(I sent this letter to Senator Carper in response to his letter his letter; see below)\\\\\
Dear Tom:
I have known you for many years and we have disagreed at times, and more often agreed. You may have been a little too conservative or maybe I have been a little too far to the left. There are some issues that I do not presume to tell you or anyone else elected what to do; I trust you to make the best choice at the time. I personally oppose war and sending our soldiers to serve in combat at all, but especially more than two terms. However, you are a Vietnam veteran who served two terms, if you in good conscious can send sons and daughters of America four times, or more to war, than I have to support your choice. I may find it untenable and a waste of life and resources, especially in Afghanistan (who I believe will never be at peace). However, you know war, you have sons and if you are willing to put their lives on the line, then you are the better person to make the choice for war. War is your forte.
However, what goes on in a woman's body is her choice and you should respect her choice. Respect means not holding the purse strings on reproductive choice for people whose health care the government pays, and allowing women who want to purchase reproductive choice health care to do so.
Abortions are not against the law in the United States and going around Roe vs. Wade using stranglehold methods is like being raped. When you can figure out how to hold men accountable for being a partner in the resulting unwanted pregnancy then there is something to talk about.
The latest legislative discussion on whether to fund mammography screenings for women under the age of 40, is another effort to define women's right to choose. Why not legislate that men must have early prostrate screenings? Statistics show, that early detection saves lives, and men traditionally do not take advantage early enough of screening for this cancer. They are in essence killing themselves, taking a life, which is against the law. A man’s decision, not to take advantage of life saving measures often causes families hardships and emotional distress. Why should taking a man’s life be held in less regard than destroying a tiny cell that has the potential to become a human life?
Making the decision to have an abortion is a decision that alters a woman’s life forever. Let me assure you, that while at times from the outside it may appear the decision to have an abortion was made lightly, it was not. The appearance is often a defense mechanism to rationalize the decision and to live with the decision.
Support and fund contraception, so abortion is not a choice. Require contraception education in schools and make condoms free and easily available. Encourage the open discussion of sex in middle schools and high schools, and the emotional needs that children fill with sex. That is where sexual exploration begins.
Be real and take your head and every other legislator's head out from between women's legs. Do what you know, and trust those of us who know our bodies to do the same. Women have to live with their reproductive choice decisions, just as veteran legislators and the military have to live with their decisions that often result in thousands of America's future dying on foreign soil. It is you who must explain to sons and daughters why you thought that their parents life was worth dying for the decision you made to send the parent to war, probably dying a horrible death; a death that you escaped twice, while serving in southeast Asia. You have a great burden to bare and if you eventually realize that nothing has changed in Afghanistan, or Iraq, or Iran and it was your decision that sent thousands of Americans to die for nothing, it will live with you forever, just as the decision to abort is one women have to live with always.
Sincerely,
Rhonda Tuman,
_________________________________________________________________________________
(This is a note I received from Senator Carper in my request that he respect women's right to choose and not support efforts to dismantle Roe vs. Wade)
December 1, 2009
Dear Ms. Tuman:
Thank you for contacting me about reproductive health services and comprehensive health care reform legislation. I appreciate hearing from you on this important matter.
s you know, abortion is an issue in which the American people are not of one mind. In fact, abortion is one of the most difficult issues I have faced during my years of public service. Thirty-five years after the case of Roe vs. Wade, in which the Supreme Court ruled in favor of a woman's constitutional right to terminate her pregnancy, emotions on all sides of this issue remain as strong as ever.
Before I address the current debate on abortion in health care reform, let me take a moment to explain my own views on this difficult issue. It remains my belief that a woman's right to choose should prevail until the embryo she carries is sustainable outside of the womb. Once that point is reached, our government has an interest and an obligation to ensure that a pregnancy is carried to full term and that the embryo carried is delivered into this world as a living, breathing human being. In cases of advanced pregnancies where a woman's health is seriously endangered, I believe limited exceptions can be made. Within these constraints, I support a woman's right, in consultation with her physician, to determine the medical procedure that would best protect her health.
As you may know, under current law, federal funds are prohibited from going towards abortions, except in instances where the mother's life is endangered or in cases of rape or incest. Additionally, existing conscience clause laws protect healthcare workers from performing abortions or other services to which they have moral or ethical objections. While I don't believe that taxpayer dollars should be used to pay for abortions, and I do believe that taxpayer dollars should be spent to encourage the adoption of children who are unwanted within their own families.
As you also may know, health care reform is one of the top priorities for the 111th Congress. As a member of the Senate Finance Committee, which shares jurisdiction over health care reform with the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, I'm working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to implement reforms that improve access to quality, affordable healthcare while also restraining the growth in health care costs. As part of the expansion of coverage to the 47 million uninsured Americans, Medicaid will likely be expanded to cover more individuals and families. Moreover, tax credits will be given to those people who may not qualify for Medicaid but still find it difficult to pay the full cost of health insurance. Additionally, Americans will be able to access health insurance through an "exchange" or "gateway", which will connect individuals and businesses to comprehensive insurance policies and enable them to easily compare the multitude of policies available.
With that said, some have raised the question of whether an insurance company offering a plan through the exchange or gateway could offer reproductive health services, including abortions. Since operating the exchange uses federal funds, and individuals that qualify for a tax credit to help pay for their insurance are receiving federal funds, some stakeholders contend that abortion services should not be offered through any insurance plans in the exchange or gateway. The health care bill complies with existing abortion law, and federal funds cannot be used for abortion services. To ensure that no federal money goes towards abortion coverage, the policyholder's share of the premiums would be segregated from the federal dollars. As you know, Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) introduced a series of amendments to the Finance Committee's health care reform bill that reiterate existing abortion and conscience clause laws. These amendments failed to gain support in the Finance Committee and were not included in the bill.
Looking ahead, the Finance Committee's health care reform bill will be merged with a separate bill reported out of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. The combined package will be brought before to the full Senate this fall. There, it will be debated, amended and - hopefully - passed. A conference committee will then be formed to reconcile the differences between the House and Senate-passed bills. It is my hope that during this process, my colleagues and I can reach an agreement that respects a woman's right to determine the most appropriate course of action, yet also acknowledges the fact that taxpayer dollars should not go to fund abortion services except in select extreme circumstance. As my colleagues and I debate this issue, I will be sure to keep your thoughts in mind.
Thank you again for contacting me. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future about this or other matters of importance to you.
Wiith best personal regards, I am
Sincerely,
Tom Carper
Saturday, December 5, 2009
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