Comments on: Bush Officially Proposes Anti-Abortion DHHS Rule

By: IMPORTANT: Time To Send Your Comments To HHS Is Running Out : The Curvature

IMPORTANT: Time To Send Your Comments To HHS Is Running Out : The Curvature — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 16:58:52 +0000

[...] have previously written about the dangerous proposed Department of Health and Human Services rule that would endanger women’…. The rule, if instated, would allow health care workers to prevent women from knowing all of their [...]

By: SunlessNick

SunlessNick — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 18:24:22 +0000

And under this rule, these organizations would not be able to fire a person for refusing to do their job.

And therefore, over time, these organisations could be colonised by anti-choicers with the intent of breaking them down.

By: Jess

Jess — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 02:09:25 +0000

one interesting thing I noticed when I finally got around to reading the full text of the proposed rule was that they were supposed to do several specific impact analyses. These include: will it constitute an unfunded mandate? will it affect federalism? and… what will the impact be on families? To answer the funding question, they spend a lot of time computing the cost to hospitals of doing the paperwork associated with this rule, but in response to the topic of family impact, they just say it won’t affect family well-being and leave it at that. So maybe commenters might want to throw “family” into their comments as a buzzword and describe what impacts this rule would have on your family or families you know of. It might get your comments a better chance of being read and addressed in the eventual review.
Here’s the section of the rule that talks about this: “Section 654 of the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act of 1999 requires federal departments and agencies to determine whether a proposed policy or regulation could affect family well-being. If the determination is affirmative, then the Department or agency must prepare an impact assessment to address criteria specified in the law. These regulations will not have an impact on family well-being, as defined in the Act.”

By: zooey

zooey — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 11:23:37 +0000

“This regulation is not about contraception,” Leavitt added. “It’s about abortion and conscience.

lies. lies. lies.
“Try as they might to dress this up as “not making people kill babies” this is absolutely about denying access to birth control.”

http://irresponsibility.wordpress.com/2008/08/22/the-american-war-against-women%e2%80%99s-rights-the-hhs-attacks-access-to-birth-control/

By: Anna

Anna — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:17:04 +0000

Dare I ask – where will this all end?! These issues just keep getting worse. You are exactly right to point out the BLATANT classism of it all. Once again – legislation involving health care in this country being written by those WITH health insurance.

Have we no conscience?

By: Lemur

Lemur — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 08:10:47 +0000

I wrote! Here’s a copy of my email:
To Whom It May Concern:
I am writing to oppose this regulation. This proposal will do nothing but set back healthcare for thousands, perhaps millions of women. Many women who are low-income or in rural areas do not have the option to “go to another provider”. This is a classist assumption, to assume that all women denied treatment have the resources to find another facility. Many reproductive health centers in the US receive government funding, and this rule would allow, if I am understanding correctly, anyone who works there to be able to refuse to do their job, to deny a woman healthcare or perhaps give her midleading or incomplete information. Refusing to do one’s job is a firable offense in every other sector; if a person has a “crisis of conscience” about providing abortion, or hormonal birth control which is in no way like, enabling of, or similar to an abortion, they are free to leave that job. Or even better, to not work for a facility that provides these things.
How is it fair to protect the consciences (and prejudices) of some, and leave many women with even less options than they had before?
How is there anything just or fair or right to appeal to anyone’s conscience in this proposal?
Sincerely, etc.

Thanks for the reminder, Cara.

By: Revised HHS Proposal Released « This is What a Feminist Blogs Like

Revised HHS Proposal Released « This is What a Feminist Blogs Like — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 16:09:45 +0000

[...] of 10:30 a.m. Central Time; I’m sure there will be many more posts as the day progresses): The Curvature Women’s Health News RH Reality Check Feministe The Feminist Underground [...]

By: jovan byars

jovan byars — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 15:41:22 +0000

I read about this yesterday when I came back from shopping. I am really outraged over this. i really hope that Congress will end their recess right now and invalidate this new rule.