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The Coalition of Labor Union Women has long supported affordable
health care as an American right for all. Although universal
single payer health care coverage is CLUW's preference, we
joined with the labor community to fight strongly for President
Obama's health care reform plan.
CLUW has also long supported the right of women to make their own reproductive choices and we renewed our commitment at our 15th Biennial CLUW Convention in October 2009 to ensure that health care for women is inclusive of all women's health needs and that women have safe, legal, accessible health services including all reproductive health services [read resolution]. Women must have the right to make their own childbearing decisions -- this is our civil right. We are outraged by the Stupak amendment to the Affordable Health Care for America Act (HR3962). This unacceptable amendment prohibits women who receive federal subsidies from using their own personal, private funds to buy insurance plans that include abortion services. Presently, more than 85 percent of private insurance plans cover abortion services but the Stupak amendment makes it almost impossible for private insurance companies that become part of the new system to offer abortion coverage to women. Health care reform must not come at the expense of women. We call upon the Senate and labor organizations to oppose any amendments that jeopardize women's complete reproductive health care coverage. To take immediate action on this Alert, we urge you to use one of the following two links (both organizations listed here, like CLUW, are affiliates of the National Council of Women's Organizations): Please forward this widely. Thank you.
Karen J. See |
