Nancy Pelosi: A Powerful Woman in Health Reform
ABC News identifies Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi as “the most powerful and polarizing woman in the history of American politics.” Pelosi is the first woman who has held the position of House speaker, and she understands the pressure that comes with her job.
In the ABC interview, Pelosi said she is a target as a woman and liberal in politics. She ignores the Republican and conservative Blue Dog Democrats discontent with the health care reform bill. I greatly respect Pelosi for remaining confident and driven in attaining a government insurance option.
Most recently, Pelosi gave a speech at the front of the Capitol for the unveiling of the current health care reform bill and a heckler yelled “burn in hell,” which she brushed off by saying: “Thank you insurance companies of America.” It is important for her to show strength against opposition, but also not to stoop to their level and I think she did this gracefully with a little humor.
Her toughest critic is Fox News, who made fun of Pelosi’s response to the heckler by reenacting the exchange in “Fox and Friends” with hosts Steve Doocey and Alisyn Camerota. Fox columnist, Ken Klukowski, wrote an open letter to Pelosi and White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs that calls the health care reform legislation unconstitutional. Klukowski claims that there is no individual mandate that allows the bill.
Pelosi does not see this as a “serious question” that would prohibit the passing of the health care bill. Klukowski goes on to say, “Should you insist on passing a law penalizing — or even making it a crime — for people not to buy insurance, then Congress and President Obama run the risk of a stern judicial rebuke.”
The fact is that the health care reform bill would not require people to buy the government insurance option. Americans who want to keep their existing private plans are free to do so.
Michelle Obama Stresses Female Health
The first lady has become the voice of female health in the Obama Administration. The video below was recently released by the White House in an effort to stress the importance of female health insurance reform. Mrs. Obama makes her stance clear by saying, “The need for health insurance reform is a critically important issue for families all across the country.” Generally, women manage the health care needs of themselves and their children.
Mrs. Obama relates to the uninsured by discussing the fear of not having proper health insurance when critical health care service is absolutely necessary. She gives the example of her daughter Sasha being diagnosed with meningitis, where the Obamas had health insurance coverage, but what if they had not in this life threatening circumstance?
According to Politics Daily, ” one in 10 [breast] cancer patients said they could not get covered because of their pre-existing condition.” Insurance is supposed to provide health care coverage, not prohibit it. Insurance needs to be affordable to those who need it the most, like cancer patients.
On the health care blog iVillage, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, states that in the government health insurance plan “insurance companies will no longer be able to eliminate folks based on a pre-existing condition; there will be a limit for how much they can charge for out-of-pocket costs.”
Also, Sebelius said that the extent of maternity coverage should be reformed in the government plan. With most insurance plans not covering the full cost of maternity care, reproductive health, and birth control, there definitely needs to be more female health care coverage.
On the Politics daily column Lynn Sweet writes about Mrs. Obama’s hosting of an event honoring Breast Cancer Awareness month. The fact that the first lady is strongly addressing women’s needs in the health care debate, is a crucial step to reforming female health care coverage.
The Abortion Question Needs an Answer!
The health care debate is going around in circles over the abortion question. Will the health care bill allow federal dollars to be used toward abortion coverage or not? Well, from what the media is reporting–the majority of the House and President Obama say no federal money for abortions.
But the specification in the bill is the matter of debate–there are options for lower income families of providing tax credits that could be used to attain abortion coverage. Wouldn’t that mean government money could be spent towards reproductive services?
According to the AP article Abortion divides House Dems in Health Care Debate, there are two dozen anti-abortion democrats who want to make sure that the bill clearly prohibits federal funding of abortions.
Some believe the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits federal money being used towards abortions “except in cases of rape and incest or if the mother’s life would be endangered,” would answer the abortion question. Others report that there are discrepancies with the amendment and that it only applies to Medicaid.
On the Life News website, this article gives both sides of the debate over the Hyde Amendment. According to National Right to Life federal legislative director Douglas Johnson and AP, the Hyde Amendment does not apply to the new health care bill.
However, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs claimed that the Hyde Amendment directly prohibits federal funding of abortions. The Life News website believes that Gibbs mislead reporters.
In my opinion, a new amendment should be established where there is no confusion in the language of the amendment. Speaker Nancy Pelosi did not specify if there will be an amendment on abortion, and said the current focus is on “our policy on this legislation.”
Yes, I agree that the health care bill overall and the public option should be the priority, but the issue of abortion cannot be ignored. There is too much controversy in the media not to answer the question: Will women receive abortion coverage or not?
40 Days: An Anti-Abortion Recipe
Planned Parenthood clinics across the nation have seen anti-choice protesters in high volumes due to the 40 Days for Life campaign. This organization sees abortion as “evil,” and their mission is to use protest, prayer and fasting, and constant vigil to put an end to abortions.
The campaign uses the number 40 as symbolism for the 40 days of rain God brought to Noah and Moses’ 40 days on the mountain. The group wants to rid the world of abortion in 40 days, which is promoted in this campaign video.
The message of closing Planned Parenthood facilities is even more promoted on their website that applauds the closing of a Montana clinic, as an answer to their prayers from God.
They have caused quite a stir and Planned Parenthood has created a blog, I am Emily X, in response. Planned Parenthood workers and activists report the experiences of patients who have seen protesters at clinics across America.
One blog post discusses the vulnerability of a patient at an Idaho clinic, who called Planned Parenthood very upset by yelling protesters. As a patient, you are going to Planned Parenthood to receive care that you that you might already feel worried about and to have someone harassing you outside of a facility would make you even more uncomfortable.
In a post from Washington, a patient told a Planned Parenthood staffer, “I would never protest at their church, never.” The staffer said she didn’t identify Planned Parenthood as a “church,” but what the patient had said really struck her. Planned Parenthood is an organization that has the faith and value of providing reproductive rights to women.
Everyone has the right to free speech, but when a woman is labeled as “good” or “evil” for going to Planned Parenthood that is not justified. That is only speculation. A female patient could be going to Planned Parenthood to get a pregnancy test, find out her options, and not to get an abortion.
Women’s Health Groups in Amherst
Amherst is a community full of college students. In this environment, I think it is crucial for young women to be educated on health care issues.
I have learned a lot about the importance of female health by attending some of the events organized at UMass by Vox: Students for Choice. This student government organization promotes reproductive health and rights on campus. In the spring of 2008, I attended a “pharmacy sting” where we went to Walmart to see if they carried emergency contraception, which they did.
In Massachusetts, pharmacies are required to carry emergency contraception, an anomaly in states like Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, and South Dakota that have laws or regulations that deny patients emergency contraception based on the pharmacists’ personal beliefs.
If you are interested in learning more about the importance of female rights, please attend Vox’s meetings on Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. in the Student Union room 407.
Another group at UMass involved in providing women’s health education and bringing awareness to other issues including race, ethnicity, and oppression is the Everywoman’s Center. There will be a talk on “Women and Cancer in Our Communities: How to Save Your Own Life,” on Tuesday Oct. 20 at 4 p.m. in the Campus Center room 905. Female panelists with professions in health care will discuss the importance of attaining early prevention of cancer and how families should deal with a loved one getting cancer.
The UMass School of Public Health and Health Sciences has a Center for Research and Education in Women’s Health (CREWH). The CREWH seeks to improve the health of women by doing scientific research and informing other colleges and communities on women’s health issues.
In addition to groups affiliated with UMass, the town of Amherst provides Tapestry Health, a health clinic that provides completely confidential and affordable health care to women. This is a good option for female students, who do not want to go to University Health Services.
Does Republican Senator Snowe’s Vote Count?
Senator of Maine Olympia Snowe has recently received frantic press attention because she is the only Republican in the house that voted for Obama’s health care reform bill. According to Reuters, the vote on Tuesday in the Senate Finance Committee was 14-9 in favor of Obama’s plan.
Snowe is a moderate Republican, who has been known to go against the party majority. She also voted for Obama’s economic stimulus bill. This reputation has led some Republicans to question her allegiance to the party, but her views reflect more on local politics and what will benefit the residents of Maine, where there are not many large companies that provide health insurance to employees.
The New York Times gives a variety of opinions on the importance of Snowe’s vote. Some say that Democrats would be able to pass the bill without Republican support and that the vote right now is not final because health reform will be adjusted in the future. Senator and chairmen of the Senate health committee, Tom Harkin, was not too concerned in getting Snowe’s vote, but more concerned about “getting it done right.”
Snowe has been a frequent blog topic across all political views in the blogosphere.
But what are her views on abortion?
Reuters reported that Snowe is disliked by conservative Republicans for her support of legalizing abortion. Recently The New York Times reported that Snowe rejected abortion restrictions, but in the Baucus Bill there will be no use of federal money towards reproductive services. Private insurance companies that choose to cover abortion can continue to do so.
“We want to preserve the status quo on abortion,” said Snowe. So Snowe supports women’s legal right to abortion, but she also does not support a government plan that provides abortion coverage. What about women who cannot afford private insurance for reproductive services?
There is a fear among women’s pro-choice advocates that private insurance companies will drop abortion coverage altogether to save costs in the competitive market that will have a less expensive government plan.
Women Speak Out on Health Reform
This past Thursday there was a female dominated talk on health care in the Senate. While Democrats and President Obama insist that health reform will benefit women and are trying to campaign to get women more involved, most women do not feel included in the health care debate. In an Associated Press-GfK poll, one-third of women under the age of 55 reported that they were ambivalent about health care reform and did not support either side.
This means that Congress needs to target women as a group even more. Women have to be part of the debate before decisions like reducing reproductive rights and maternity benefits are not included in a government insurance plan. Strong advocates for getting female voices heard are Michelle Obama and Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., the latter of which led a rally on the steps of the Capitol.
In my opinion, women need health reform more than men. Not only are women in need of more health care service, but they are usually the individuals in the household that are responsible for managing the well-being and health of others. Also, since working women get paid less and some cannot be full time employees due to household duties, they qualify for insurance coverage less often than men.
Women would greatly benefit from health care reform, especially in the need for more federal funding of breast cancer research. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer among women. “This year in the United States, over 192,370 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and approximately 40,170 women will die from the disease.”
These are some frightening statistics. Breast cancer runs in my family; I lost my maternal grandmother to it, and my mother has had a cancerous cyst removed. In a hearing last Wednesday to the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, Otis Brawley, M.D., chief medical officer of the ACS, spoke about the importance of improving the health care service for breast cancer patients and having more early detection services such as mammograms. The latter is a problem that I have noticed, most women do not get tested for cancer early on in their lives to reduce medical costs, something that I have experienced.
The good news is that this upcoming Tuesday the Senate Finance Committee is voting on getting health care reform initiatives passed and improving existing ones. According to Obama, health care reform will “not add one dime to the deficit,” but reduce costs. Republicans do not fully agree. Pelosi said there will be a public option. Regardless of all the controversy circulating around health care reform, I am optimistic that once passed the health care bill will be positive for everyone. I just want the needs of women to be further addressed before it passes.
Oil? Natural Gas? Electric? Regardless, Get Ready to Pay for Heat!
Weather Feature Audio Slide Show
By: Sara Afzal, Kirsten Swenson, and Brendan Anthony
Should I turn the heat on?
This is a concern for many UMass students who live off-campus. According to the Boston Globe, although oil prices have declined since the summer of 2008, from $4.71 per gallon to an average of $2.73 per gallon, college students are still struggling to afford heating costs.
Most students find keeping the heat off and bundling up in layers a favorable alternative to turning on the heat for the first time this season.
“We dress inside as if we live outside,” said Bruce Danek, a sophomore forestry major from Northampton, Mass. “Our apartment’s really cold; we don’t really use the heat much.”
“We haven’t turned the heat on yet because I’m poor and I can’t afford it,” said Zoe Shanor, a junior plant, soil and insect sciences major. “When we take showers, we leave the door open so the steam will heat up the house. We do a lot of soup cooking to heat up the house.”
It’s clear that both Shanor and Danek are worried about affording heating costs this winter. Although most tenants cannot choose their preferred type of heating system, the cost of electric heat could increase, with Congress developing a solution designed to reduce carbon emissions.
Congress is proposing a “cap and trade” tax policy, which would regulate the amount of carbon dioxide that companies release each year. Companies who exceed their limits will then be allowed to “trade” this excess with a company whose carbon emissions fell short of the allocated amount. Power plants that burn coal, thus producing more carbon dioxide emissions, would be forced to increase costs.
This would, in turn, raise the cost of heat for the 12 percent of households in Massachusetts that use electric heat, and reduce the cost for the 44 percent of households who use natural gas.
Ryan Burke, a junior sociology major, explains that he uses electric heat in his off-campus home, and because him and his roommates just moved in this year, they have no idea what to expect.
“Right now, we pay about $20 a month for electric. We are hoping that once the heat goes on, that amount won’t double. The last tenants caulked all the windows shut, so we’re kind of worried about living in a drafty house,” said Burke.
Danek has similar concerns about the rising costs of heat.
“We have gas. Right now, we pay about $20 a month for gas. Last winter, when it [the house] was at 65 degrees, it’d be upwards of $150 to $200 a month,” said Danek.
Regardless of the policy that Congress adopts to reduce carbon emissions, the University of Massachusetts is taking steps towards being recognized as a leader in “green” initiatives. The University recently opened up the new Central Heating Plant, which cost about $130 million and took almost 10 years to build. The new facility generates UMass’ energy from natural gas.
According to UMass Magazine, with the new facility up and running, UMass hopes to reduce emissions by 18 percent from 2007’s emissions levels.
Women’s Rights in Afghanistan
The LA Times’ audio slide show Afghanistan’s Women Yearn for More is well a constructed piece on the increase of social freedoms for Afghani women, who are more able to attain education, laugh in public, and wear less traditional coverings like burkas. Reporter and photographer Carolyn Cole narrates the slide show, which features numerous portraits of Afghanis. The photographs are mostly candid shots of citizens in daily life. This allows the viewer to feel like they are getting a natural sense of life as an Afghani woman.
Cole starts the slide show with a shot of two modern Afghani women crossing the street. There is natural sound in the background of the narration including city street noise in Kabul like cars zooming and the chiming bells of a bicycle. This furthers the audience’s experience of getting a vibe of the real Afghanistan through sight and sound.
Under each photograph there are captions that coincide with the narration, but at times the captions give more specific information like quotes and ages. In my opinion, this is distracting because if the viewer looks at the caption below the photograph than they will miss the narration and therefore have to pause the slide show. Cole’s narration flows well and is not worth missing. A text piece including the specific information in the captions would have been more appropriate.
The parts that I found the most interesting were when the narration synchronized flawlessly with the subject of the photograph. For instance, there is one shot of a man looking displeased in the direction of his wife, when the narration says some men are not happy with the change in freedoms for women and even threaten their wives’ lives.
Afghanistan has a male dominated society, where if a man believes that his wife has not followed expectations or been adulterous than extreme repercussions take place. In the worst case, women can be killed or burned with acid, in an “honor killing.” Also, women can feel so guilt ridden that they give themselves self-afflicted wounds or even burn themselves. Cole shows gruesome shots of women at the National Burn Unit. Although these shots are hard for the viewer to see, I understand the impact that Cole wanted to bring the audience. As a viewer, I thought, “these women really burned themselves?”
The photos that were the most intriguing to me were women eating ice cream while wearing a burka, a woman getting married, and the many shots of children. What also struck me was Afghanistan having one of the highest rates of maternal mortality in the world and 90% of burn victims not surviving. This is related to the lack of sufficient medical care in Afghanistan. Access to health care for Afghani women is probably more difficult to attain. Overall, Cole’s angle on the piece is ‘yes the women of Afghanistan have experienced some social freedom, but they still experience oppression and inferiority to men.’ The piece tactfully ends with an Afghani woman saying she hopes for freedom.
(This is a multimedia class assignment)
Women Need Health Care…More!
UMass economics professor, Nancy Folbre, wrote the column “Health Care Reform is a Woman’s Issue” in The New York Times; she argues that women need more health coverage than men because of pregnancy care and managing health care for their families.
The cost of health care for young women is higher than for men. Women need maternity care that requires intense medical care that obviously does not apply to men. In the long run, most women in households take responsibility for their children’s health. Personally, it was always my mother fretting over a minor cold I had and insisting to take me to the doctor.
Folbre gives a good account of the financial structure of health care in a typical household. She references the report by the Joint Economic Committee of Congress, stating that 64 million women do not have proper health insurance, and 1.7 million women have lost health insurance due to job losses—71% of which were due a husband’s job loss.
This vulnerability puts women in a very tough place. They are charged more for coverage, and yet they can’t help that they need to go to the doctor more often than men. Some women are reliant on their husband’s financial stability to receive health insurance; imagine getting divorced and losing health insurance—two blows. Many women will continue to lose coverage and care if the health care system does not improve.
One woman that is getting her voice heard on the importance of female health care is First Lady Michelle Obama. Reader’s Digest reporter Neil Merlino describes her recent speech at the White House, which focused on the need for the current health care system to be reformed of “gender bias” so that there can be “true equality.” Michelle has a background in health since she worked in the University of Chicago Medical Center. I really respect Michelle Obama and her effort to stress the need for female health reform.
Medi-Gal 