The Religious Right and their Capitol Hill allies are taking one last shot at limiting women's reproductive rights in the final days of Republican rule in Congress with new legislation in the House meant to intimidate women into forging abortions:
The Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice reports:
The bill is misnamed the "Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act." It would force physicians to give women seeking an abortion at 20 weeks or more an inflammatory, unfactual brochure written by anti- abortion legislators, not physicians, and offer them anesthesia for their fetus.
The RCRC Board opposed a similar bill last year as inappropriate interference by Congress in private medical decisions. We take all aspects of the abortion decision with greatest seriousness and we believe that healthcare professionals, religious counselors, and loved ones can best assist women to work through the medical and moral decisions they face in a voluntary and compassionate manner. While solidly in support of providing complete and accurate information about pregnancy and fetal development, our Board called for unbiased, scientifically based research about the possibility of fetal pain before legislation is considered. At this time, there is no reliable, accepted evidence to support the need for this measure.
Many mainline Christian denominations - including the United Church of Christ - are part of the coalition.
The Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism released an action alert today saying this "legislation is yet another attempt by those who oppose abortion rights to use unproven and ideologically-based arguments to persuade women from obtaining reproductive health services."
"If the House passes the bill by the required two-thirds vote, Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., has said he will seek unanimous consent to pass the bill in the Senate," according to an action alert in favor of the legislation sent out today by the Religious Right group Focus on the Family. Brownback announced this past week that he is considering a run for the Republican nomination for president in 2008.
Update: Common sense carried the day and the bill was defeated in the House. Thank you to those that contacted your Congressperson.
