Obama Caves – Women’s Groups Shift Focus

So I was alerted to the Planned Parenthood and NY NOW statement regarding their worries and position on the Family Planning Provisions being stripped from the Stimulus Package.  I thought it was good that they were speaking out against it, but when I read the actual statement there was a glaring omission, see if you can figure it out.

Here is Planned Parenthoods response:

Dear *****,

I’m stunned. We’ve just confirmed news reports that provisions to expand access to affordable family planning will be stripped from the economic stimulus bill. Removing this provision is a betrayal of millions of low-income women, and it will place an even greater burden on state budgets that are already strained to the breaking point.

We need you to take action now by calling the White House and voicing your support for the Medicaid Family Planning State Option.
Call the White House comment line at 202-456-1111 to speak out now — click here for more details on what to say, and to let us know you called.
I was frustrated when I saw a parade of legislators and talking heads on television this weekend spreading false information about this commonsense bill. House Minority Leader John Boehner even claimed that the provision would cost millions of dollars — when the fact is it would save the federal government $700 million over 10 years.

I was even more shocked to read today that congressional leaders have taken these false arguments seriously and will remove family planning provisions from the stimulus bill. It’s time for Washington to hear from the millions of Americans who support commonsense policies that invest in health care and help ease the economic downturn.

Call the White House at 202-456-1111 — it’s a quick and easy way to make a big impact. Click here for more details on what to say, and to report back to Planned Parenthood on your call. (A phone call is the best way to make your voice heard, but if you can’t make the call, you can send an email here.)

Let me be clear. The Medicaid Family Planning State Option is a simple way to make health care affordable for millions of Americans. It would do two important things:
It would allow millions of women to obtain basic health care. It would extend safety-net health care coverage for millions who are losing their jobs and health insurance in the economic downturn. Studies estimate that 2.3 million low-income women would receive coverage under this provision by 2014, and 500,000 women would be able to avoid unintended pregnancies.

In these difficult times, this provision would save states money. State budgets are being squeezed by the economic downturn, just as millions are losing their jobs and health insurance. The Medicaid Family Planning State Option not only would help states extend their coverage, it would generate savings for states and the federal government by expanding access to preventive care.

Please, take two minutes now to help us raise a public outcry. Click here for details you can use on your call, and to let us know you spoke out.

Thank you so much for speaking out, and please stay tuned for more details on this critical issue.

Sincerely,

Cecile Richards, President
Planned Parenthood Federation of America

Here is NY NOW’s response:

NOW-NYS Decries Dropping Life-saving Family Planning provisions from Stimulus-Package

The Obama Economic Stimulus Package that Congress hopes to pass includes providing the states with Medicaid matching funds to cover such conditions as diabetes, heart surgery and ongoing health maintenance like asthma medication. Until today, the Package also included funds to help poor women afford family planning.

Although many conservatives say they firmly support family planning, this is certainly not the case in today’s Congress. House Republican leaders ridiculed the stimulus package for including family planning and now, in the name of “bipartisan compromise’ the President and Congressional Democratic leaders would rather switch than fight for poor women’s reproductive health.

Despite the fact that safe birth control is used by – and considered acceptable to – most Americans, and in spite of the fact that the prevailing majority attitude is that it is irresponsible to have sex without contraception unless pregnancy is intended, conservative Republicans have now prevailed, pressuring President Obama and the Congress to remove contraceptive funding from the Stimulus Package. NY NOW, proud to be “partisan” for ALL women, does not consider this some gesture of common ground but rather a cave in to the bombastic and untruthful statements of the anti-women Republican House leaders.

Meanwhile, because it is generally acknowledged worldwide that family planning has a positive effect on family health and economic development, President Obama is restoring UNPFA (International Family Planning funds), and has lifted the Bush Administration’s Global Gag Rule that banned US funds to organizations who even counseled about abortion. We of NOW-New York State say it is beyond hypocrisy to restore international family planning funds while eliminating such monies for poor women in the United States.

Our Congress is prepared to roll over and abandon women’s reproductive health even when women’s lives are literally hanging in the balance. Surely this is not the time for our allies to sit back, taking the expedient route of eliminating “contentious” women’s issues from the discussion. Are we only pretending we have a government friendly to women. Indeed, in spite of promises to the contrary, women’s bodies are being held hostage once again.

Marcia A. Pappas, PresidentNational Organization for Women-NYS1500 Central AvenueAlbany, NY 12205
Phone: 518-452-3944
Fax: 518-452-3861
Presidents Email: NewYorkStateNOW@aol.comGeneral
Email: Info@nownys.orgwww.nownys.org

Is it obvious to anyone else??? Not one mention of Barack Obama and his willingness to throw this provision under the bus. Until Women’s Groups who assume to speak for women begin to hold the correct party responsible, we will not achieve one dang thing.

Democrats hold majorities in both houses and the executive branch. There was no reason to strip this from the stimulus plan.

HOLD the person who made this concession accountable – THE PRESIDENT – BARACK OBAMA. Then women may become more engaged in the efforts of these women’s groups.