UPDATE: H.R. 358 passed on a 251-172 vote on Thursday, October 13, 2011. Thank you so much for all your phone calls and support. We will keep you updated on how to ensure that this bill does not pass the Senate!
The House leadership is pushing Congressman Joe Pitts' anti-abortion-funding bill through the House of Representatives this week and we need you to call your Representative TODAY!
H.R. 358, the so-called “Protect Life Act,” would do anything but—this dangerous bill puts women’s lives at risk and would go far beyond the Stupak-Pitts Amendment on which it is modeled. It would:
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End abortion coverage in state health care exchanges, the public marketplaces for health insurance starting in 2014 under the Affordable Care Act. Eventually, most people are expected to get their insurance through the exchanges. If this bill is successful, getting insurance that includes coverage for abortion will be nearly impossible – putting abortion out of reach of even more women.
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Allow hospitals receiving federal funds to deny emergency abortions to women whose lives are in danger.
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Place a gag order on insurers, preventing them from even giving women information about how to get abortion coverage.
Because phone calls have a more immediate impact than email and the House of Representatives could vote on this bill this week, it is important for you to CALL today!
Call Congress at (202) 224-3121 and ask for your Representative--you can call 24 hours a day and leave a message if the staff is not in the office. Click here to find your Representative.
When you are connected with a staffer, give your name, let them know that you are a voter in that district, and tell them:
"I oppose H.R. 358, which prevents insurance plans from covering abortion. Plase tell my Representative to vote AGAINST this dangerous bill.
We must protect a woman's health and safety. Politicians should not interfere in the medical decisions a woman and her family need to make."
When you have called, click here to tell us how your call went, and thank you for taking action!
