They aren’t giving up so neither can we
With the pushback they received after their explosive inflamed duck session and their loss of six seats in the state House of Representatives, you would think Michigan Republicans would be taking a breather, girding themselves for the battles ahead.
And you would be wrong.
On the contrary, fresh from the winter break, they came roaring back in and in the first few weeks, have shown that they aren’t satisfied in winning the War on Women in Michigan. They appear to believe there is so much more crushing of women’s rights and paternal “protecting” to be done.
As LOLGOP pointed out this morning, yesterday Republicans introduced legislation that mandates forced transvaginal ultrasound probes before a woman can have an abortion. Why are they doing this? To “protect” women. Check out the language from H.B. 4187 (pdf):
THE PERFORMANCE OF A DIAGNOSTIC ULTRASOUND EXAMINATION OF THE FETUS AT LEAST 2 HOURS BEFORE AN ABORTION IS PERFORMED WITH THE WOMAN GIVEN THE OPTION TO VIEW THE ACTIVE ULTRASOUND IMAGE OF THE FETUS, HEAR THE FETAL HEARTBEAT, RECEIVE A PHYSICAL PICTURE OF THE ULTRASOUND IMAGE OF THE FETUS, AND HEAR AN EXPLANATION OF THE ULTRASOUND IMAGE OF THE FETUS. THE PERFORMANCE OF A DIAGNOSTIC ULTRASOUND EXAMINATION OF THE FETUS, NOW A STANDARD PRACTICE AT ABORTION FACILITIES, PROTECTS THE HEALTH OF THE WOMAN SEEKING AN ABORTION BY VERIFYING AN INTRAUTERINE PREGNANCY, AS UNDIAGNOSED ECTOPIC PREGNANCIES CAN RESULT IN POTENTIALLY FATAL COMPLICATIONS AND INFERTILITY. THE PERFORMANCE OF A DIAGNOSTIC ULTRASOUND EXAMINATION OF THE FETUS FURTHER PROTECTS THE INTERESTS OF THE WOMAN SEEKING AN ABORTION BY ASSESSING THE VIABILITY OF THE FETUS AND CONFIRMING THE APPROXIMATE GESTATIONAL AGE OF THE FETUS, AS THIS INFORMATION IS NECESSARY IN ORDER TO DETERMINE APPROPRIATE MEDICAL CARE FOR THE WOMAN SEEKING AN ABORTION. {…}[T]he the physician or qualified person assisting the physician shall: PERFORM A DIAGNOSTIC ULTRASOUND EXAMINATION IN ORDER TO VERIFY AN INTRAUTERINE PREGNANCY, ASSESS VIABILITY OF THE FETUS, CONFIRM GESTATIONAL AGE OF THE FETUS, AND ENSURE FULLY INFORMED CONSENT TO THE ABORTION. THE PHYSICIAN OR QUALIFIED PERSON ASSISTING THE PHYSICIAN SHALL ENSURE THAT THE ULTRASOUND SCREEN IS TURNED TOWARD THE PATIENT TO ENABLE HER TO EASILY VIEW THE ACTIVE ULTRASOUND IMAGE OF THE FETUS; SHALL INFORM THE PATIENT THAT THE ACTIVE ULTRASOUND IMAGE OF THE FETUS IS VISIBLE AND SHE MAY VIEW THE IMAGE ON THE ULTRASOUND SCREEN IF SHE DESIRES; SHALL PROVIDE THE PATIENT WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR OR DECLINE TO HEAR THE FETAL HEARTBEAT AS CONFIRMATION OF A VIABLE PREGNANCY…
Doing these sort of invasive ultrasounds is not common early in pregnancies but doctors usually have the equipment on hand so they will be compelled to use them in this way if the legislation becomes law. Why? Because the bill mandates using “the most technologically advanced ultrasound equipment available at that location”. So, they will be forced to do an unnecessary and much more expensive procedure, simply to try to force women to change their mind about having the abortion. Make no mistake, all this b.s. about doing it to discover intrauterine pregnancies is just that: b.s. If you want to know just how much these Republicans care about medicine and science when it comes to abortions, simply read the first sentence of the bill:
[T]he legislature recognizes that under federal constitutional law, a state is permitted to enact persuasive measures that favor childbirth over abortion, even if those measures do not further a health interest.
But hey, kids! There’s MORE! Yes, this week Michigan Republicans brought back an oldie-but-goodie. Remember when Governor Snyder vetoed legislation that would have required both public and private health insurance companies to make women purchase a separate policy for abortion coverage? You might have thought that his veto put an end to such utterly ridiculous and anti-women legislation.
Again, you would be wrong.
Yesterday, they brought the same goddam legislation back to give it another go:
State lawmakers have re-introduced legislation that would limit the ability of insurance companies to cover abortions.The measure would only allow insurers to cover elective abortions through optional rider plans.
Republican state Senator Mark Jansen says many people do not want that kind of coverage automatically included in their plans.
By the way, it’s not just male Republicans signing on to these battles in the War on Women. There are several female Republicans aiding and abetting them.
These are the same men and women who decry “Big Government” and “overregulation that strangles our country’s prosperity”. But, as so many have pointed out before, both of those concepts go out the window when it comes to imposing their “morality” and their worldview on others and, ironically, they will cry to high heavens that we dare to call it a War on Women..
It’s GOPocrisy at its most egregious.
[War on Women graphic credit: Anne C. Savage, special to Eclectablog]
