In support of a rally held today to oppose the inclusion of restrictive anti-choice language in the Senate health care bill, People For the American Way President Michael B. Keegan issued the following statement.

“Health care reform is a tremendously important issue for the Senate to be considering, and no one should attempt to hold it hostage in an effort to deny women a meaningful right to reproductive choice. Right wing politicians shouldn’t insert themselves into the deeply personal medical decisions that should be left to women and families, and no one should attempt to use such important issues to block critically needed reforms.

“President Obama has promised repeatedly that if you like your health care, you’ll be able to keep it. The Stupak language passed by the House violates that principle—it would mean that countless women would lose reproductive health coverage. That’s unacceptable.

“So far, the Senate has taken a stand against such restrictive and overly-burdensome language. I hope that cooler heads will prevail in the Senate and make clear that health care reform should extend coverage to more Americans, not roll back the coverage that women already have.”

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