More Examples Of Conservatives Pushing Big Government Plans To Restrict Women’s Rights

The Republican claim of supporting limited government is often contradicted by the reality of their proposals which seek to impose further restrictions upon the rights of Americans. Opposition to reproductive rights, and the simple concept that each individual has the right to control their own body, is seen in two Republican proposals today.

Rick Santorum is among many on the religious right who not only oppose abortion but also oppose contraception. He is now seeking to defund all government spending on contraception:

SANTORUM: [Sex] is supposed to be within marriage. It’s supposed to be for purposes that are yes, conjugal…but also procreative. That’s the perfect way that a sexual union should happen…This is special and it needs to be seen as special.

Jim DeMint not only wants to restrict a woman’s right to abortion (which happens to be a legal procedure in this country) but is introducing legislation in the Senate to prohibit discussion of abortion by video conferencing over the internet. Think Progress reports:

Instead of focusing on job creation, congressional Republicans have spent their time passing socially conservative legislation like the “Let Women Die” bill that would allow hospitals that receive federal funds to deny women life-saving abortion procedures.

Now Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC), one of the most die-hard anti-choice lawmakers, has jumped on the bandwagon by sneaking a radical anti-abortion amendment onto a completely unrelated piece of legislation. DeMint’s amendment would ban women and their doctors from discussing abortion over the Internet:

Anti-choice Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) just filed an anti-choice amendment to a bill related to agriculture, transportation, housing, and other programs. The DeMint amendment could bar discussion of abortion over the Internet and through videoconferencing, even if a woman’s health is at risk and if this kind of communication with her doctor is her best option to receive care.

Under this amendment, women would need a separate, segregated Internet just for talking about abortion care with their doctors.

Besides infringing upon the rights of women, this is yet another case of Republicans trying to use government to make health care decisions which should be left between a woman and her doctor. There is a huge gap between the rhetoric of the right wing and their actual policies.

1 Comment

  1. 1
    Steve Egger says:

    DeMint is a real ASS.

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