Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Chris Gibson's War on Women

We keep hearing from the GOP that they're not engaging in a War on Women. Of course, the party's record on women's issue is absolutely appalling, so pro-choice voters who are reacting negatively to the Republican brand are simply well informed.

Which brings us to our own Chris Gibson, faux moderate Republican who is trying to hoodwink the voters of the newly drawn NY-19 into believing that he'll be just swell when it comes to women's issues. But don't be fooled. Gibson is as radical an anti-choice zealot as there is. Don't believe me? Gibson has a "zero" voting record with NARAL Pro-Choice America. Zero:

U.S. House of Representatives

House Votes Pro-Choice
Score
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
01 Rep. Timothy Bishop (D) + + + + + + + + 100
02 Rep. Steve Israel (D) + + + + + + + + 100
03 Rep. Peter King (R) - - - - - - - - 0
04 Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D) + + + + A + + + 100
05 Rep. Gary Ackerman (D) + + + + + + + + 100
06 Rep. Gregory Meeks (D) + + A + + A + + 100
07 Rep. Joseph Crowley (D) + + + + + + + + 100
08 Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D) + + + + + + + + 100
09 Rep. Robert Turner (R) I I I I I I - - n/a
09 Rep. Anthony Weiner (D) + + + + + A I I n/a
10 Rep. Edolphus Towns (D) + + + + + + + + 100
11 Rep. Yvette Clarke (D) + + + + + + + + 100
12 Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D) + + + + + + + + 100
13 Rep. Michael Grimm (R) - - - - + - - - 0
14 Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D) + + + + + + + + 100
15 Rep. Charles Rangel (D) + + + + + A + + 100
16 Rep. José Serrano (D) + + + + + + + + 100
17 Rep. Eliot Engel (D) + + + + + + + + 100
18 Rep. Nita Lowey (D) + + + + + + + + 100
19 Rep. Nan Hayworth (R) - - - - - + - - 5
20 Rep. Chris Gibson (R) - - - - - - - - 0
21 Rep. Paul Tonko (D) + + + + + + + + 100
22 Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D) + + + + + + + + 100
23 Rep. Bill Owens (D) + + + + + + + + 100
24 Rep. Richard Hanna (R) + - + - + + - + 55
25 Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle (R) - - - - - - - - 0
26 Rep. Kathy Hochul (D) I I I I I + + + n/a
27 Rep. Brian Higgins (D) + + + + + + + + 100
28 Rep. Louise Slaughter (D) + + + + + A A A 100
29 Rep. Tom Reed (R) - - - - A - - - 0
And here is the legend detailing the votes in question:
  1. Family-Planning Services. FY’11 Continuing Resolution, H.R.1. Pence (R-IN) amendment to disqualify Planned Parenthood and its affiliates from receiving funds appropriated by the bill. The proposal would deny basic, preventive health-care services, including birth control and cancer screenings, to millions of Americans. Passed 240-185. A pro-choice vote (+) was against the amendment (2/18/11).
  2. Appropriations. FY’11 Continuing Resolution, H.R.1. Final Passage. The bill reinstated the D.C. abortion ban, eliminated the Title X family-planning program, defunded Planned Parenthood, reinstated the global gag rule, and eliminated funding for the United Nations Population Fund. Passed 235-189. A pro-choice vote (+) was against final passage (2/19/11).
  3. Family-Planning Services. Enrollment Resolution to FY’11 Continuing Resolution, H.Con.Res.36. Proposal to disqualify Planned Parenthood and its affiliates from receiving funds appropriated by the bill. The proposal would deny family-planning and basic health-care services to millions of Americans. Passed 241-185. A pro-choice vote (+) was against the enrollment resolution (4/14/11).
  4. No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act. H.R.3. Final Passage. Smith (R-NJ) bill to ban effectively abortion coverage in state health-insurance exchanges, penalize small businesses and many individuals who purchase private health plans that include abortion coverage, and permanently codify the Hyde amendment, D.C. abortion ban, and other current-law bans. The bill also could spur the Internal Revenue Service to audit sexual-assault survivors who seek abortion care. Passed 251-175. A pro-choice vote (+) was against the bill (5/4/11).
  5. Abortion-Training Restriction. H.R.1216. Foxx (R-NC) amendment to prohibit federal funds from being used by teaching health centers for training in abortion care. Passed 234-182. A pro-choice vote (+) was against the amendment (5/25/11).
  6. Medical-Abortion Funding Ban. FY’12 Agriculture appropriations bill, H.R.2112. King (R-IA) amendment to bar the use of federal funds for prescription or discussion of medical abortion (RU 486). Telemedicine, a small but growing system of phone, teleconferencing, and Internet networks, helps patients link remotely to health-care providers. Passed 240-176. A pro-choice vote (+) was against the amendment (6/16/11).
  7. Refusals for Emergency Abortion Care. Protect Life Act, H.R.358. Capps (D-CA) motion to send the bill back to committee to fix a provision that allows hospitals to refuse to provide emergency abortion care, even when a woman’s life is in danger. Rejected 173-249. A pro-choice vote (+) was in support of the motion to recommit (10/13/11).
  8. Protect Life Act. H.R.358. Final Passage. Pitts (R-PA) bill to ban effectively abortion coverage in state health-insurance exchanges. The bill also would allow hospitals to refuse to provide emergency abortion care, even when a woman’s life is in danger, and gives states the ability to undermine coverage of many health-related services, such as contraception. Passed 251-172. A pro-choice vote (+) was against the bill (10/13/11).
Gibson voted with the Tea Party to defund Planned Parenthood several times, and he consistently voted against funding for a range of other women's health and reproductive services. But the worst of these, the ones that should disqualify Gibson from ever serving in Congress, are number seven and eight on the above list. Gibson voted to allow hospitals and health exchanges to deny abortion services to any woman they choose even if the woman's life is in danger. Did you catch that? Even if the woman's life is in danger. As in, she might die. This is not a moderate position; this is the position of a right-wing radical. There is no other way to massage this, other than the possibility that military war hero Gibson is a political coward when it comes to standing up to the idiots who control his party.

So, I have an idea for you, Chris. You want pro-choice voters to support you? Stand up at a press conference and tell the voters of NY-19 that you were wrong to take these votes against women's health, and that you promise that you will never again make the same mistake. Tell the voters that choice is the settled, constitutional law of the land, and that you will do everything in your power to undermine your party's relentless War on Women.

But you won't, I realize. You're a "man of conviction," or something -- though these convictions appear to include some pretty odious misogyny.

And what the hell is up with Nan Hayworth? If she weren't a multimillionaire who can afford to travel to another country when she or her loved ones might need outlawed family planning services, you could say that she hates her own sex. But we know that's not really true -- though there's no question that she loves power more.

6 comments:

  1. Stop your nonsense with the "War on Women" BS. The real war on women is being unwittingly waged by Obama and the Dems, as the unemployment rate among women is sky high, thanks to his terrible economic policies and the job-crushing Obamacare. Gibson is going to steamroll Julian on election night. All the polls are pointing in that direction.

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  2. Unfortunately, the ignorant will win this one. I agree with the former comment in just one aspect -- Schreibman will be steamrolled by this hyper-uptight ex-Marine. However, the women in our district will be screwed because his voting record is CLEAR evidence that he opposes women's rights.
    And, "job-crushing Obamacare"? Can you elaborate on that? No actually, don't bother.

    Norway, New Zealand, Japan, Germany, Belgium, United Kingdom, Kuwait, Sweden, Bahrain, Brunei, Canada, Netherlands, Austria, United Arab Emirates, Finland, Slovenia, Denmark, Luxemborg, France, Australia, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Cyprus, Greece, Spain, South Korea, Iceland, Hong Kong, Singapore, Switzerland, and Israel all have some form of universal health care. Wake up, Americans. Why are we still fighting over something that should only be a discussion in third-world countries?

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  3. The record is the record, and facts are facts. What Congressional Republicans say, how they distance themselves from their Tea Party benefactors now, trying to appear "moderate," means nothing. Nothing at all.

    Gibson VOTED against women's health and women's autonomy every single time there was an opportunity. UNelect him.

    Gibson is a faithful foot soldier in the Republican War on Women.

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  4. Women need to wake up and vote for their rights as human beings. Don't be passive, even if you don't believe in abortion, there are other female rights and needs that Gibson wants to take away from all women. He must think he's superior to women. He's got the money and backing so who cares if women are treated as second class citizens. I'd like to see how he treats his mother. He doesn't have to watch you or your daughter or mother or sister or grand daughter suffer from services no longer available. I doubt he'll ever understand women's needs, it's just not that important!

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  5. For crying out loud! The way you folks carry on you'd think the only issue facing this country is condoms and abortions! This is unbelievable to me, Cloakroom. I'm not going to debate whether or not abortion should be legal or illegal, but I do firmly believe that people should be able to make their own choices. With that said, let's get off this abortion bandwagon and talk about something really important - like $16 trillion in debt that cannot be sustained, $130k plus debt per every citizen last time I checked, government spending and bloat that cripples our economy and stifles the JOB CREATION portion of society - yes, that is the private sector! I like to think that women are smarter than this asinine tactic of avoiding the truth, which is - wake up people because throwing more money at it never helps.

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    1. I disagree, Robin. I take women's reproductive health very seriously. I think you should, too. In fact, I believe that in the next decade the GOP will come around to the liberal side of this issue. Why? If they don't, they will end up on the ash heap of history -- especially after Texas turns solid blue, making the presidency unobtainable for the party.

      As to our debt, the ratio is actually about the same as it was during the latter stages of WWII -- a little over 100 percent of our GDP. Tell me, Robin, if our debt is such a problem, why do investors keep buying our bonds even though the yields won't keep up with inflation? In other words, investors are happy to give us their money, even though they lose some of it doing so. Why is that, you think? Our debt isn't a problem. Don't believe me? Just ask Dick Cheney.

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