Yesterday I wrote that I didn’t think Diana DeGette and other strongly pro-choice Democrats would scuttle health care reform over the crappy deal women are bound to get out of any bill that eventually arrives at some compromise language on abortion. Matt Yglesias cites Theda Skocpol and offers further support for my read of the current situation.
[F]rom a feminist point of view, undue focus on the abortion-funding provisions is missing the forest for the trees. Not only will the bill give subsidized health insurance to currently uninsured poor women, but the requirement that insurance companies not charge women higher premiums than men will be a financial boon to middle class single women. As a matter of principle, discriminating against abortion services is indefensible. But in practice, the need to pay out of pocket for abortions is going to be far offset by other benefits women are getting.
Exactly. And call me overly optimistic, but I think Diana DeGette understands the dynamic here. She’s built a reliable platform on protecting and improving health access for all comers, and she’s served her district well on health issues for a number of years. I do not expect her to take a reactionary position on this matter.
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