A clear choice for women in November

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

James Downie writes at The Plum Line today, The Morning Plum: On women’s health, a clear contrast between Obama and GOP:

Today marks a major milestone for the Obama health care law and, more importantly, women’s health. As the Center for American Progress outlines, “a regulation goes into effect that will phase in guaranteed coverage for a range of preventive services for women with no cost sharing, such as co-pays, deductibles, or co-insurance.” Services covered include contraceptive methods and counseling, counseling for STDs, domestic violence screening and counseling, HPV and HIV tests and annual well-woman visits. 47 million women will be able to access these services now.

And while a Democratic White House is allowing women to access these basic parts of health care, what are Republicans doing for women?

The House of Representatives voted down a bill on Tuesday night that would have prohibited women in Washington, D.C. from getting abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, even in cases involving rape or incest.

The bill received 220-154 votes, but because the Republicans brought it up under a suspension of House rules, it did not receive the two-thirds majority needed to pass.

Yes, even in cases of rape or incest. Earlier this month, Republicans voted again to repeal the Affordable Care Act, including these preventative services for women, and they have sought to undercut the law’s provisions for several of these services, especially birth control, numerous times since the ACA was passed.

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[T]his is a struggle between a party that wants more women to have access to essential health care services and a party that has decided rape victims must carry their child to term.

This abortion bill is the handiwork of Arizona's Rep. Trent Franks. Franks' bill restricting abortions in DC fails:

A bill by Rep. Trent Franks, R-Ariz., to ban abortions in the District of Columbia after 20 weeks of pregnancy failed to get the two-thirds majority needed to pass the House Tuesday.

The House voted 220-154 for the District of Columbia Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, well shy of the 250 votes needed to make up the two-thirds of those present to pass.

It is the second such defeat this summer for Franks. In May, his bill that would have outlawed abortions based on the race or gender of a fetus was supported 246-168 but was also shy of the 276 votes needed to pass as a special measure.

Two things you should keep in mind. First, if this bill had been brought up under ordinary House rules rather than a suspension of House rules, it would have passed — twice. Second, Rep. Franks bill has 222 Cosponsors!

Here is the roll call vote (Roll no. 539). 55 House members did not vote, 2 voted present, and sadly, 17 Democrats actually voted in favor of this bill.