COVID-19 & Healthcare

Tea-Publicans renew their war on Planned Parenthood and ‘ObamaCare,’ threaten to crash the economy

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Tea-Publicans were opposed to the “reconciliation” process before they were for it (when it suits their need to feed the GOPropoganda machine). The only principle they have is whatever works for us.

EddieMunsterThe GOP’s alleged boy genius and Ayn Rand fanboy, Rep. Paul Ryan, “the zombie-eyed granny starver from Wisconsin” who chairs the House Ways and Means Committee and is the heir apparent to Speaker of the House after a vote next week, drafted a reconciliation bill that partially repeals “ObamaCare” and defunds Planned parenthood for a year. “No healthcare for you!”

The Hill reports, House passes partial ObamaCare repeal:

The House voted along party lines on Friday to approve a budget reconciliation bill that would repeal parts of ObamaCare and halt federal funding for Planned Parenthood.

Only seven House Republicans voted against the partial ObamaCare repeal bill, though it has become a target of opposition from 2016 presidential candidates Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), as well as powerful groups such as Heritage Action for America.

The final total was 240-189. Rep. Collin Peterson (D-Minn.), a vocal opponent of abortion, was the only Democrat to break ranks.

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For once, lack of evidence stops an anti-choice law

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Crossposted from DemocraticDiva.com

Evidence pyramidIllustration and explanation: Chelsea B. Polis, PhD www.chelseapolis.com

Pro-choice forces won two victories in Arizona last week. One was the federal court striking down a ban of off-label use of abortion medication (known to be safer than the original FDA protocol) and the other was the court blocking a new law requiring doctors to give abortion patients dubious information about the possibility of “reversing” a medication abortion.

It gets even better with the latter decision, per Jessica Mason Pieklo, Senior Legal Analyst for RH Reality Check:

Attorneys for the State of Arizona asked the court to postpone the trial, in part because its primary expert to defend the law lacked the “publication and research background and experience” to be qualified as an expert witness.

Federal courts are required to determine whether an expert is qualified to testify, including whether the expert’s methodology is sufficiently reliable to support the proposed opinions. The court must further decide whether the expert’s proposed testimony will, through the application of scientific, technical, or specialized expertise, assist the court in understanding the evidence or determining a fact at issue.

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The lunatics have taken over the asylum with House GOP reconciliation bill

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LunaticsTea-Publicans cried “tyranny!” when Democrats used the reconciliation process to pass necessary budget bills over GOP obstruction when they controlled the House and Senate.

But now that Tea-Publicans want to repeal “ObamaCare” and defund Planned Parenthood, and they are in control of the House and Senate, these hypocrites suddenly loves them some reconciliation.

President Obama has promised a veto, and Tea-Publicans have no hope of overriding his veto. The lunatics have taken over the aylum and are acting out in a partisan temper tantrum — a looming government shutdown be damned.

The budget package moving in the House this week is creating a headache for Senate Republicans. House’s Planned Parenthood fight is problem for GOP senators:

The budget package, which under budget reconciliation rules cannot be filibustered in the Senate, will block money for Planned Parenthood and gut ObamaCare.

The problem: It’s unclear whether Senate Republicans can gather the 51 votes needed to approve it.

Three Senate Republicans are on record as opposing an end to federal funding for Planned Parenthood.

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If you don’t like abortion then you need to be supporting this

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Crossposted from DemocraticDiva.com

IUDs

I went to the salon discussion hosted by Arizona Family Health Partnership on the Colorado birth control experiment Thursday night and I have to say it exceeded my already high expectations of it. It was no elaborate production (though it was held in a nice art gallery), simply AFHP president Brenda Thomas giving a brief introduction of Greta Klingler, who then spoke about leading the effort in Colorado from 2008 to the present to address unplanned pregnancy among young and low-income women by offering them effective forms of birth control control for free. A six year study on the program’s effectiveness determined the results were “startling” in lowering unintended pregnancy and abortion rates.

They did in a big way, and the results were startling. The birthrate among teenagers across the state plunged by 40 percent from 2009 to 2013, while their rate of abortions fell by 42 percent, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. There was a similar decline in births for another group particularly vulnerable to unplanned pregnancies: unmarried women under 25 who have not finished high school.

“Our demographer came into my office with a chart and said, ‘Greta, look at this, we’ve never seen this before,’ ” said Greta Klingler, the family planning supervisor for the public health department. “The numbers were plummeting.”

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Congress acts to avert a government shutdown at midnight

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It’s the final countdown to midnight, and averting the GOP’s “Planned” government shutdown.

The Septuagenarian Ninja Turtle, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, has delivered on his end of the bargain. Senate passes funding bill to avert government shutdown:

Republican leaders Senator Mitch McConnell and John Boehner speak after a bipartisan meeting with President Barack Obama at the White House in WashingtonThe Senate voted overwhelmingly Wednesday in favor of a funding bill that would avert a government shutdown and fund federal agencies through Dec. 11.

The measure, which also provides emergency funding to fight wildfires and extends the expiring authority of the Federal Aviation Administration, passed the Senate by a vote of 78-20.

Roll Call Vote 272, Arizona Sens. John McCain and Jeff Flake voted in favor.

The TanMan’s House has taken a procedural vote to advance a spending bill to avoid a government shutdown. House moves toward final funding vote:

The House easily advanced a spending bill to avoid a government shutdown at midnight, setting up a final vote later Wednesday.

The procedural rule governing debate on the bill passed 239-187 with only three Republicans voting against it. Roll Call Vote 525.

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