Menendez defends woman's reproductive rights

by: Hopeful

Tue Dec 08, 2009 at 06:51:37 PM EST

"This amendment would roll back the clock on a woman's right to choose," said Menendez. "It unfairly singles women out and takes away benefits they already have. It singles out our daughters and legislates limits on their reproductive health - their reproductive rights. If we were to do the same to men - if we were to single out men's reproductive health in this legislation - imagine the outcry. Imagine if men were denied access to procedures. Imagine if they were denied access to prescription drugs. But that is exactly what we are doing to our daughters with this amendment - rolling back the hands of time. I personally find that offensive, as do women across this country. The language of this bill has been carefully negotiated to ensure that we are preserving a woman's right to choose, but doing so without federal funding.  To claim otherwise is hypocritical and misleading."

The roll call is here. Yea was effectively a vote to kill the amendment.