In another attempt to bring an anti-abortion agenda onto the national stage, Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, and House Republicans passed the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act Wednesday night. Under the bill’s provisions, which many of the Congressional sponsors are not apt to discuss, “abortion cops” would be in control of auditing rape and incest victims and more than 13 million women would lose abortion coverage under Medicaid and other government programs.
Although President Barack Obama will most likely not sign the bill even if it passes the Senate, the audacity of House Republicans to pass such a bill is glaringly ignorant. It shows a lack of understanding regarding women who receive benefits from Medicaid and alternative government programs that assist the poor. These are the people who need to have more support regarding family planning. These are the people who cannot afford to have another child and should have support in any decision they make, whether support is emotional or medical. The House’s decision to pass this bill is indicative of a growing division between legislators and the general populace.
The idea that a woman has to document her rape or incest incident in order to receive tax credits is not only absurd – it is also psychologically damaging. There is no reason why a woman should have to revisit an emotionally traumatic experience for financial reasons. When, or if, these examinations are conducted, how can “abortion cops” decide who receives these credits and who doesn’t? This is precisely why there has been such opposition to the bill. It attempts to redefine rape according to the subjective interpretation of certain government officials, simply for the purpose of maintaining a tighter grip on tax credits.
Passing the No Taxpayer Funding or Abortion Act does not improve the U.S. economy, nor does it solve any of the educational crises. It serves no real function except to slight women of their sexual autonomy in favor of a growing conservative movement and define the context under which abortions are reasonable. If House Republicans were truly invested in fiscal responsibility and representing the “common person,” they would not produce a bill that robs women of already limited medical choices.
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