Abortion Access Threatened in Health Care Reform

From the earliest days of the debate, UHPP has worked together with activists across the country to achieve two goals in health care reform:

1. To ensure that individuals will continue to be able to receive care from community health providers, like Planned Parenthood.

2. To ensure that women will have access to the full range of reproductive health services, including abortion.

At UHPP, staff, volunteers and student activists have worked together to collect almost 1000 names on petitions, and devoted hours to national phone banking.  We also turned out a large and very visible contingent to greet President Obama when he came to Hudson Valley Community College (see photos). No matter what, we told our legislators, women must not be worse off after health care reform that they were before. If we do not rise up now and mobilize like never before, we are in grave danger of losing this battle.

The House of Representatives has passed a health care reform bill containing dangerous and far-reaching restrictions on access to abortion. This legislation goes far beyond the previous Hyde amendment precedent that said federal funds could not be used to support abortion services. Under the Stupak Amendment even women and families that spend their own dollars will not be able to buy affordable health insurance that covers the full range of reproductive health care. Click here to download the Q&A on this outrageous and discriminatory amendment, here to sign the petition against it online, and here to download the petition form.  

Take Action: Join us for a National Lobby Day in Washington on December 2, participate in National Campus Days of Action December 2 and 3, OR participate in phone banks targeting key legislators on December 8 or 10. Contact Blue at 434-5678 x 133 or blue@uhpp.org to get involved.

"No joke" TV ad makes debut: watch the clip on the amendment from the Center for Reproductive Rights, and pass it along!

Click here to see our past events.

UHPP employees, volunteers and activists at President Obama's visit on September 21st