Pro-Choice Victory: Senate Version of Health Care Bill Eliminates Stupak Language

When the United States became a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), it committed--among other things--to provide universal health care and housing to its people. And yesterday, by a razor-thin margin, the Senate formally opened debate on a health care bill that, if approved, will bring us very, very close to meeting the first goal without imposing new restrictions on a woman's right to choose.

Jill at Feministe has blogged a detailed analysis of abortion provisions in the Senate version of the bill, which eliminates some of the messy language in the House version of the bill--language that would have ultimately banned private insurance coverage of abortion. The hard work of pro-choice activists, dismissed by some moderate Democrats as a "self-absorbed overreaction" riddled with "selfish dramatics," is beginning to pay off. The new legislation represents no more, and no less, than an extension of the Hyde Amendment, which bans federal funding of abortion.

That's not really an acceptable status quo, but it does not, at least, represent any further concession on reproductive rights. If the Senate language is adopted in conference, feminists will no longer be forced to choose between promoting the very real benefits health care reform will bring to women and fighting the most restrictive anti-abortion legislation since Roe v. Wade.

And make no mistake: Contrary to the traditional Democratic Party logic that issue activists contribute nothing to the process, this was a pro-choice victory bolstered by one of the largest grassroots lobbying efforts in the history of the movement. We flooded our senators with calls, emails, and letters--and so far, it appears to be working.

Now let's continue to push our senators to make sure that the Senate language, rather than the House language, appears in the final bill.

Related: Why is Abortion Legal? | Is Health Care a Human Right?