The Republican War on Women: The Battle in the U.S. Capitol

This is the twenty-first in a series of articles on the subjects of women, abortion rights and the Republican Party. 

Republicans continue to say they don’t have to change their core principles, they only have to change the language they use to get their message out.  One perception they want to alter is the idea that they are running a “war on women”.  Looking at the news over the past few years, I’d say the Republican Party has a long way to go on this subject.

• Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky): “Talk about a manufactured issue.  There is no issue.” 
•  RNC Chairman Reince Priebus:  “It’s a fiction.”

The National Front  

the facts and commentary:  Yesterday, January 28, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortions Act, a bill put together by a 12 man (as in all male, no female) committee.  The legislation imposes tax penalties on small businesses that provide abortion coverage in their health care plans. (80% currently provide abortion coverage.)  It also forces women who purchase private ACA insurance plans and want abortion coverage included in their policies to pay the full price for the rider, even if they are eligible for government subsidies to help with the cost of their policies.  There is an exception for rape, but proponents of the law bragged that claiming the exemption on her tax return would "spur audits for rape survivors" and the threat of an IRS audit will be an additional deterrent.

Richard Hanna (R-New York) was the sole Republican to vote "No."

Yesterday evening, just hours after passing these new restrictions, U.S. Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Washington) gave the official Republican response to President Obama's State of the Union address.  Part of her reply focused on (surprise!) complaining about the ACA.  In her words:  "Republicans believe health care choices should be yours, not the government's."

Given the chronology in evidence here, I wonder how Ms. Rodgers was able to say that with a straight face.

 Ms. Rodgers is not a party leader.  She's not on any important committees.  She heads no study or research group. It seems obvious that she was chosen simply to put a female face in front of the media at a time when Republicans are desperate to regain support among female voters.  (President Obama won 55% of the female vote in 2012.)   

That percentage isn't going to improve any time soon if Republicans continue to hand ammunition to the Democrats like Ms. McMorris' Party-approved statement.

The Republican War on Women is "fiction"?

WHAT YOU DO SPEAKS SO LOUDLY

THAT I CANNOT HEAR WHAT YOU SAY.