Orange 45 just signed a bill into law that allows states to withhold federal Title X family planning funding to health facilities if they provide abortions.
This is REALLY BAD.
It means that people seeking not only abortion care, but cancer screenings, STI testing, birth control and prenatal care will most likely not be able to access it in states that are ruled by anti-choice maniacs. COUGH – Matt Bevin (KY). COUGH – John Kasich (OH). COUGH – Greg Abbott (TX). Independent abortion providers and health facilities that happen to also provide abortions are going to suffer and who does this disproportionately affect the most? Low-income women of color and people without health insurance living in rural areas. This is discriminatory and so F*CKED UP!
What’s even more shitty about all of this is that federal money was NEVER ALLOWED TO FUND ABORTIONS ANYWAY because of the Hyde Amendment. Now even more millions of federal dollars could potentially be allocated to health facilities like Crisis Pregnancy Centers (CPC’s), which are anti-choice ‘facilities’ that dissuade people from getting abortions and spread lies that end up hurting women. READ UP on these CPC’s – they are dangerous and may now be receiving YOUR tax dollars.
There are people being vocal about this horrible law.
The Executive Director of the Abortion Care Network (ACN), Nikki Madsen, writes, “Playing politics with these essential health services and reducing the number of clinics providing reproductive health care is unjust and means many people may not get the health care they need.”
Surprisingly, two republican senators voted against the original bill, but unsurprisingly, they’re both WOMEN. Sen. Susan Collins (ME) said, “We’re talking about federal family planning funds and I don’t think that those funds should be subjected to state restrictions.” Shout out to Sen. Lisa Murkowski (AK) who said that “men and women should have access to the family planning and reproductive health services they need, including cancer tests and health screenings.”
The President of Emily’s List (an organization supporting Democratic females for political office who support abortion), Stephanie Schriock, said “We won’t stand for it!”
AND WE WON’T!!
So what is the biggest argument someone would have in favor for this decision? You might've heard the hit classic “MY TAXES SHOULDN’T PAY FOR OTHER PEOPLE’S ABORTIONS!” It has been topping the anti-choice billboard charts in red-states everywhere. BUT FACT TIME! Because of the Hyde Amendment, federal funds already cannot be used for abortion. Below is a special crash-course on it for your viewing pleasure (feel free to drop in the mentions of your favorite ‘abortion tax' conspirator).
Following the recent news, Nikki Madsen from the Abortion Care Network wrote a quick piece that highlights MANY of the reasons allowing states to withhold Title X will be a nightmare.
SPOILER ALERT – if you're young, rural, or a minority THE NIGHTMARE IS YOURS!
The clinics LPJL plans to visit during the ‘VAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR‘ are just a few of the many that will suffer substantially if their state accept B.I.C's shit-bucket challenge. You can DONATE to the Tour so that we can provide them the best outreach and comedy show they've ever seen!
