The one bright spot in yesterday’s firestorm of health care reform news was that Barbara Boxer drove a stake through the heart of Ben Nelson’s version of the anti-choice Stupak amendment. Her motion to permanently table it easily passed with 54 votes.
Diana DeGette of the Pro-Choice Caucus in the House,
“I am delighted the U.S. Senate has rejected an extreme amendment that would have turned back the clock on a woman’s right to choose. The underlying Senate bill already prohibits federal funding of abortion. The amendment the Senate rejected today was an attempt to use health care reform to restrict women’s access to reproductive health services. Throughout the conference process, pro-choice Members will be working to ensure that health care reform legislation does not restrict abortion rights beyond current law. Over 40 Members of the House have vowed not to support a conference report that further restricts a woman’s right to choose.”
So we can fold up our tent and start our Christmas shopping early, right?
Not a chance.
Look, by now we’ve all heard the reports that President Obama promised to strip Stupak from the final bill, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah….
Well, if anything, yesterday’s events puts a bright, shining spotlight to how this process really works. The cold, hard truth is Obama won’t lift a finger if it means losing even a few votes in the House for the final bill. And so far, One Voice For Choice is the only campaign going on out there that’s targeting the Stupak coalition of conservadems that says you can’t pass a final bill without gutting women’s reproductive rights.
This latest development in the Senate makes our work even more urgent. Because now, the only thing standing between a woman’s right to chose and Bart Stupak is us.
We have phone banks coming up this week in the DC Metro area, New York City, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Texas and California.
Join one of phone bank efforts already going, or if there’s not one in your district, to start one of your own. It’s easy, it’s fun, and best of all, you will make a difference.
[Find a phone bank full of your friends and neighbors after the jump!]
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9
6pm-9pm
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10
6pm-9pm
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12
12-3pm
9am-3pm
1pm-5pm
3pm-6pm
(Jane Hamsher will be at this one!)
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13
11am-2pm
1pm-4pm
12-3pm
MONDAY, DECEMBER 14
6-8pm
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16
6pm-9pm
The one bright spot in yesterday’s firestorm of health care reform news was that Barbara Boxer drove a stake through the heart of Ben Nelson’s version of the anti-choice Stupak amendment. Her motion to permanently table it easily passed with 54 votes.
Diana DeGette of the Pro-Choice Caucus in the House,
“I am delighted the U.S. Senate has rejected an extreme amendment that would have turned back the clock on a woman’s right to choose. The underlying Senate bill already prohibits federal funding of abortion. The amendment the Senate rejected today was an attempt to use health care reform to restrict women’s access to reproductive health services. Throughout the conference process, pro-choice Members will be working to ensure that health care reform legislation does not restrict abortion rights beyond current law. Over 40 Members of the House have vowed not to support a conference report that further restricts a woman’s right to choose.”
So we can fold up our tent and start our Christmas shopping early, right?
Not a chance.
Look, by now we’ve all heard the reports that President Obama promised to strip Stupak from the final bill, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah….
Well, if anything, yesterday’s events puts a bright, shining spotlight to how this process really works. The cold, hard truth is Obama won’t lift a finger if it means losing even a few votes in the House for the final bill. And so far, One Voice For Choice is the only campaign going on out there that’s targeting the Stupak coalition of conservadems that says you can’t pass a final bill without gutting women’s reproductive rights.
This latest development in the Senate makes our work even more urgent. Because now, the only thing standing between a woman’s right to chose and Bart Stupak is us.
We have phone banks coming up this week in the DC Metro area, New York City, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Texas and California.
Join one of phone bank efforts already going, or if there’s not one in your district, to start one of your own. It’s easy, it’s fun, and best of all, you will make a difference.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9
New York (Manhattan), NY
6pm-9pm
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10
New York (Manhattan), NY
6pm-9pm
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12
Mar Vista, CA
12-3pm
Downtown Los Angeles, CA
9am-3pm
Simi Valley, CA
1pm-3pm
Austin, Texas
1pm-5pm
Rockville, MD
3pm-6pm
(Jane Hamsher will be at this one!)
San Francisco, CA
11am-2pm
Fresno,CA
1pm-4pm
San Diego CA
12-3pm
Elizabethtown, PA
6-8pm
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16
New York (Manhattan), NY
6pm-8pm
Denver, CO
6pm-9pm
