A Statement by Jehmu Greene
President of the Women’s Media Center

In late-night backroom meetings, House Democratic leaders struck a devil’s bargain and passed the health care reform bill on the backs of women. While many so-called progressive organizations praised the bill as a victory, the Women’s Media Center watched with outrage as the House passed the Stupak Amendment, stripping women of access to vitally important reproductive health coverage.

Despite President Obama’s assurance that Americans will be able to keep their existing coverage, the Stupak Amendment goes far beyond the status quo preventing private insurers from offering crucial health services and curtailing the rights of private citizens on how we spend our own money. At a time when leadership in the House should be working to overturn the Hyde Amendment – which has prohibited public funding of abortion in most instances since 1977 – they are instead extending its spirit of constriction and limitation of women’s right to choice, with particularly harsh consequences for low-income women.

It is impossible to imagine what would have happened had health care reform been devised at the expense of the Voting Rights Act or the Civil Rights Act – impossible to imagine because it never could have happened. Democrats do not fear women like they fear trial lawyers and union members. But Democrats should fear us because they depend on our votes to win. Women are the real majority and we put them in office, time and again.

Women did not vote for this kind of change and we will not stand for it. We will not sit back and accept on faith the President and congressional leaders’ promise to work behind the scenes on our behalf. The Women’s Media Center will continue to amplify the voices of women who demand the passage of health care reform with no new anti-choice restrictions.