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Planned Parenthood Statement on “forcible rape” and Rep. Chris Smith’s anti-choice bill:
Statement from Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, on “forcible rape” and Rep. Chris Smith’s anti-choice bill:
“The fact that it took weeks of public outrage before the new House leadership was shamed into giving up on its efforts to redefine rape to deny women access to abortion shows how out of touch they are with the values of the American people. All women who are raped, must be treated with dignity.
“But the ‘forcible rape’ provision was just one outrageous provision of Rep. Chris Smith’s anti-choice bill. Under the fig leaf of prohibiting federal funding of abortion, which is already banned, Rep. Smith’s bill would take comprehensive private health insurance coverage for abortion away from millions of American women, even those who face serious health problems from a pregnancy; would impose new tax penalties on individuals and small businesses that purchase comprehensive private health insurance coverage; and would take away existing protections for pregnant women whose lives are in danger.
“Simply put, the now discarded ‘forcible rape’ provision is just the beginning of what’s wrong with Rep. Smith’s bill. We urge the House leadership to drop the misleading Smith bill entirely, and do what the American people elected them to do -- focus on jobs and the economy.”
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“The fact that it took weeks of public outrage before the new House leadership was shamed into giving up on its efforts to redefine rape to deny women access to abortion shows how out of touch they are with the values of the American people. All women who are raped, must be treated with dignity.
“But the ‘forcible rape’ provision was just one outrageous provision of Rep. Chris Smith’s anti-choice bill. Under the fig leaf of prohibiting federal funding of abortion, which is already banned, Rep. Smith’s bill would take comprehensive private health insurance coverage for abortion away from millions of American women, even those who face serious health problems from a pregnancy; would impose new tax penalties on individuals and small businesses that purchase comprehensive private health insurance coverage; and would take away existing protections for pregnant women whose lives are in danger.
“Simply put, the now discarded ‘forcible rape’ provision is just the beginning of what’s wrong with Rep. Smith’s bill. We urge the House leadership to drop the misleading Smith bill entirely, and do what the American people elected them to do -- focus on jobs and the economy.”
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