Women and Politics

By  WCF Fellow, Trish Calvarese

In the bill to reform the current health care system, written by the Chairman of the Finance Committee Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT), as it stands, no tax credit could be used to pay for abortions except in the case of rape or incest or if the life of a pregnant woman is in danger.

But those restrictions aren’t strict enough for committee member Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT). Another white male, Hatch authored an amendment that said no money provided under the legislation could be used to pay “any part of the costs of any health plan that includes coverage of abortion.”

In the 13-to-10 vote rejecting the amendment, committee members voted with their parties, with two exceptions: Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND) voted for the restrictions, while female Sen. Olympia J. Snowe (R-ME) voted against them.

Let us now take a moment to reflect on the fact that of the twenty-three member committee, only four are women: three democrats, and one republican. All four women voted against the amendment.

Now let’s consider this: had even just one more democrat jumped ship on the party and voted for the amendment (as Sen. Conrad did, shame on him), and had Sen. Snowe voted with her party, then Hatch’s disturbing audacity to legislate choice in a health care bill would have been successful.

Essentially, had not all three female democratic committee members voted against Hatch’s amendment, without Sen. Snowe voting against her party, in favor of women, it was very possible for the Senate Finance Committee to produce a health care bill refusing to provide funding for abortions, even in the case of rape, incest, or if a woman’s life depended on it.

Thank you Sen. Snowe, for putting women first. Thank you ladies of the Senate Finance Committee.

This is why we need more women in elected office, women who will put the rights of women and girls before party politics.