Baldwin says, "Focus on jobs, not restricting women's rights!"
Saying she wanted to force her Republican colleagues to "focus on jobs and not on restricting women's rights," Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) today attempted to amend an extreme measure she opposes that would limit a woman's rights and endanger her health.
In a House Health Subcommittee mark-up Friday, Baldwin offered an amendment to the Republican-sponsored H.R. 358, the "Protect Life Act," so that the bill could not take effect if it increased taxes on individuals or small businesses.
To shine a light on Republicans' hypocrisy, Baldwin told her colleagues, "Despite promises from the new majority that this Congress would focus on creating jobs and bolstering the economy, this bill that we are considering today fails to deliver this promise. In fact, this bill could further exacerbate the problem by causing millions of vulnerable Americans and small businesses to face a tax increase…If there's one message I've heard loud and clear from my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, it's that tax hikes result in jobs lost."
Ruling it non-germane, Republicans avoided a vote on Baldwin's amendment and passed the bill that would cut off millions of women from the private health care they already have and limit the ability of a woman to get the care she needs, even if the result is a serious permanent health condition that could shorten her life.
This intrusive legislation would also allow public hospitals to refuse to take the steps necessary to save a woman's life and allow states to deny Medicaid coverage to prevent life-long disabilities. And, it would give insurance companies more power over what women can and cannot do with their own health care dollars.
Calling the measure "extreme, disrespectful to women, and intrusive," Baldwin told her colleagues, "Enough is enough. It's time for the Republican majority to respect women's choices and focus on restoring our economy."
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