By Jos Truitt • @jostruitt • 16 years ago

Legislation Update: House votes to lift DC abortion ban

Good news for DC residents: on Thursday the House of Representatives passed a spending bill that removes the ban on use of local funds for abortion coverage in the District and lifts a number of other important bans as well. We now need the Senate to pass a funding bill that does the same.
I do want to make note of some really awful comments made on the floor of the House by Representative Todd Tiahrt (R-Kansas) on Thursday regarding the DC abortion ban. The Congressman called the use of local funds for abortion a “financial incentive” to “encourage” women elligible for the funds to have abortions. Linking class with race, Tiahrt asked if President Obama’s mother would have “taken advantage of [an abortion].” He asked the same question about Clarence Thomas, which is what makes the racial element of his line of thinking so obvious. I believe Rep. Tiahrt’s comments were meant to suggest the disgusting black genocide argument, which claims reproductive rights organizations and abortion providers are engaged in a murderous racist conspiracy. More information on Rep. Tiahrt’s comments and an action alert can be found here.
Previously: House moves to lift bans on abortion funding, needle exchange, domestic partnership, and medical marijuana in DC, Quick Hit: House Appropriations Committee votes to lift DC abortion ban.

Boston, MA

Jos Truitt is Executive Director of Development at Feministing. She joined the team in July 2009, became an Editor in August 2011, and Executive Director in September 2013. She writes about a range of topics including transgender issues, abortion access, and media representation. Jos first got involved with organizing when she led a walk out against the Iraq war at her high school, the Boston Arts Academy. She was introduced to the reproductive justice movement while at Hampshire College, where she organized the Civil Liberties and Public Policy Program’s annual reproductive justice conference. She has worked on the National Abortion Federation’s hotline, was a Field Organizer at Choice USA, and has volunteered as a Pro-Choice Clinic Escort. Jos has written for publications including The Guardian, Bilerico, RH Reality Check, Metro Weekly, and the Columbia Journalism Review. She has spoken and trained at numerous national conferences and college campuses about trans issues, reproductive justice, blogging, feminism, and grassroots organizing. Jos completed her MFA in Printmaking at the San Francisco Art Institute in Spring 2013. In her "spare time" she likes to bake and work on projects about mermaids.

Jos Truitt is an Executive Director of Feministing in charge of Development.

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