if you haven’t paid attention, yesterday congress passed the Vitter Amendment, named for the notorious David Vitter, anti-choice extroidanaire. According to RH Reality Check, the language simply repeats the Hyde Amendment, which is famous for restricting Medicaid Recipients from family planning services, specifically abortion. the Vitter Amendment prohibits Indian Health Services (IHS) from using funds to provide abortions to Native American women.
the thing that makes this so amusing (and by amusing i mean ri-god-damn-diculous) is that this new amendment does nothing that Hyde doesn’t already do, since IHS runs under the same umbrella as Medicaid. the only thing this new amendment could do is confuse things for a Democratic Congress and a Pro-Choice President trying to change Hyde.
Sen. Vitter’s amendment is simply a political tactic that will do nothing to improve health care for Native Americans, nor reduce the number of unintended pregnancies,” said PPFA President Cecile Richards. “If Sen. Vitter is serious about preventing unintended pregnancies, he would support prevention legislation that invests in family planning programs. Unfortunately, Sen. Vitter’s amendment puts politics over the health and welfare of Native Americans.
i couldn’t agree more. if Sen. Vitter was so concerned about the welfare of Native American women there are so many other areas than he could focus his attention. just as an example, he could push to pass laws that would allow violence against Native women to actually get prosecuted. he could try to procure funding to provide more law enforcement to actually protect Native women from things like domestic violence and rape. according to Amnesty International and their report,
Maze of Injustice, law enforcement protection is scarce at best around tribal land, with the main problem being an argument of jurisdiction. Senator Vitter in all of his care and concern could address this. he could attempt to make family planning advice available to all people, including Native Americans, including access to birth control, and education services that teach proper use of contraceptives, not just abstinence (which, as i and many bloggers before me have written, does nothing to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies…none) education. he could strive to make sure that comprehensive sex ed is taught in tribal schools as well. but, being from a reservation area myself, i have yet to see anything like this happen. i wonder which side of the abstinence only/comprehensive sex ed debate he’s on…
but to toss this reiteration of the same anti-choice rhetoric under the guise of improving health care for Native Americans? i am not buying it. there is plenty to be done that doesn’t involve passing amendments that have pretty much already been covered in the already existing anti-choice Hyde Amendment.
you hear me, Senator Vitter? I do not believe that you have the best interest of the health or welfare of Native American women in mind. I believe you are simply trying to force pregnancy on a group of people already victims of poverty and violence. What’s next, Senator? Gonna kick it old school w/ the forced sterilization of the 1960s? That would really take care of Native women, don’t you agree?
Stop lying to us Native women. We know you don’t care about us. This just proves it!
About Ouyang Dan
otherwise known as Brandann R. Hill-Mann.
a Pagan, Native American, (formerly) single mother, social justice activist, invisibly disabled, US Navy Veteran, from Almost Canada, Michigan, currently living in the Republic of Korea on Uncle Sam’s dime.
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