Where logic and moral agendas collide —
Things have taken a turn for the absurd in the battle over reproductive rights in the United States. A bill has passed in the House with an amendment by Representative Mark Pence (R-IN), essentially eliminating funding for Planned Parenthood, an organization that provides reproductive health and child health services. The main arguments for this cut appear to be legitimate budget concerns, a wish to prevent taxpayer funding for abortion, and concerns over the program’s agenda. The effort, being mimicked by state legislatures across the country, shows a disturbing pursuit of moral agenda taking precedence over real concerns for women’s sexual health.
The short answer
- Taxpayer funding for abortion is already prohibited by the Hyde Amendment, which forbids federal funding for abortion in almost all cases.
- By slashing funding for Planned Parenthood, legislators would be cutting funding not for abortion, but rather for pelvic exams, breast exams, counseling, screenings for sexually transmitted disease and newborn infant care. These services are preventative, keeping the federal government from footing a much larger bill later on.
- The recent videos and audio footage provided by Live Action criticizing the work of Planned Parenthood is highly edited and misleading.
What does this amendment accomplish?
This amendment is gutting a healthcare provider that is desperately needed by millions of low-income women. The organization provides birth control, cancer screening, medical advice and information for those who would not otherwise be able to afford it. According to the Guttmacher Institute, an authority on reproductive health, the rise in unintended pregnancies that this legislation would cause would ultimately result in 400,000 more abortions per year.
It is difficult to see the sense in this measure. The stated reasoning behind the the amendment is flawed. The real aim, reduction of abortion rates in the United States, is unachieved. Low income women are left without vital services.
Bringing things home
The dialogue in Washington and across the country right now has nothing to do with an individual organization. It is an attack on the reproductive rights of women in this country. Representative Mark Pence (R-IN) and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) are not talking about the budget or safety. They are talking about their morals and my uterus.
I object.
Caitria O’Neill is a staff writer for the Harvard Political Review
Photo credit: Planned Parenthood