PELOSI PREPARED TO FIGHT ‘RADICAL ASSAULT ON WOMEN’S HEALTH’…. A month into the 112th Congress, the new Republican majority isn’t especially concerned about creating jobs, but it’s consumed with efforts to restrict women’s reproductive rights.
The culture war appears to rank pretty low on the list of Americans’ priorities right now, but four weeks in, the GOP has pushed the odious “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act,” the life-threatening “Protect Life Act,” and the plan to raise business taxes over their insurance plans that might cover abortions. Other proposals are on the way to cut off federal dollars to women’s health care clinics that offer abortions, and to eliminate Title X funding, which Planned Parenthood depends on.
Culture warrior Rep. Joe Pitts (R-Pa.) boasted this week, “This House is more pro-life than it’s ever been.” That’s probably true, but a certain former House Speaker reminded us yesterday that the GOP’s crusade will be met by fierce Democratic opposition.
Women’s reproductive rights are being seriously threatened by the Republican Party, according to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who said she is worried that many women are complacent about the possibility that they will lose access to abortions.
“They’re advancing extreme legislation,” Pelosi said Thursday during a conference call with reporters. “It’s dangerous to women’s health, disrespects the judgment of American women — I don’t know if they even gave that a thought — and it’s the most comprehensive and radical assault on women’s health in our lifetime. It’s that bad.” […]
“We have to make this issue too hot to handle,” said Pelosi, adding, “I would like to make the fight in the House and see where some of these Republicans are — maybe we could win it on Title X. I can’t believe that everybody who is anti a woman’s right to choose is anti-birth control and contraception and family planning. But we don’t know that, and we don’t have any idea — or I don’t, anyway — where the Tea Party people come down in all of this.”
There are plenty of issues on which Dems feel defensive — but this isn’t one of them. It’s not just that Republicans are preoccupied with abortion instead of jobs, which makes them vulnerable to criticism, it’s also that Democrats see the GOP effort as a war on women.
It’s a fight Pelosi is ready and willing to have.
