In response to a petition I signed I got this friendly form letter from my congresscritter, Dan Lipinski (bold mine). His B.S. pissed me off, so I wrote an open letter of reply. Was it too much? You tell me!
Dear Mrs. Steinhaus:
Thank you for contacting me to share your thoughts on federal funding for abortion. I appreciate hearing your views on this important issue and apologize for any delay in my response.
In 1973, the Supreme Court deemed abortion to be a constitutional issue in Roe v. Wade, meaning that abortion cannot be made illegal through legislation. The Supreme Court would have to overturn Roe v. Wade or an amendment to the Constitution would have to be passed for abortion to be banned. This is not currently under consideration in Congress.
That said, while I very much respect and understand your views on this issue, I agree with a large majority of Americans who do not believe that taxpayer funds should be expended on elective abortions. This is certainly a very difficult and emotional topic for many people, and regardless of the differences between our stances, I don’t believe that people make a decision on abortion lightly. But even as abortion raises complex ethical, religious, and legal questions, I trust that we can find common ground on proposals to lower the number of abortions by providing much needed prevention education, health, and supportive services for families. That’s why I have supported measures like the Pregnant Women Support Act (H.R. 3192 during the 110th Congress). Among other provisions, this bill would prevent private insurance issuers from discriminating against pregnant women, increase resources available to pregnant women who are victims of domestic or dating violence, and empower the Secretary of Health and Human Services to better support teenage and college-age parents. I strongly believe that we must work together as a community to both reduce the number of abortions and strengthen families. Though we do not agree completely on this issue, I welcome your feedback and ideas to achieve these shared goals, and will be certain to keep your views in mind as Congress considers relevant legislation.
Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts. Please do not hesitate to contact me again in the future regarding this or any other matter of concern. Additionally, I invite you to visit my website at www.lipinski.house.gov or my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/repdanlipinski to learn more about my work at home and in Washington.
Sincerely,
DANIEL W. LIPINSKI
Member of Congress
Read my reply below the fold.
Hello Congressman Lipinski,
I understand your stance on providing government funds for elective abortion. You are against it. I don't quite understand why. It is a safe and legal procedure, and you are not qualified to make medical decisions for anyone. And make no mistake, denying funds is certainly a way to make medical decisions for people.
Are you against elective medical treatments in general? Why? What constitutes 'elective'? Many men get treatment for erectile disfunction, and I have never heard anyone complain that government funds may be helping provide men with that treatment. Are you in support of government money being spent on elective erections? There are complex legal, ethical, and religious issues here. A government funded erection might result in an unwanted pregnancy or even recreational sex, which is against many Americans' religious beliefs.
Once you have gone down this rabbit hole, Congressman, you have to take the whole ride. I would like a detailed account of your stance on funding for ALL medical procedures, what constitutes 'elective' in your reasoning, and why you think your beliefs should come between people and their doctors. I would especially like to hear your ethical reasoning about why my tax dollars can be used to make men's cocks hard, and whether this is an elective treatment.
Sincerely,
Julie Steinhaus
If you would like answers too, visit Dan on his facebook page and ask him if he supports spending our tax money for elective (as opposed to forced, I guess) erectile dysfunction treatment.
www.facebook.com/repdanlipinski