Below is a response from my senator, Jeff Merkley, regarding my request that any health care legislation exclude federal funding for abortion. It’s obviously a form letter and a very political response, and I’m not surprised in the least.

Thank you for contacting me to share your concerns about including comprehensive reproductive health services in health care reform. While we may disagree about this issue, I acknowledge that your views are powerful and deeply felt, and please know that I respect your opinion.

As you may know, I believe access to a full scope of health services, including comprehensive reproductive health care, should be a component of every woman’s basic health care coverage. Reproductive health is a key determinant in a woman’s overall health, involving health concerns such as fertility, pregnancy care, and preventing and addressing unintended pregnancies. Currently, nearly 90 percent of employee-based insurance policies cover reproductive services. It is appropriate to allow this coverage to continue going forwards. I believe reproductive choices should be made between a woman and her doctor, not by government. Therefore, I supported the inclusion of reproductive health services in the health care reform bill, The Affordable Health Choices Act, which was recently approved by the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee (HELP), of which I am a member.

Thank you, again, for sharing your thoughts with me. Although I know that not everyone will always agree with me, Oregonians can always expect me to listen to their concerns and to be honest and straightforward with my answers. I hope you will continue to keep me informed about the issues that matter most to you.

All my best,
Jeff Merkley
United States Senate

I thought health care reform was about eliminating all of the suffering about which we hear so much hyperbole. Though my kids can be difficult at times, I’ve never thought of those difficult times as moments of suffering. Somebody should tell these people that the way to avoid “unintended pregnancies” is to avoid unintended sex. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. We already have government funding of abortion through the public support of organizations such as Planned Parenthood. I only pray that this doesn’t get worse before it gets better.