Lincoln Project: State Line

 Project 2025 and its evil architects envision an America where women will be monitored, prosecuted, and jailed for exercising their own bodily autonomy. We are not going back!

Pallone Votes Against Dangerous Attack on Women’s Health

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 16, 2017


Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) voted against, H.J.Res. 43, which disapproves of a Health and Human Services rule, issued in December 2016, designed to protect health care access to millions of people across the country who would otherwise go without birth control, cancer screenings, and other preventive care.

“Despite the misleading rhetoric from Republicans, Title X does not fund abortions. For decades, the Title X family planning program has funded grants that provide millions of Americans each year with access to a broad range of preventive health services, including contraception care and cancer screenings,” said Pallone. “Title X is a critical safety net for low-income women and teens, and for many patients this program is their only source of health care. But Republicans want to limit access to these services and allow states to discriminate against certain providers – all as part of their ongoing ideological crusade against abortion.”

Earlier this week Pallone visited Planned Parenthood in Perth Amboy to show his strong support for comprehensive health care coverage, women’s reproductive rights, and the organization’s mission. Pallone is the Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over health care. Planned Parenthood provides life-saving preventative care for 2.7 million patients nationwide every year. The Trump administration and the Republican-controlled Congress are pushing to prevent Planned Parenthood from receiving any federal funds. Despite being routinely used as a political punching bag, Planned Parenthood is one of the most critical providers of women’s health coverage.

Congressman Pallone was one the authors of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which includes provisions to support and enhance access to quality health care for women, including preventing insurance companies from treating simply being a woman as a pre-existing condition. Trump and Congressional Republicans are now in the process of trying to repeal the ACA.

Congressman Pallone spoke on the House floor against H.J. Res. 43. The text of his remarks can be found below and the video can be found below.

Mr. Speaker I rise today in strong opposition to H.J. Res. 43. This resolution is another attack on women’s health, and another attempt by Republicans to limit women’s access to high-quality essential care.

For decades, the Title X family planning program has funded grants that provide millions of Americans each year with access to a broad range of preventive health services, including contraception care and cancer screenings. Title X is a critical safety net for low-income women and teens, and for many patients this program is their only source of health care.

But Republicans want to limit access to these services and allow states to discriminate against certain providers – all as part of their ongoing ideological crusade against abortion.
This resolution would permit states to prohibit reproductive health care providers from participating in the Title X program, and would allow states to block access to care if the provider separately performs abortions or is affiliated with health centers that do.

We have already seen what happens when states take actions to discriminate against providers in the Title X program: access goes down, the unintended pregnancy rate goes up, and the spread of sexually transmitted infections increases.

I urge my colleagues to vote no on this resolution, because Republicans should not be entitled to pick and choose providers in the Title X program and play politics with women’s health.

OP-ED: WE NEED TO CHANGE POLICY DIRECTION TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN WOMEN’S LIVES

The following Op-ed, written by Monmouth County Democrat Roz Ressner was posted yesterday on NJ Spotlight: 


Women have listened closely to Congressman Chris Smith’s concerns; now it’s up to him to return the favor and listen to us

Women have listened to Congressman Chris Smith’s speeches on abortion issues. We take into consideration the convictions that propel him to enact healthcare legislation that impacts a woman’s most personal medical needs, but now ask that he listen to those voices he professes to care about. They are young teens and women -- married and single moms, those who are childless, those unable to conceive.

To a great extent, the ability to provide a safe, loving family environment is dependent upon quality of education and the financial stability provided to women. For most, bringing a child into the world is a joyous event, but oftentimes it is overshadowed by untenable situations -- low-paying jobs with little or no access to healthcare, too-short maternity leave, no flex time when children are sick. Fear of losing one’s job often results in children being left to fend for themselves or unsafe childcare. We can all agree that desperate women make desperate decisions.

Women have listened to Congressman Smith’s speech about HR7, misleadingly called “The No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act.” Its real premise is that funds derived from an employee’s health insurance plan or pretax personal flex-spending account cannot be used to purchase contraceptives -- this being tantamount to so-called “abortion services” or taxpayer dollars paying for government-funded abortions. It further penalizes employers whose insurance packages include reproductive health benefits.

It is a known fact that the pill helps to reduce the risk of ovarian and endometrial cancer and is used for other serious conditions related to women’s health. Unless one believes that the pill (or other forms of contraception) is solely used as a form of abortion or a prevention of pregnancy, then “The No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act” is truly a misnomer, allowing “fiction to win over fact.” Therefore, to deny insurance benefits forcing women to pay out-of- pocket for their medical expenses creates undue hardship to already strained budgets.

Congressman Smith has voted repeatedly for the Personhood Bill, which gives a fetus the same rights as an adult human, bans birth control, stem-cell research, and in-vitro fertilization. For thousands of women who require medical intervention, this bill would seriously threaten their ability to seek IVF treatment to become parents.

Congressman Smith rails against the sex-trafficking trade. Yet he did not vote for The Violence Against Women Act, even though hundreds of women are victims of rape, kidnapping, and forced prostitution every day. Women in trouble or who require affordable reproductive healthcare and screenings visit Planned Parenthood’s 700 health centers in the U.S. This provider offers educational programs that teach teens about the seriousness and great responsibility of parenthood. Yet these clinics are constantly under fire because 3 percent of their healthcare is for abortion services. Alas, there will always be abortions, safe, botched, or worse. Is there anything we can do to alter this landscape?

Yes, women have listened to Mr. Smith’s impassioned speeches, and although we respect his beliefs, they have caused a great divide. We ask now that his indefatigable energy be used to make a constructive difference; first, by promoting sex education -- proven successful in lowering the risk of teen pregnancy and reducing abortion rates -- and secondly, by enacting legislation that supports training, for higher-paying jobs, income equality, affordable housing, and childcare. Only then will women be able to make positive, empowered decisions. If asked, women will tell him that all of the above would be the answer to their prayers. Women have listened and now respectfully ask that he would do the same.

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Roz Ressner is the owner of Earth Friendly Organic Farm in Clarksburg. She serves as District 7 committeeperson in Millstone Township and as corresponding secretary for the Millstone Township Democratic Club.

Congressman Chris Smith's Opposition to Birth Control Is A Driving Force Behind “Life Begins At Fertilization” Bills

District 4 Coalition for Change -

We have two years to make sure every single person that cares about Women's Rights and Healthcare in Congressional D4 NJ is aware of Smith's Extremism. We will not lose again!

Chris Smith, Chairman Of The House Pro-Life Caucus, Argued That Common Forms Of Birth Control That Prevent Implantation Result In “Many Abortions.” According to the Congressional Record, Smith stated:

 “Mr. Chairman, due to the lateness of the hour, I do not intend on taking the full 5 minutes. Let me make it very clear that part of the problem with the Lowey amendment was that it did not define contraception. Many of us have been concerned that the pro-abortion lobby and the pro-abortion organizations over the years have tried to fudge the line of demarcation between fertilization post- and pre-fertilization. Many of the chemicals, many of the devices that are now employed that are permitted under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program do indeed result in many abortions, newly created human lives that are not permitted to implant in their mother’s womb. In a nutshell, my amendment is designed to clarify that if we are indeed going to force all of the Federal providers of medical care, the HMOs and all the providers as a condition of receiving reimbursement for all of their prescriptions, whether it be for penicillin or any other drug, that they have, to provide “a provision for contraceptive coverage”, let us at least make it clear that the gentle lady’s language excludes abortion-inducing chemicals. That is what my amendment very simply seeks to do.” [144 Cong Rec H 5951, 7/20/98]

See full article http://americanbridgepac.org/bridge-briefing-cuccinelli-personhood-birth-control/

More Personhood Information:
http://m.dailykos.com/story/2014/11/05/1342117/-Personhood-now-has-a-0-5-win-loss-record-in-elections?detail=email

Smith Called Out For His Extremism In The NYT

Seeing how Chris Smith is Middletown's other U.S. Congressman. He started representing our town in 2012 and thought I should pass along the following Letter to the Editor that appeared in the New York Times earlier in the week.

The more Middletown voters get to know Chris Smith, the more they are to dislike him:

To the Editor:

Re “Quackery and Abortion Rights” (editorial, Aug. 21): Women in this country should not be fooled into thinking that efforts to restrict access to abortion and reproductive health services are a Texas problem or a “Southern” problem. In fact, there have been several moves to pass federal “personhood” bills by conservative House members.

Most recently, in the 112th Congress, H.R. 374 was proposed, which said that life begins at fertilization, making abortion virtually illegal, as well as virtually outlawing birth control pills, the IUD and the morning-after pill. Representatives Christopher Smith and Scott Garrett of New Jersey and Michael Grimm of New York were the bill’s co-sponsors.

If ever a midterm election were important on the issue of women’s reproductive rights, this November is it. If Republicans take the Senate as well as the House, access to women’s reproductive health services will not be just a Texas problem, but also a national one.

BONNIE CHALEK
Ridgewood, N.J., Aug. 21, 2014

One NJ Releases 2nd Television Commercial Highlighting Regressive Policies & Ideology

Anti-Women Policies Are Out-of-Step With New Jersey

(NEW JERSEY) – Today, One New Jersey released its second television commercial - highlighting the regressive policies and extreme ideologies championed by Governor Chris Christie which are hurting women and their families throughout New Jersey.

The spot will run as an additional six-figure, state-wide cable buy for the next few weeks. It is being supplemented by a robust online ad buy. This new commercial is airing concurrently with One New Jersey’s first spot, which has been running on cable and broadcast television for the past two weeks and counting.

You can view the 30-second spot – entitled “Out of Step”



“Our first commercial focused on how New Jersey is falling behind due to misplaced policies and backwards priorities that put multi-millionaires and corporations ahead of the middle-class and working families,” said Joshua Henne, spokesman for One New Jersey. "Our latest spot shows how the knuckle-dragging decisions and out-of-step ideology coming out of Trenton are hurting women and their families throughout the state. For the past few years, New Jerseyans have had to deal with a radical assault on women and women’s health that would make even Rush Limbaugh blush.”

There’s nothing moderate about the extreme, right-wing agenda regarding women’s health that New Jersey has borne witness to these past few years. Governor Christie is in line with the most extreme fringe on women’s rights. He is New Jersey’s first elected governor to oppose abortion rights since Roe v. Wade, and was the first to ever speak at Trenton’s annual pro-life rally.

Christie cut women’s health funding in his very first budget. He then vetoed four attempts to restore the funding, claiming the State was broke. However, Christie was able to magically conjure up $2.1 billion in corporate subsidies and proposed $540 million in business tax cuts – yet, still nearly 1 in 10 New Jerseyans are unemployed, and the state has consistently trailed other states when it comes to jobs over the past 3 years. All the while, Governor Christie has consistently eliminated state budget lines allocating funds for basic reproductive care services, cancer screenings and important health care. Christie claimed these cuts were necessary for fiscal discipline. Yet, research shows family planning saves taxpayers approximately $3.75 for every $1 invested. Christie had the audacity to say his budgets provide full funding for women’s health. Apparently, the governor’s dictionary fails to include Planned Parenthood or other reproductive health-care providers in its definition of women’s health.

Christie has campaigned across the country for candidates who hold radical views when it comes to women and women’s health. He stood alongside a candidate in North Dakota who voted to make it a felony to perform an abortion. Christie also supported several candidates who have called for outlawing abortion even in cases of rape or incest.

Since launching in the Summer of 2011, One New Jersey consistently shines a light on those policies striking against the best interests of New Jersey residents. One New Jersey is also exposing efforts to divide the state and its people for political gain. Along those lines, One New Jersey has written op-eds and offered commentary on a whole host of issues - including economic failures, anti-women and other regressive policies, broken promises on jobs and New Jersey’s chronic unemployment.

You can still view One New Jersey’s first commercial – entitled “Real” – at OneNewJersey.org/Real.


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One New Jersey is an independent 501(c) 4 advocacy organization that monitors policy positions and actions of elected officials and brings to light their records on the issues that matter to New Jersey’s middle-class and working families. You can follow @OneNJ on Twitter and search for “One New Jersey” on Facebook.