by Jason Stotts
With all of the congratulations and celebrations yesterday that the Republicans managed to get the socialist healthcare monstrosity ruled unconstitutional, paving the way for it to go to the Supreme Court, we need to remember that although we share a common enemy in the Democrats, the Republicans are our enemy as well. Frankly, I think they’re the even bigger threat with their ultimate goal of theocracy and the suppression of all rationality and even versions of faith that they deem not pure (insane) enough.
For just a little reminder of this, let’s look at two new big Republican pushes against abortion.
1. The Republicans, while on the one hand saying the government should stay out of our healthcare system, are on the other hand trying to make it a law that no public money, private insurance money, or even HSA money can be used to pay for abortions.
But anti-abortion lawmakers are not satisfied. The new bill, introduced by Christopher Smith, a New Jersey Republican, would bar outright the use of federal subsidies to buy any insurance that covers abortion well beyond the new exchanges.
The tax credits that are encouraging small businesses to provide insurance for their workers could not be used to buy policies that cover abortions. People with their own policies who have enough expenses to claim an income tax deduction could not deduct either the premiums for policies that cover abortion or the cost of an abortion. People who use tax-preferred savings accounts to pay medical costs could not use the money to pay for an abortion without paying taxes on it. (via NYT)
Since they can’t outlaw abortion directly, they’re going to try to use everything they have to try to make it practically impossible.
2. Tying into this, the Republicans are trying to redefine legal rape to only instances of violent rape, so that they can remove many of the exceptions that make it legal to use federal money to pay for abortions in instances of rape.
Rape is only really rape if it involves force. So says the new House Republican majority as it now moves to change abortion law.
For years, federal laws restricting the use of government funds to pay for abortions have included exemptions for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest. (Another exemption covers pregnancies that could endanger the life of the woman.) But the “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act,” a bill with 173 mostly Republican co-sponsors that House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) has dubbed a top priority in the new Congress, contains a provision that would rewrite the rules to limit drastically the definition of rape and incest in these cases.
With this legislation, which was introduced last week by Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), Republicans propose that the rape exemption be limited to “forcible rape.” This would rule out federal assistance for abortions in many rape cases, including instances of statutory rape, many of which are non-forcible. For example: If a 13-year-old girl is impregnated by a 24-year-old adult, she would no longer qualify to have Medicaid pay for an abortion. (link)
If the Republicans are successful in these religiously motivated pushes, then it will mean that for many people, abortion will become practically impossible for anyone who cannot pay cash for it.
What makes me most upset about the Republicans, besides the fact of their religious insanity, is that they have the audacity to talk about how they want “freedom,” but yet want to enslave the population to the dictates of their imaginary friend in the sky.
Sometimes I think that politicians read Orwell’s 1984 just to learn Doublespeak.
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Update
Now, Republican Bobby Franklin, state representative of Georgia, has introduced a new bill that would change the wording for “victims” of rape to “accusers” of rape, until and unless the person accused of rape is found guilty. Note, that “victims” of fraud, assault, negligence, etc., will still be called “victims,” just not women who accuse men of rape.
If we associate ourselves with Republicans, we will become dirty by association with their craziness. We need to keep our hands clean and criticize the irrationality of both parties, working with one or the other as having a common enemy, but never as allies.