Cruel summer: Congressional onslaught on sexual rights

SIECUS Rep. 1995 Oct-Nov;24(1):16-8.

Abstract

PIP: During the summer of 1995, the US Congress engaged in a practice known as "legislating on appropriations," which involved creating new or revised policy during funding sessions rather than relying on authorizing committees to debate and set policy. By the time of the summer recess, this tactic had been used to attack abortion rights, contraceptive rights, and sexual orientation rights. Setbacks in abortion rights include introduction of a bill to outlaw the performance of "intact" dilatation and evacuation abortions, an extremely rare procedure used when a mother's life is in danger. In a general government appropriations bill, the health insurance programs for federal employees may not pay for abortion unless a woman's life is in danger. Those covered by the insurance may not purchase additional insurance with their own funds to provide for the cost of an abortion in cases of rape or incest. Other action removed President Clinton's order to fund medicare abortions in cases of rape or incest and overrode the actions of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education which attempted had to insure that obstetric and gynecology students would become trained in abortion techniques. Title X family planning funding was stripped and then restored, an "Adolescent Family Life Demonstration Program" was renamed the "Abstinence Counseling Program," and funding for the Office of Surgeon General was cut. AIDS funding mechanisms were subject to efforts to discriminate against homosexuals, and organizations said to promote homosexuality were singled out to be denied federal funding. These attacks on the rights of small groups of Americans are part of a larger effort to deny the right of all Americans to make responsible decisions regarding their sexuality.

MeSH terms

  • Abortion, Induced*
  • Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome*
  • Americas
  • Behavior
  • Developed Countries
  • Disease
  • Economics
  • Evaluation Studies as Topic*
  • Family Planning Services
  • Financial Management*
  • Government Programs*
  • HIV Infections
  • Health Planning*
  • Homosexuality*
  • Human Rights*
  • Insurance, Health*
  • Legislation as Topic*
  • North America
  • Organization and Administration
  • Personality
  • Psychology
  • Sexual Behavior
  • Sexuality*
  • United States
  • Virus Diseases