Pyrrhic victory: health care reform 1, women's reproductive rights 0

HR3962, The Affordable Healthcare for America Act, passed the House of Representatives by a narrow vote. Included in the bill was a controversial amendment, introduced by Congressman Stupak, a pro-life democratic from Michigan. Under this amendment, abortion would not be included as a covered health insurance benefit under a government sponsored, tax-funded health care plan.

Many of us have fought long and hard to ensure passage of this bill, which would provide near universal health care coverage to all Americans.

Conversation overheard on my Facebook wall:

N: I'm a pro-choice Democrat and the health care reform bill doesn't take away women's rights to choose... it just doesn't want to pay for it.... as is the case with many many other things the government doesn't want to pay for....

C: But if a woman cannot afford health care and must use the government option health care then it DOES take away her right to choose

N: I'm sure there will be a provision for women who are rape victims or incest victims, etc

C: Let's hope so, because as it stands now, there are NO such provisions for survivors of rape or incest

"Anti-abortion Democrats objected that the bill still would provide a federal subsidy for insurance plans that allowed abortion. After days of tense talks, they reached agreement early Saturday with Democratic leaders and the White House on an amendment that would refuse abortion coverage to "anyone who receives federal aid to buy an insurance policy or enrolls in the proposed government health plan."

N: That's not the finished product though and I think they will have enough reasonable thinking votes when all is said and done to allow for cases of rape and incest and when the mother's life is in danger.

J: the devil is in the details... they can enact certain provisions in the final rule implementation but only if they're not expressly forbidden in the law. Right now there seems to be no wiggle room. there is still hope in the consolidated bill, but I dont see the Senate correcting this problem. Not after 60 House Democrats supported it.

The National Organization for Women had this to day: http://www.now.org/press/11-09/11-08.html

What are your thoughts? Is this a setback for women's rights in our country? Was it a necessary sacrifice to ensure this bill would pass the House in some form?