Feb 18, 2011: The House votes to ban all funding for Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood is already prevented by federal law from using federal dollars for abortion services. This amendment takes away the money they use to provide family planning, birth control, medical and preventive services, including cancer screenings.
Feb 17, 2011: Texas Senate passes law requiring all abortion-seeking women to first get an ultrasound. This is in addition to the 24 hour waiting period and “medical information” spiels (anti-abortion propaganda) already mandatory for abortion seekers.
Feb 16, 2011: Republican officials in Maryland cut funding for the Head Start, a daycare program for children of low-income families, saying that women should get married and stay home with kids instead. Huh?
Feb 15, 2011: South Dakota Republicans table a bill that would make murder of abortion doctors legal.
Feb 9, 2011: GOP backs massive tax increase to deter abortion coverage by private insurers. Private insurers. Massive tax increase. GOP.
Feb 9, 2011: Republican lawmakers in Ohio unveil legislation that would ban abortions of any fetus found to have a heartbeat. Fetal heartbeats develop between 2.5 weeks and 6 weeks after conception, before most women even realise they are pregnant. The move would therefore effectively ban almost all abortions.
Feb 7, 2011: Georgian lawmakers proposes relabeling all victims of rape, domestic violence and stalking as “accusers” rather than “victims” until the accused is convicted. Victims of all other, less gendered crimes such as assault, fraud, burglary, etc. would remain “victims”.
Feb 3, 2011: GOP introduces revised HR 358 bill which lets ER doctors and hospitals refuse life-saving treatments to pregnant women if the treatment may harm the fetus. Ironically dubbed the “Protect Life Act”, it seems oblivious to the fact that if pregnant women are refused life-saving treatments, the fetus dies with them.
Feb 2, 2011: Republicans stop health insurance coverage of birth control. Every dollar spent on birth control is shown to save ~$2.10 in welfare spending.
Jan 27, 2011: Arkansas is poised to ban private insurance coverage of abortions, requiring women to purchase additional special “abortion rider”policies if they think they might need an abortion someday. These special plans are not offered by any insurance provider in the state.
Jan 26, 2011: Kansas Republicans introduce a bill that would require girls under the age of 18 to receive the explicit consent of both parents before seeking an abortion. In the event of family sexual abuse, the girl women will still need the approval of one parent.
Jan 25, 2011: Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MI) proposes the “Life at Conception Act” bill, which seeks to define human life as beginning at the moment of conception and terminate abortion rights created by Roe v. Wade.
Jan 24, 2011: Idaho upholds the right of pharmacists to deny any medication to women whom they suspect of having had an abortion sometime in the past, even if the medication causes no harm to any fetus past or present, and even if the medication is potentially life-saving.
Jan 21, 2011: GOP introduces HR 3, the “No Taxpayer Funding For Abortion Act”, intended to codify the Hyde Amendment already in effect since 1976 which denies federal funding for abortions except in cases of rape and incest. The bill redefines rape of poor women to mean only violent “forcible” rape, excluding previously eligible victims of date rape, statutory rape, and other presumably nonobjectionable forms of not-really-rape.
Jan 20, 2011: GOP proposes a $318 million annual spending cut from Title X Family Planning, a figure that represents the program’s entire budget as of 2009 (2010 figures unavailable). Title X is the only federal grant program dedicated solely to providing low-income individuals with comprehensive family planning and related preventive health services. It does not fund abortions.
The really interesting thing to emerge is a nice summary of the Republican platform: fuck poor people.
Birth control should not be affordable. Abortion should not be accessible – failing that, it should not be affordable. Childcare should not be affordable. Women should not work outside the home. And also, poor families should not get welfare benefits of any sort. Fuck poor people.
I’m pretty disgusted with the world right now.
OMG!!
Preach it, sista.
The Republican position doesn't make any sense at all. It will lead to greater infant mortality, more poverty, and a wedge between the upper class and lower class, pushing the middle class to the lower end. All in the name of pacifying the evangelical vote bank.
It is truly a frightening time to be a woman in the United States.
“It is truly a frightening time to be a woman in the United States.”
It is truly frightening to be anyone not rich in America right now. The more sensitive males like to be included too. Reverse bias hurts too.
The Republican Party in a nutshell, folks. Isn’t it a lovely sight? America taking huge steps back instead of forward. What’s next, the burning and stoning of women who can read and write or whatever as “witches”? Anyone in need of an abortion or medication for birth control, just see your local street doctor located in your local and friendly neighborhood back alley!
I'm feeling pretty useless because I'm on the other side of the world, but wow… Something must be done.
So, what's the difference between the GOP and the Taliban? 'Cause I'm wondering when the GOP's version of the burka'll be rolled out — a skirt that has a hemline 'just so' and a shirt that is buttoned 'just so' and pumps with heels 'just so' and pantyhose with the line running straight up the back leg…
what a disturbing and depressing list..
oh and violent, forcible rape.. why of course! as opposed to awesome, feels-good, consensual rape, right?
And it doesn't stop:
http://iowaindependent.com/52869/iowa-bills-open-door-for-use-of-deadly-force-to-protect-the-unborn
http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/02/nebraska-justifiable-homicide-abortion-bill