Only the fetus is the image of God. Women who carry them? Meh.
by digby
I've written about this heinous bill before but I didn't think it would make it to the House floor. But I expect they'll get a vote. And I expect they will pass it.
H.R. 3803, a bill to ban abortions in the District of Columbia after 20 weeks gestation, is heading to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives after members of the GOP-dominated House Judiciary Committee yesterday voted in favor of it by 18 to 14. The bill would ban abortions in D.C. after 20 weeks, allowing an exception only to save a pregnant woman’s life.
The bill, sponsored by Congressman Trent Franks (R-AZ), denies a woman access to a medically necessary abortion. It includes no exceptions for situations where continuing a pregnancy will place at risk a woman’s health or ability to have children in the future, for women who may have serious but non-life threatening medical conditions, are suffering from a severe mental illness, or who learn of a fatal or severe fetal anomaly. It would also subject a doctor to criminal penalties for performing a safe and legal medical procedure.
The majority of committee members rejected all proposed amendments that would have added minimal exceptions to protect women's health. The GOP majority, for example, voted against an amendment by Congressman Mike Quigley (D-IL) to protect cancer patients in cases where chemotherapy or other treatments to save a woman's life might interfere with her pregnancy.
Truly, we're coming closer to the moment at which they declare that abortion is wrong even to save the life of the mother, which is what they really do believe. Women who refuse to give their lives for their fetus are obviously selfish and unloving.
Bria Murray wrote a response to Congressman Franks. This is just an excerpt, you need to read the whole thing:
And, to bring this letter full-circle, how dare you, Representative Franks. How dare you claim to care about pregnant people and the babies they are carrying when you voted to deny federal funding to Planned Parenthood, the very organization that helped empower me to keep my baby.
Because, you see, Representative Franks, after I found out I was carrying my rapist's child, I was scared - more scared than you could ever possibly fathom. Originally, I went to one of those "life-affirming" crisis pregnancy centers, as it was closer to me than a Planned Parenthood.
It was there I was told that after I explained my situation, I was told that, face it, I would probably not make a good mother. After all, look at the "mess" I had gotten myself into. I was encouraged to "do the right thing" and give my baby to a couple who could "give it a better life" than I ever could. Why, I would have couples lining up at my door to adopt! After all, I was young and healthy and, most importantly, white. I ran from that center feeling more traumatized than the night I was raped.
It wasn't until I took the hour bus ride to a Planned Parenthood that I was presented with the revolutionary option of carrying and raising my own child. I was given information about how to apply for runaway federal spending, er, excuse me, food stamps, TANF and Medicaid. I was asked if I had access to prenatal care, and, if not, did I know that I could get it right here? They gave me the information for a local rape crisis center that could connect me with counseling so I had some one to help me through the trauma that I had experienced. Yes, abortion was presented to me as an option, but it was in no way pushed on me. Abortion, adoption and parenting were all given equal credence. And, most importantly, I was told that Planned Parenthood would do their best to support me in whatever decision I made.
In case you are wondering, Representative Franks, this is what caring for women and babies looks like.
I didn't know that these "crisis pregnancy centers" were in the business of procuring babies for their nice Christian supporters, but it doesn't surprise me. Maybe someone should send in some hidden cameras as see what's up.
This is a cruel law that won't be signed into law as long as the Senate isn't in GOP hands and Obama is the president. But they will keep trying until the moon and stars align for them. This is how strongly they feel about it --- Trent Franks:
Obama's first act as president of any consequence, in the middle of a financial meltdown, was to send taxpayers' money overseas to pay for the killing of unborn children in other countries...there's almost nothing that you should be surprised at after that. We shouldn't be shocked that he does all these other insane things. A president that has lost his way that badly, that has no ability to see the image of God in these little fellow human beings, if he can't do that right, then he has no place in any station of government and we need to realize that he is an enemy of humanity.
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