now their primary task is to educate us as to our true place to keep their own secure, for they are the “lucky” ones that get to work in the Masters house. The Masters themselves we never really see as they have worked hard to remain politically, legally and socially invisible.

  • Anonymous

    What’s so sad is they care only about the fetus but not the child after it’s born.

  • Rosa Louisa

    The Hyde Amendment is a rider to the annual Labor/Health and Human Services (HHS)/Education appropriations bill which prevents Medicaid and any other programs under these departments from funding abortions, except in limited cases. It is named after Rep. Henry J. Hyde (R-IL) who, as a freshman legislator, first offered the amendment. The limitated cases are: (1) if the pregnancy is the result of an act of rape or incest; or (2) in the case where a woman suffers from a physical disorder, physical injury, or physical illness, including a life-endangering physical condition caused by or arising from the pregnancy itself, that would, as certified by a physician, place the woman in danger of death unless an abortion is performed. Other than those situations the government does NOT fund abortions. Those are the words from the Hyde Amendment (I love copy &paste), don’t believe me then read it yourself.

  • Rosa Louisa

    I would also like to add that this new bill that the are proposing includes all health care entities not just medicare or medicaid. Also they want to prohibit any health care entity to practice or train staff in assisting and doing abortions. So in other terms outlawing abortions. WHICH IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL!!! F~in Republicans and Teabaggers taking my rights away. What are they gonna do next, make it illigal for women to work or get a divorce???

  • justadood

    well…there *are* a few who thought the 18th Amendment was a bad idea…, so in some part, yes…..

  • Rosa Louisa

    You’re seriously comparing this to making alcohol illegal??? You have go to be kidding me…

  • http://www.rawstory.com/ Stumptownhero

    I can’t imagine this getting through the Seante OR past the O man’s veto pen!

    Just like the repeal Obamacare effort this is all for show and a naked appeal to the rabid right base.

    Keep it up you white Christian Boyz casue you will never ever elect a President on the Plat Form you are hammering together now!

  • http://www.rawstory.com/ Stumptownhero

    No you forgot about the one thng they care about most……..their corproate lobbyists contributions!

  • http://www.rawstory.com/ Stumptownhero

    OR the soldger after the war!

  • Anonymous

    A good point

  • Anonymous

    Of course I don’t mean every male to be tested. I mean the male she suspects to be the father. Somewhere in this argument the father has to take responsibility.

  • Anonymous

    The only reason the teatarded baggers are focusing on this hatemongering bill is to avoid focusing on the economy that the republican party caused under the Bush Crime Family.

  • Anonymous

    This cannot pass the Senate, can it? Or be signed by Obama? Is this just their trying to howl to their base: ‘look at us, if we had full power over all branches, this is what we would do?’

    If so: when they had very full control under Bush, why didn’t they do it then?

  • justadood

    actually I was thinking of Women’s Suffrage….thought Prohibition was the 19th Amendment

    No kidding…

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_4WU6MZZJ7LH2IIFL2GSCW6G6FI Sane Person

    Do you think maybe samhoustonTX and HeilMary1 were referring to John Boehner the republican representative from Ohio? Good job making it clear that your opinions are totally not based on reasoned thought. You also were very effective in showing that the people who share your opinion are pretty classless and ignorant— I agree.

  • Rosa Louisa

    Nope…Prohibition is the 18th…The 19th amendment state that no state or the U.S. federal govenment can not deny or abridge any united states citizen the right to vote because of their sex. That’s the amendment that came about from the women suffrage movement…You just got it mixed up…All is forgiven = )

  • Anonymous

    It breaks my heart that women think a right to kill their child is a good thing. We all make mistakes but why not encourage adoption rather than abortion. We stamp our feet about what our rights are but speak little about what our responsibilities may be. Makes me very sad for us all.