The Republican War on Women's Reproductive Health Care

Right -wing media is claiming the “War on Women” was created by Democrats and the liberal media. However, just take a look at but a few of the recent legislative efforts by the GOP around Washington and the country.

In February 2011, the House approved GOP Rep. Mike Pence’s amendment to cut off funding to Planned Parenthood. The vote was 240-185 with 11 Democrats voting for the amendment, and seven Republicans voting against. One member voted present. A group of Republicans on the floor applauded when the vote hit 218. Planned Parenthood estimates it received a quarter of the $317 million in Title X funds appropriated last year. They use the money for pelvic exams, breast exams, safer-sex counseling and basic infertility counseling, among other things. source

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In May 2011, House Republicans unanimously passed the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, which created a “ban on the District [of Columbia] using its own money to fund abortions for low-income women.” The Act cleared the House on a 251-175 vote, with 16 Democrats joining all 235 Republicans present to support it. source

In February 2012, Republicans in the Virginia House of Delegates introduced a bill that would have required women in the early stages of pregnancy to undergo an “invasive” transvaginal ultrasound before an abortion. Following public pressure, [t]he House of Delegates passed a modified version of the bill that still requires a medically unnecessary ultrasound. source

In February 2012, Republicans in the Pennsylvania State House introduced legislation requiring that “medical professionals say women would have to undergo an invasive, vaginal ultrasound.” On March 2, The New York Times noted that the State House majority leader canceled debate on the bill “follow[ing] a national uproar over a similar proposal in Virginia”. source

Alabama GOP Attempted To Pass Transvaginal Ultrasound Bill but in February 2012, Alabama GOP State Sen. Clay Scofield ended debate over a bill that would have required transvaginal ultrasounds before getting an abortion. source

In February 2012, GOP lawmakers on the Idaho Senate State Affairs Committee unanimously voted to introduce a bill that would have required “an invasive transvaginal ultrasound” procedure “before any Idaho woman could have an abortion.” source

In March, Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) introduced an amendment to a highway funding bill that “would have allowed not only religious groups but any employer with moral objections to opt out of the coverage requirement.” source

In March, “conservative Republican lawmakers” in Texas implemented a law that would “cut off clinics with any affiliation to a[n abortion] provider, even if it’s just a shared name, employee or board member.” source

In March, Georgia Republicans passed a bill that would have “cut by about six weeks the time women in Georgia may have an elective abortion.” According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the bill “would tighten medical exemptions for terminating pregnancies and require any abortion performed after 20 weeks of pregnancy be done in a way to bring the fetus out alive. No exemption is made for rape or incest”. source

The Republican-led state legislature in Arizona is passed a bill banning “most abortions performed after 20 weeks of pregnancy” and effectively defining pregnancy as beginning before conception. source

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The Republican War on Women’s Reproductive Health Care