Common Ground, Not So Much

One thing I really like about President Obama is that he recognizes the long view and knows you have to lay groundwork to get things done. I’ve been amazed that time and time again his foes will take the bait in his carefully laid traps. One of the traps that he set was his talk about finding “common ground” on abortion and defining that common ground as preventing abortion and helping women who are pregnant. The best way to reduce abortion is to reduce unintended pregnancy. So, you would think increased access to contraception is a good thing, right?

Who could have guessed that the first group to set off the trap is a group called “Democrats for Life of America.” Democrats for Life removed pro-life rising star Congressman Tim Ryan (D-OH) from its advisory board because of his sponsorship of a bill called the Preventing Unintended Pregnancies, Reducing the Need for Abortion and Supporting Parents Act. The bill increases funding for contraception, improves access to health care for pregnant women and increases funding for adoption services. The cause of the rift was Ryan’s support of increased access to contraception.

“We’re working in Congress with groups that agree with preventative options while [the DFLA] is getting left behind,” Ryan said. “I can’t figure out for the life of me how to stop pregnancies without contraception. Don’t be mad at me for wanting to solve the problem.”

–snip–

Ryan said he tried to convince officials with Democrats For Life of America, which he referred to Monday as a “fringe group,” that the use of contraception is needed as part of any plan to reduce unintended pregnancies but that failed.

So Democrats for Life are not interested in any kind of compromise, along as it allows women to use contraception. I’m not sure what their idea of reducing abortion is besides forced childbirth and the DFLA was not interested in any kind of compromise.

Here is a summary of the bill:

Reducing the Need for Abortion and Supporting Parents Act – Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to provide education on preventing teen pregnancies.

Provides for: (1) grants to prevent teen pregnancy; and (2) a national center for parents of adolescents to support parents in preventing teen pregnancy.

Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of Social Security Act to expand coverage of family planning services.

Sets forth requirements for primary care clinics that receive federal financial assistance and provide abortion services.

Expands state options to provide health care coverage to low-income pregnant women.

Title X Family Planning Services Act of 2007 – Authorizes appropriations for voluntary family planning projects.

Amends the Public Health Service Act to prohibit individual health insurance coverage from excluding pregnancy as a preexisting condition.

Provides for: (1) grants for ultrasound equipment and prenatal testing for pregnant women; and (2) programs to better identify and treat pregnant women and mothers who are victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking.

Allows the Secretary to make grants to public institutions of higher education to assist students who have decided to carry their pregnancies to term and parenting students in continuing their studies and graduating.

Requires the Secretary to require that federally funded group homes for pregnant and parenting women provide, upon request, adoption counseling and counseling on parenting skills.

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) increase the tax credit for adoption expenses; (2) make such tax credit refundable; and (3) increase the exclusion from gross income for employer-paid adoption expenses.

Provides for: (1) education of teen and first-time mothers through home visits by registered nurses; and (2) the collection and reporting of abortion surveillance data.