Yesterday, via linking to a post by Goldni, I asked Congressman Jim Cooper (D-TN, the Fightin’ 5th!) to explain his vote for the Stupak Amendment. Last night, I received his answer:
“Health reform would simply not have passed without the Stupak Amendment. The Speaker of the House made this deal, and she is one of the strongest Pro-Choice members of the House. I think this just underscores how important this issue was to the passage of the bill. The health care bill only passed by two votes. Going forward, we need to better define the status quo regarding the Hyde Amendment because that is what most members support.
The reform bill does contain the most important health improvements for women in history, including bringing more women into a heath care system that includes reproductive health benefits. I continue to support affordable birth control and a woman’s freedom to choose, and I hope that we can make progress on these issues in the future with the Senate version of health reform.”
Thanks, Coop (He lets us call him that. OK, no he doesn’t.) for both your “Yes” vote for H.R. 3962, the health insurance reform legislation, and for the explanation of your Stupak Amendment vote.
Now, I’m satisfied with Congressman Cooper’s answers regarding his Stupak Amendment vote. I understand, however, that some are not. I understand that some still take issue with the way in which this vote went down.
Not me.
Instead, I take issue with those who were on the front line of this debate decades ago – when the term “pro-life” was first used – for scrambling to find a different term to describe their position instead of standing up and screaming, “How dare you! The definition of ‘pro-life’ doesn’t begin and end where you say it does, buster. I’m ‘pro-life.’ You’re ‘pro-life.’ We’re ALL ‘pro-life.’ Now stop being a dumbass and let’s work on ways in which we can eliminate the underlying reasons why women seek to have abortions in the first place. Hello? Lack of age-appropriate public school sex education? Hello? Lack of affordable contraception? Hello? Poverty? Hello? Lack of affordable child-care options? Hello? Hello? Hello?”
The Stupak Amendment and the strangle-hold it had over the health insurance reform debate is a direct result of elected officials giving up the practical moral high-ground on this issue a long, long, LONG time ago. We reap what we sow.
