America’s top priority has to be creating jobs. Everything else should be secondary as the president and leaders of Congress look for ways to improve the economy. Among other things, this can help solve the deficit. And since the Tucson tragedy, a new tone of rhetoric — not conciliatory, but at least less inflammatory — raised some hope of progress.
Briefly.
Now House Speaker John Boehner has made the assault on a woman’s right to choose an abortion one of the House’s “top legislative priorities.” Oh, that’ll bring folks together all right.
With the possible exceptions of gay rights and gun control, there is no more divisive issue in American politics than abortion. Putting it front and center on the House agenda Thursday not only distracts lawmakers from the economy but also further splits the already polarized Congress. The fact that some Democrats also believe abortion should be illegal is cold comfort.
Abortion foes want a complete ban of coverage in the new health care reforms. They want to penalize private plans that include abortion coverage.
But perhaps most offensive is their proposal to ban abortion care for women in military hospitals overseas, even if they are willing to pay for it themselves. In effect, women would be on their own, sometimes in Third World settings where local hospitals are far below U.S. standards. That’s an insult to women serving their nation.
Boehner says stronger anti-choice laws are the “will of the people,” but there has never been a consensus on this. The latest polls show Americans about evenly divided between those who identify themselves as anti-abortion and those who say they are pro-choice.
Most people agree abortion should be a last resort. It’s nearly always a painful decision, and we believe it should be made by women and their doctors without government intrusion. The speaker disagrees and of course has a right to raise any issue he wants. But this statement of priorities — placing this proposal ahead of building the economy — is an affront to not only women but also to unemployed Americans.