Bad Priorities in Kansas and Good Priorities from a Republican Congressman
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This week’s Chump title goes to Kansas Governor Sam Brownback and his allies, who have yet to pass an actual state budget, but somehow found the time to pass an anti-women’s health bill (they are the only state that hasn’t completed their redistricting).
Brownback has proven time and again just how out of touch he is on women’s health issues — he once suggested on a call-in show on C-SPAN that women should “go work somewhere else” if they want to get birth control. So it comes as no surprise that just a few hours ago he signed a bill that allows pharmacists, physicians, and other medical providers to refuse to provide birth control and medical referrals to women, just ‘cause.
And as bad and as dangerous as that birth control bill is, a second omnibus bill up for debate would literally require doctors to lie to their patients and tell women seeking abortions that the procedure will increase their risk of breast cancer. Just as bad, the bill also protects doctors who withhold information from a woman about her pregnancy.
For interfering with women’s most personal medical decisions and playing politics with women’s health, Governor Brownback has earned the Chump title. It’s time to straighten out his priorities. Take action now and tell Kansas politicians to stop playing doctor.
In Congress, Republican Representative Robert Dold has a different set of priorities. Dold is putting politics aside to do what he believes is best: protect women’s health. On Wednesday, he unveiled legislation to protect federal funding for Planned Parenthood. In his own words:
We have seen several attempts to block funds and exclude health care providers from participating in the Title X program simply because they separately offer services beyond the scope of Title X. We should not discriminate against hospitals and organizations that provide access to basic, preventative, and in some cases life-saving services for so many underprivileged women through Title X.
Dold may not have a perfect record on women’s health issues, but he was the only Republican to speak in defense of Planned Parenthood on the House Floor during the national defunding fight last year.
When so many candidates (particularly Republicans) are running for office on records of restricting women’s health care access and seek to outdo one another in the race to see who could be worst for women, we’re happy to see a politician take a stand when it’s not the easiest thing to do. That’s why this week we’re giving the Champ crown to Representative Robert Dold.
