Tag: CHOICE

Efforts by Anti-Choice Advocates to Redefine and Limit Contraception

The following article by Osub Ahmed was posted on the Center for American Progress website March 26, 2018:

A woman holds a sign in front of the U.S. Capitol on International Women’s Day, March 2017. Credit: Getty/Melina Mara

The U.S. Supreme Court’s 1973 landmark decision in Roe v. Wade was a critical step forward for women’s equality, establishing vital, constitutionally protected privacy rights that enable women to access abortion services. However, the ruling also became a target for anti-choice politicians and advocates to organize around. Since the Supreme Court’s decision, these groups’ attacks on abortion access have become an everyday reality that reproductive health advocates, providers, and patients must face. From targeted regulation of abortion provider (TRAP) laws to mandatory waiting periods and biased counseling, there is a well-organized and widespread effort to limit a woman’s ability to make decisions about her own reproductive health when it comes to pregnancy. What is less visible—but equally as disturbing—is an intentional strategy to attack access to birth control methods that is predicated on conflating abortion and contraception. This strategy of blurring the line between abortion and contraception is part of a radical agenda to assign personhood and constitutional rights at the point of fertilization, thus further imposing limits on reproductive health services. Continue reading “Efforts by Anti-Choice Advocates to Redefine and Limit Contraception”

House Republicans Vote to Remove Consumer Protections & Risk Another Financial Crisis

NOTE:  Minnesota CD3 Representative Erik Paulsen vote to enact this bill.


 

MESSAGE FROM THE DEMOCRATIC WHIP

This week, House Republicans passed the Wrong Choice Act, which would dismantle consumer protections and allow Wall Street to engage in the same kind of risky practices that led to the financial crisis in 2008. The bill would gut the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which has returned $12 billion to 29 million Americans who were wronged by financial institutions, as well as eliminate rules of the road to prevent another financial crisis and taxpayer bailouts.

Unfortunately, the Wrong Choice Act is another example of Republicans rolling back protections for workers, consumers, investors, teachers and students, public health, and others – instead of addressing the priorities of the American people. Republicans have had control of both chambers of Congress and the White House for nearly six months, and they have failed to deliver for the American people. Among other failures, they haven’t yet put forward a single jobs bill or an infrastructure bill; they haven’t proposed a budget or started the process to fund the government; and they haven’t introduced comprehensive tax reform.

In the Senate, FBI Director Comey testified before the Intelligence Committee yesterday, and he reiterated that Russia interfered in the election and that they will do it again if we do not get to the bottom of what happened. He was right – this isn’t a partisan issue. We must work together to protect the integrity of our democracy. That is why I continue to call for an independent, bipartisan commission to investigate Russia’s efforts to interfere in the 2016 election and ties between Russia and President Trump’s campaign.  The American people deserve a public investigation and the full truth, and Democrats will continue to urge Republicans to work with us to establish such a commission.

Sincerely yours,