English: Motorcycle stunt; driver: Rainer Schwarz Français : Cascade en moto; cascadeur: Rainer Schwarz (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
We’ve been focusing a lot on the anti-abortion fight in Texas, but today it was North Carolina who won the race for most creative and sneaky anti-abortion legislation. The NC House has passed the “#motorcyclevagina” bill, which includes measures that would close the state’s women’s health clinics — tucked into a law on motorcycle safety.
What happens in Texas won’t stay in Texas. Here’s an analysis of the national impact of the 20-week abortion ban that’s likely to pass the Senate later next week:
“The Texas bill was passed by the House Wednesday and now goes to the Senate for a showdown next week. The bill would ban abortion after 20 weeks; require all abortions to be performed in ambulatory surgical centers and for all doctors performing abortions to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of the facility; and restrict use of the abortion-inducing RU-486 pill.”
The next step: Texas is just going to flat-out ban all women. (Says humorist Andy @BorowitzReport.)
Women’s Rights
The National Organization for Women did something BIG at their convention this week: and it has to do with the ERA and the UN’s International Women’s Treaty. Bottom line: if a candidate wants a NOW endorsement, she or he is gonna have to commit.
Healthcare
Why do the Republicans hate Obamacare so much? Because they’re afraid it will WORK:
“Already, the law has provided 54 million Americans free access to preventive services like check-ups and mammograms. More than six million seniors have saved more than six billion dollars on their prescriptions. Nearly 13 million consumers have received more than one billion dollars in rebates from insurance companies that had overcharged them. There are more than three million happy young adults who have been allowed to stay on their parents’ health insurance until they turn 26. And in California, a state that represents one-fifth of the U.S. economy, we’ve learned that premiums for the law’s new insurance options have come in lower than expected.”
Economic News
Good news! US posts huge budget SURPLUS, putting us on track for the LOWEST deficit in five years. Remember this when the Tea Party crowd starts bitching about the Administration being the biggest spenders in all of history (or whatever lie they decide to spout).
It’s time to rethink our idea of economic principles — because the old framework doesn’t work any longer. Let’s start by admitting that economics is more philosophy than science.
Congress
The House finally passed a farm bill — only this time without those pesky food stamps the Tea Party hates, because you know, “ick, poor people.” Without any provision for SNAP, it may get vetoed.
In the meantime, House Republicans can’t/won’t be convinced to vote for immigration reform. Seven key Congressional districts could go to Democrats if GOPers refuse to get work done.
“Voters in CA-10 (Jeff Denham), CA-21 (David Valadao), CA-31 (Gary Miller), CO-6 (Mike Coffman), MN-2 (John Kline), NV-3 (Joe Heck), and NY-11 (Mike Grimm) all say they would be less likely to vote for their Congressman next year if he opposes immigration reform. Voters in those districts also say they will be inclined to punish the Republican Party more broadly if the House GOP does not allow immigration reform to move forward.”
Once again, our hearts pumped a little faster reading that the Senate majority leader is prepared to use the “nuclear option” to get a vote on the President’s nominees. Alas, every time we’ve gotten our hopes up that the filibuster rules would be changed, Harry Reid has dashed them to the ground. (Donna)
The Senate reached a deal on student loans that will offer immediate relief to current students — but will likely end up costing a lot more in just three years. And unlike the bad House bill, there’s no cap on how high rates can go. We still prefer the Warren plan, which ties the rate to the low one the banks get from the Fed.
Mitch McConnell is at the most powerful point in his 30 years in Congress — and also the most vulnerable. Hard to believe he was once a Republican moderate who supported Medicare, Planned Parenthood and the ERA — at a time when there truly were moderate voices in the GOP. This is a long read, but fascinating if only to follow McConnell’s devolution to the power-mad obstructionist he is today.
