FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 14, 2013
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NARAL Pro-Choice America President Ilyse Hogue decried the latest futile attempt by anti-choice House Republicans to deceive the public about their deep disrespect for women.
“The Republican leadership knows it has a problem with women voters. Unfortunately anti-choice politicians in this party can’t figure out how to stop attacking the rights of women,” Hogue said. “Adding insult to injury, House leadership is trying to fool women again. They’ve tried to soften the impact of their latest legislative attack with an insensitive and insulting compromise.”
House leaders announced today that instead of having the full vote on their unconstitutional 20-week abortion ban bill led by Rep. Trent Franks – who introduced the bill – they would have a woman manage the final vote on the House floor.
“Replacing Rep. Franks – who this week joined Todd Akin and a long line of GOP men who shouldn’t talk about rape – with another anti-choice member who happens to be a woman doesn’t make it any less unconstitutional and wrong,” Hogue said. “Recruiting Rep. Marsha Blackburn, who was endorsed twice by the anti-choice SBA List, is an insult to the women whose lives will be deeply impacted by this legislation.”
During the committee vote, proponents of the bill dismissed the call for an exception to the ban for survivors of rape and incest, which lead to Rep. Franks’ ill-fated comment about the rate of pregnancy from rape being “very low.” Since Franks’ gaffe, the GOP has added a narrow and inadequate exception.
“This is window dressing. With legislation this egregious, these compromises are clearly intended solely for public relations purposes,” Hogue said. “A ban at 20-weeks often impacts women at the most tragic moment in a pregnancy, such as learning of a fetal anomaly or finding out that their own lives are in danger. As with the rest of their efforts at ‘rebranding’ this year, the GOP is desperately trying to hide that the party has a deep hostility to women’s rights and freedom.”
NARAL Pro-Choice America and its network of state affiliates are dedicated to protecting and expanding reproductive freedom for all Americans. NARAL works to guarantee that every woman has the right to make personal decisions regarding the full range of reproductive choices, including preventing unintended pregnancy, bearing healthy children, and choosing legal abortion. In recognition of its work defending our constitutional right to choose, Fortune Magazine described NARAL as “one of the top 10 advocacy groups in America.”
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