Chris Smith Ramps up his War Against Women's Right to Choose

Anti-choice zealot Congressman Chris Smith (R-Robbinsville) has upped the ante in his crusade against a woman’s right to choose. Over the years, the congressman has never passed up an opportunity to attach an anti-abortion rider to legislation, but now he has taken advantage of the Republican/Tea Party majority in the House of Representatives by introducing a bill that would make it even more difficult for women to obtain legal abortions.

Under current law, federal abortion funding is prohibited except in cases of rape and incest. Smith’s  “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act” redefines “rape” as only those instances where the rape is “forcible” (without defining the term) and invokes the exception of incest only if the woman is under 18 years of age.

A consequence of this bill would be that women who are victims of date rape, who are drugged and then raped, or who are mentally challenged and unable to resist would be denied federal funded insurance for an abortion. Companion legislation being introduced by Smith’s fellow Republican/Tea Party congressman Mike Pence would meddle further into free enterprise by prohibiting private insurance companies from covering legal abortions.

Despite the dire economy, slow job growth, and two budget-draining wars, Speaker Boehner is fast-tracking this anti-choice legislation as a top priority in the House. It seems that if the Republican/Tea Party can’t overturn Roe v Wade in the courts, it is doing everything it can to nullify it with cruel legislation. Smith, Pence, and the other 171 Republicans who signed on to this legislation are abetting the inevitable rise of dubious abortion clinics like that of Dr. Kermit Gosnell, while shutting down safe and medically superior facilities like Planned Parenthood.

Abortion should be legal, safe, and rare. Smith and his colleagues are doing everything they can to assure that it is neither legal nor safe. And by denying funding for contraception, unwanted pregnancies will increase and unfortunately backstreet abortions will be anything but rare.