I had to pop in today because of a crucial vote being taken on the Stupak amendment, which would effectively ban private coverage of abortion for women except in cases of rape, incest, and danger to mother's health. Currently some private insurance plans allow for coverage of elective abortion, but this amendment would ban private insurers from covering abortion except in cases of rape, incest, and danger to the mother's health.
This amendment is a major step back for women's rights, and we NEED you guys to call these House members below to urge a NO vote on the Stupak amendment!
HCAN has a tool that you can use to START CALLING REPRESENTATIVES RIGHT NOW!
Here's more on what happened yesterday when Stupak was able to offer his anti-choice amendment:
Abortion opponents won a huge last-minute concession late Friday night when leaders agreed to give Michigan Rep. Bart Stupak a vote on his amendment effectively barring insurers that participate in the exchange from providing abortions, except in the case of rape, incest or when the mother's health is in danger.
The concession was expected to free up the votes Democrats need to approve the bill, even though reproductive rights groups were expected to vehemently oppose it.
....
"It’s a question of how you can keep everybody together and that’s the challenge before us," Waxman said of the proposal earlier in the day. "What’s being called the Ellsworth language is also the bishop’s language which is the Stupak proposal. It’s basically to stop any services for abortion coverage in both the public plan and all private insurance. Not just for those who get subsidies but for everybody who goes to private insurance policies."
"I would like the bishops, who I understand want to see passage of the legislation, to help us work out a way so we don’t have winners and losers," Waxman said. "Because the losers will make us lose the bill and the winners then wont have won anything."
And here's the target list of Representatives to CALL TODAY! You can use this toll-free number below at 1-800-828-0498 and this is the House switchboard number here at 202-224-3121!
Arcuri (D, NY-24) - 202-225-3665
Bean (D, IL-08) - (202) 225-3711
Bishop, S. (D, GA-02) - (202) 225-2203
Boswell (D, IA-03) - (202) 225-3806
Butterfield (D, NC-01) - (202) 225-3101
Cardoza (D, CA-18) - (202) 225-6131
Chandler (D, KY-06) - (202) 225-4706
Cooper (D, TN-05) - 202-225-4311
Costa (D, CA-20) - 202-225-3341
Doyle (D, PA-14) - 202-225-2135
Edwards, C. (D, TX-17) - 202-225-6105
Etheridge (D, NC-02) - (202) 225-4531
Gordon (D, TN-06) - (202) 225-4231
Kratovil (D, MD-01) - (202) 225-5311
Langevin (D, RI-02) - (202) 225-2735
McMahon (D, NY-13) - (202) 225-3371
Michaud (D, ME-02) - 202-225-6306
Minnick (D, ID-01) - (202) 225-6611
Neal (D, MA-02) - (202) 225-5601
Nye (D, VA-02) - (202) 225-4215
Obey (D, WI-07) - (202) 225-3365
Owens (D, NY-23) - (202) 225-4611
Ruppersberger (D, MD-02) - 202-225-3061
Ryan, T. (D, OH-17) - 202-225-5261
Salazar (D, CO-03) - 202-225-4761
Space (D, OH-18) - (202) 225-6265
Unknown
Biggert (R, IL-13) - 202-225-3515
Carney (D, PA-10) - (202) 225-3731
Castle (R, DE-AL) - 202.225.4165
Cuellar (D, TX-28) - 202-225-1640
Davis, A. (D, AL-07) - (202) 225-2665
Dent (R, PA-15) - 202-225-6411
Ellsworth (D, IN-08) - (202) 225-4636
Frelinghuysen (R, NJ-11) - (202) 225-5034
Kirk (R, IL-10) - 202-225-4835
Lynch (D, MA-09) - 202-225-8273
Pomeroy (D, ND-AL) - (202) 225-2611
Snyder (D, AR-02) - (202) 225-2506
Tanner (D, TN-08) - (202) 225-4714
Visclosky (D, IN-01) - (202) 225-2461
Leaning anti-choice
Altmire (D, PA-04) - 202-225-2565
Barrow (D, GA-12) - (202) 225-2823
Berry (D, AR-01) - (202) 225-4076
Boccieri (D, OH-16) - (202) 225-3876
Bright (D, AL-02) - (202) 225-2901
Capito (R, WV-02) - 202.225.2711
Donnelly (D, IN-02) - (202) 225-3915
Hill (D, IN-09) - (202) 225-5315
Jenkins (R, KS-02) - (202) 225-6601
Kildee (D, MI-05) - 202-225-3611
Lance (R, NJ-07) - (202) 225-5361
Lee, C. (R, NY-26) - (202) 225-5265
Matheson (D, UT-02) - (202) 225-3011
Mollohan (D, WV-01) - (202) 225-4172
Ortiz (D, TX-27) - (202) 225-7742
Paulsen (R, MN-03) - (202) 225-2871
Perriello (D, VA-05) - (202) 225-4711
Rahall (D, WV-03) - (202) 225-3452
Ross (D, AR-04) - (202) 225-3772
Spratt (D, SC-05) - (202) 225-5501
Wilson, C. (D, OH-06) - (202) 225-5705
Women's lives shouldn't be a political game for these Blue Dogs to play with on any issue, like what they did with the stimulus bill, and now with the health insurance reform bill. The House leadership said that they weren't accepting any amendments because of the Blue Dogs, but apparently the House leadership wanted more than 218 votes on the bill, and are allowing the Blue Dogs to hijack this bill for their anti-choice amendment.
I'm pissed off right now.
UPDATE: Stupak says he has over 220 votes for his anti-choice amendment!Every CALL IS IMPORTANT. If we can get three votes away from the Stupak amendment, that would be a big deal!