Abortion shouldn't be a top issue

By Brooke Boniface

The 112th congress is off to a roaring and productive start.  A little over a month into the first session and so much is being accomplished — please note my sarcasm.

Continuing on the path of productivity, in the House of Representatives, Republican Joseph Pitts of Pensylvania and Republican Christopher Smith of New Jersey have each introduced a new bill related to abortion.  

H.R. 358 or the "Protect Life Act," sponsored by Pitts, would prevent federal funds from paying for any abortion or covering any part of any health plan that includes abortion coverage.  

And H.R. 3, the "No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act," sponsored by Smith, states that,"No funds authorized or appropriated by Federal law...shall be expended for any abortion."  (Text from the Act)

H.R. 3 accomplishes this by codifying the Hyde Amendment, which until now has been annually renewed by congress.

It also reinstates a ban on D.C. abortion funding and would eliminate the tax deduction for the almost 90 percent of employer-sponsored health plans that cover abortion, thus forcing employers to drop abortion coverage from their current policies or lose valuable tax breaks.  

These bills are not exactly ground breaking as there was already an executive order in March of 2010, in conjunction with health care reform that, "specifically prohibit(ed) the use of tax credits and cost-sharing reduction payments to pay for abortion services (except in cases of rape or incest, or when the life of the woman would be endangered) in the health insurance exchanges that will be operational in 2014."  (Executive order text)

Republicans apparently believe that this did not go far enough.  

H.R. 358 in particular, would now "allow hospitals that receive federal money -- essentially all of them -- to refuse to perform an abortion even when a woman's life is in danger. In a change from current law, hospitals could let a woman die rather than provide an abortion." (Mercury News)

This aspect of the act is morally reprehensible at best and downright evil at worst.  Regardless of my feelings on abortion and this part of the bill however, the real issue at hand is slightly different.  

As Senator Murray from Washington said, the problem with this bill is that it is, "not about the economy...It's not about jobs. It's not about putting people back to work. It's not about people feeling secure again."

The main problem here is exactly as Senator Murray articulates: these bills are huge distractions for Congress.  

With the economy in less-than-perfect shape, jobs hard to find — in December there were 4.7 job seekers for every available job, three times the 2007 average — and troops still stationed in Afghanistan and Iraq, Congress has a plate full of challenges without the addition of superfluous token bills.  

HR 3 and 358 are merely moves by Republicans to appease their conservative base.

These bills are sad indicators of the priorities of many Republicans — not restoring America's image abroad, insisting on a ballanced budget, or repairing our broken imigration system.

Instead they are focused on rallying their followers and saying "no" loudly and frequently to any and all programs set forth by Obama and/or the Democrats.

Instead of trying to cut off funding for the newly passed — and much needed, even if it is flawed — health care reform and trying to pass unnecessary laws concerning abortion funding, republicans should focus on the issues that will really help to strengthen the nation.  

However I am not giving a Stephen Colbert "Wag of my Finger" to republicans alone. This reprimand also extends to democrats and any other politicians who place political motivations above the needs of the nation, and there are plenty of those around.

The time for partisan fighting has come and gone — if it was ever really here.

As a political science major I am tired of being disapointed in our politicians and government as a whole.  The time is ripe for decisive reform and a bipartisan agenda that all Americans can be proud of.  

Now more than ever politics and petty disagreements cannot impede national progress. I sincerely hope that all of our politicians can put aside their differences and work toward a better future for all.  

Brooke Boniface is a junior political science and history double major and editor of the opinion section.