NOW Legislative Update: Part I of II: Reproductive Rights Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit Please feel free to forward the following to activists: )From the National Organization for Women Action Center: NOW LEGISLATIVE UPDATE: Part I of II: Reproductive Rights June 7, 1999 --Abortion Access for Military Women Fails Twice --Federal Employees Contraceptive Coverage Under Attack --Hearing Held for "Teen Endangerment" Act --FDA Funding for Mifepristone (RU486) at Stake --Insurance Contraceptive Coverage Bill to be Re-Introduced ================================================ REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS ================================================ ABORTION ACCESS FOR MILITARY WOMEN FAILS TWICE Reproductive rights advocates held out hope that the prohibition against obtaining an abortion overseas at military hospitals would be repealed in this Congress when the House subcommittee on military personnel approved an amendment offered by Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) in late May. The subcommittee make-up has changed to include more abortion rights supporters since the last Congress. However, when the bill -- a Defense Department Appropriations measure -- reached the full Armed Services Committee, a majority supported an amendment by Rep. Steve Buyer (R-IN) to restore the prohibition which denies servicewomen and military dependents abortion services at military hospitals -- even when using their own funds. Rep. Sanchez will offer her amendment again when the full House considers the Defense Authorization bill later in June. Likewise, the Senate narrowly (51-49) supported a tabling motion to prevent having to take a recorded vote on a similar amendment offered by Sens. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME). Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) who had previously supported removing the ban, changed his vote and supported the motion to table. Senators are now able to camouflage their anti-reproductive rights positions on the overseas abortion ban because no recorded vote was taken on the amendment. Under the ban, military women and dependents are deprived of access to reproductive health services that they have in the United States and risk unsafe procedures which may be practiced in other countries. For that reason, any young woman who may be thinking about a career in the military should seriously consider whether she wants to be denied vital health care services when stationed abroad. ACTION NEEDED: Thank Sens. Murray and Snowe as well as Rep. Sanchez for their efforts to remove this discriminatory and dangerous ban. Call your Senators to urge that a recorded vote be taken on the repeal amendment and make certain that your House member will vote to support the Sanchez amendment when it comes up. ================================================ FEDERAL EMPLOYEES CONTRACEPTION COVERAGE UNDER ATTACK Reproductive rights opponents on the House Appropriations Committee may attempt to delete a provision that guarantees contraception coverage in health insurance plans used by federal employees. This measure was one of the very few reproductive health care victories achieved in the last Congress; although the plans are still prohibited from covering abortion services. Rep. Rosa DeLauro may be poised to offer an amendment to strike the ban on abortion services. ACTION NEEDED: Urge your Representative to protect coverage for prescription contraception in Federal Employees Health Benefits Plans and to work for repeal of the ban on coverage for abortion services. ================================================ HEARING HELD FOR "TEEN ENDANGERMENT" ACT After being beaten back in the last Congress, abortion opponents are attempting again to move forward the misleadingly-named Child Custody Protection Act (CCPA - H.R. 1218) which is meant to deter teen-agers from crossing state lines to obtain an abortion by threatening to imprison any adult who accompanied her. A hearing was held on May 27th in the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, headed by abortion foe Rep. Charles Canady (R-FL). The legislation would make criminals of grandmothers, adult siblings or friends of teen-agers who assist them in obtaining reproductive health services in another state without meeting the home states parental involvement laws. Studies have shown that in states which do not have parental involvement laws 60-75% of girls under 18 do consult their parents when pregnancy occurs. But not all teens can consult their parents and those who cannot may be prevented from obtaining adequate health services. Witnesses testifying against the bill included a representative from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Society of Adolescent Medicine and Advocates for Youth. Testimony noted that the bill would have a counter-productive outcome by placing a chill on teenagers ability to discuss such questions with adults since those adults may face criminal prosecution if they choose to provide assistance. Four other major medical associations have long opposed the CCPA, including the American Medical Association, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, The American College of Physicians and the American Public Health Association. The CCPA will be taken up in mid-June by the full House Judiciary Committee where it will likely be passed out of committee for a floor vote later in the month. A late report indicates that the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution may move the bill to mark-up on June 8th. ACTION NEEDED: Please call, fax or e-mail your House member and urge him/her to oppose this dangerous bill. ================================================ FDA FUNDING FOR MIFEPRISTONE (RU 486) AT STAKE Arch-abortion rights foe Rep. (and Dr.) Tom Coburn (R-OK) will offer his amendment, as he did last year, to prohibit the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from using funds to test, develop and manufacture drugs used for early, medical abortion. The prohibition, if approved, would prevent approval and release of mifepristone (otherwise known as RU 486). The amendment will be advanced when the Fiscal Year 2000 Agriculture Appropriations bill is considered by the full House, expected to happen in the next few weeks. Last year, the House approved a similar amendment (223-202), but this was dropped from the final bill. If there are no constraints placed by reproductive rights opponents in Congress, mifepristone may be available for general use late this year. The drug would provide women access to a safe and effective medical alternative to surgical abortion, plus possibly provide treatment for other serious medical conditions such as endometriosis, uterine fibroids, HIV, Cushings Syndrome, certain types of breast cancer and burns. ACTION NEEDED: Call your Representatives as soon as possible to let them know that Rep. Coburn intends to offer this amendment. Please urge them to be present for the vote and to oppose it. Reproductive rights advocates should note that Rep. Coburn has announced his intention not to run for re-election in 2000. Oklahoma activists should be scouting for a strong feminist candidate for that seat. The record of the Oklahoma Congressional delegation on reproductive rights and other important womens votes is pitiful -- see NOW Voting Record Analysis of the 105th Congress on the NOW Website, GOTOBUTTON BM_1_ http://www.now.org/issues/election/analysis1998/ ================================================ INSURANCE CONTRACEPTIVE COVERAGE BILL TO BE RE-INTRODUCED On June 10th, both House and Senate sponsors of the Equity in Prescription Insurance and Contraceptive Coverage Act (EPICC) at a press conference with celebrities Kathleen Turner and Sally Kellerman. Sponsors are Sens. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Harry Reid (D-NV) and Reps. Nita Lowey (D-NY) and Jim Greenwood (R-PA). It is a travesty that contraception is the only prescription drug benefit that is regularly excluded by insurers, thus requiring that the three-quarters of women of child-bearing age pay for contraception out-of-pocket. Studies have shown that costs for coverage are modest and would significantly reduce health care expenses for millions of women. It is especially unfair to deny women access to contraceptive coverage when some companies are now offering men coverage for viagra, the male potency drug. ACTION NEEDED: There is a good chance that EPICC can be passed in this Congress, but we will have to bring much pressure. It is important that reproductive rights advocates contact moderate members of both the House and Senate to urge their support. ================================================ This Legislative Update was compiled by the Government Relations/Public Policy Team at the NOW Office. Questions? Call Jan Erickson, Government Relations Director at (202) 331-0066, ext 768. To receive free copies of any bill, call your U.S. Senator or Representative at (202) 224-3121 or connect to http://thomas.loc.gov This update is mailed monthly to the NOW leadership. Any member can receive a copy of this update by mail for $25 per year, or you can read it at http://www.now.org/issues/legislat/ Join our Action Alert e-mail network by sending the message subscribe now-action-list to majordomo@now.org ================================================== now@now.org To unsubscribe, send a message to majordomo@now.org with the text: unsubscribe now-action-list or visit http://www.now.org/actions/unsubscribe.html Please *do* unsubscribe before cancelling an e-mail account. 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