Rep. Wasserman Schultz: Republicans Are Giving Women A ‘Back Of The Hand Treatment’

[kpete]

Source: Think Progress

Rep. Wasserman Schultz: Republicans Are Giving Women A ‘Back Of The Hand Treatment’

This morning, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) participated on a conference call with the Center for American Progress Action Fund’s Judy Feder to discuss Republican efforts to shut out women’s issues in the health reform debate. Feder noted that in 2006, nine Senate Republicans voted to explicitly kill a proposal that would have ensured that insurance companies cannot use domestic violence as a pretext for denying coverage to women. The two went on to discuss how, as the House vote drew near, Republican lawmakers’ disregard for the interests of women became more apparent.

In the House Rules Committee the Friday before the vote, Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX), who is also the chief recruiter for Republican House campaigns in 2010, justified the practice of insurance companies discriminating against women by comparing gender differences to smokers and non-smokers. The next day — on Saturday morning — Rep. Tom Price (R-GA) and several of his GOP colleagues shouted down congresswomen making 1-minute speeches on the importance of health reform for women. Wasserman Schultz denounced the interruption tactics and Sessions’ comparison of women to smokers as the “Republicans’ back of the hand treatment to women”:

WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: I’m pleased to have an opportunity to express and underscore my concerns of essentially what amounts to the Republicans’ back of the hand treatment to women, issues that are important to women, particularly women’s health. We already have had a clear sense that Republicans were opposed to our efforts to advance women’s health interests. Now we know we know they’re opposed to letting women voice opinions on health care as well. <...> My colleague Pete Sessions actually compared women to smokers and suggested women, like smokers, have to pay more for insurance just by the accident of our ability to get pregnant.

Read more: http://thinkprogress.org/2009/11/09/pregnant-women-smokers-comparison/

[BrklynLiberal]

1. Screw you Pete Sessions....

and how friggin' stupid does a woman have to be, to be a repuke???!!!! They are like abused wives....think they deserve bad treatment, keep coming back for more, and do not have the emotional strength to break away. Talk about sockpuppets.

[kelly1mm]

2. and about 25% of the Democratic members of the House.

She should concentrate on her own caucus first IMO.

[seafan]

3. Pardon us for noticing, Ms. Wasserman Schultz, but you then turned around and voted for this bill.

Somehow, it seems that when certain Democrats have the historic opportunity to stand up for the rights of women, sadly, they cave when it counts the most.


It seems, once again, that Debbie Wasserman Schultz talks a good game, but is too frightened to follow through.


Who is standing up for the rights of women in this country? Not Debbie Wasserman Schultz. But, then, she pooh-poohed impeachment hearings for Bush-Cheney as well.


We're sick of talk.

[emilyg]

7. +10

Clean your own house first Debbie.

[CTyankee]

12. The bill or the Stupak amendment? Please advise...thanks. nt

[seafan]

13. She voted Nay to Stupak, but YEA to the main bill that contains Stupak. Not good enough, Debbie.

She voted against the Stupak Amendment, then voted AYE on the main bill, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, which contains the Stupak Amendment.



They just cannot have this both ways. There is no way in HELL that women's rights should be bargained away *just to pass this bill*. This is unforgivable. But, then, Ms. Wasserman Schultz has never had the mettle to stand up when it really counted. So, she is voting true to form.


Links to both House votes are in this thread.

[KamaAina]

4. Um, Debbie, it's not just repukes.

About 40 Dems threw women under the bus, too.

Although none approached the exquisite idiocy of Sessions with that "smokers" remark. :wtf:

[winyanstaz]

5. K & R.....

The fact that this asshole then turned around and voted for this bill should tell us all something about the bill.
Republicans are all about controling women and women's sexuality. Always have been..always will be.
Now days a lot of dems are doing the same dang thing.
How smart is it to piss off over half of the population? :P

[joeycola]

6. add the House Health bill to that statement and I will agree!!

[defendandprotect]

8. GOP = Grand Old Patriarchy

[AnnieBW]

9. So are the Dems.

I could deal with "no PO money for abortions, with exceptions of rape, incest, life/health of mother, and severe fetal distress." I wouldn't like it, but I'd be willing to suck it up for the "greater good" of having a PO. But the Stupak Amendment goes TOO FAR!

[Owl]

10. Good on you Rep. Wasserman Schultz.

[bajamary]

11. Vichy Dems didn't approve contraception

Dear President Obama,

Why are you against an American woman having birth control paid for in your so-called "health reform" bill?

Why did you ask the Democrats way back in January to have contraception taken out of any health reform bill?

What does your wife think of that or is it okay with Michele as well?

What a friggin' disaster.

This is NOT health REFORM.

This is non reform health care bill is actually several steps BACKWARD for We The People. And it's a huge financial windfall for your buddies in the health industry.

I deeply regret every hour I worked to get you elected by going door-to-door in MI, IN and WI for nearly four months.

I will never again support, vote for, or work for, either you or your Vichy Democrats (aka Corporate Democrats).

Shame of all of you.

[Joe Chi Minh]

14. I know it's a very serious and troubling subject, but you Americans have a hilarious way with

words and metaphors. I'd thought it was only the males! It could hardly be more apt for the context, either.

[Cherchez la Femme]

15. Yet it takes two to tango

"Pete Sessions actually compared women to smokers and suggested women, like smokers, have to pay more for insurance just by the accident of our ability to get pregnant."

And Viagra is touted and under some insurance programs, paid for.

But it's the womans fault, don't ya know, even though men want to fuck like bunnies til the cows come home.