Proposed Bills to Keep and Extend Abortion Policies
Transgender and Abortion Rights
Let me just say, right up front, that I am trying to present this information with facts. You want the facts, not someone telling you what to think. The U.S. legislative process is not user-friendly. This newsletter is to inform (with maybe a little entertainment value thrown in).
Let’s start with H Res 1209, introduced on 6/28/2022. The full title is ‘Recognizing that it is the duty of the Federal Government to develop and implement a Transgender Bill of Rights to protect and codify the rights of transgender and nonbinary people under the law and ensure their access to medical care, shelter, safety, and economic security.‘
Here’s a PDF of the text with some highlights I will point out. (I was a contract administrator for 15 years, so I’m a little familiar with the legalese. I’m not a lawyer, and nothing I say is ever legal advice.)
Amazing how much can be packed into 9 pages!
Near the bottom of page 3, and at the top of page 4, it talks about access to all places, services, and accommodations without limitations including no religious exemptions.
I’m a big proponent of the Constitution, and I’m all for equal treatment. It’s constitutional. However, the bill takes away any religious exemption, also constitutional. How is it decided what constitutional rights get given to whom and taken away from whom?
Also, on page 4, school sports are open to all, to participate as whatever sex or gender they self-attest. Yes, there is controversy about the fairness/unfairness to biological females. (‘Just the facts, ma’am.’) And all school facilities are open to any self-attested sex or gender - locker rooms and bathrooms come to mind.
Bodily autonomy is guaranteed on page 5. Facts are: That applies to transgender and to abortion, but not to government-mandated vaccines or masks.
Page 6, ah, page 6. Children are specifically included, but they can’t make those decisions for themselves because of laws about minors. Perhaps the most important tidbit is that Roe v Wade will be codified if this bill becomes law. Not sure how that works since the Supreme Court overturned it.
Page 8 says that government documents would no longer require a sex/gender box to check, and they will remove ‘burdensome barriers’ to changing names and genders on Social Security cards, passports, etc. ‘…permitting where possible changes on self-attestation alone.’ (I foresee lots of reprinting of forms.) First, I wonder how ‘burdensome’ is determined. Second, I can’t help but be curious about how a person will be described. You know, when the government agency asks you what the person looked like that just committed some violent crime. (Just using ‘person’ for an example, no discrimination intended. I know some who previously were identified as humans are now identifying as animals and birds.)
And that brings us to the final page of this bill, page 9. Aha! Who is going to pay for all these new, inclusive, federally required changes?
Well, that comes in with the Appropriations Act, the one that says what parts of the government (now more than 18 million employees) get how much money. It lists budgeted funds for many of the agencies listed in this bill and others, so that will be some of your tax dollars going to the newly-provided transgender and abortion services. (I wonder if there’s a record of how many government social programs are now in effect. Don’t get me wrong; I’m taking my Social Security.)
As a side note, some Federal funds provided to states for education are required to be used for teaching controversial curriculum, FYI, another way the government spends your money doing things it supports, but you may or may not approve of.
You may know that you can sign up to be notified on the progress of bills through GovTrack.us. For example, to follow H Res 1209, go here. If you don’t already have an account, you have to set one up.
Because this information is already so extensive, I will list at the bottom of this article some other abortion-related bills* so you know of them and can research more if you like.
I don’t want to leave out the recent Executive Order issued on July 8th and titled ‘Protecting Access to Reproductive Healthcare Services‘.
Then there is the newly-formed Reproductive Rights Task Force, formalizing Reproductive Freedom Under Federal Law (as opposed to the Supreme Court sending it back to the states as the Constitution calls for).
If you are interested in the trending or most-followed bills, click here. They range from impeachment to term limits to gun safety, to marijuana, and beyond.
One last thought: I wonder how many new federal employees will be needed to process and accomplish all the new needs and services…
On the lighter side
Where is the world’s oldest zoo?
What Is the Only State For Which the 2-Letter Postal Code Was Changed, and Why?
*Other abortion bills in the works:
- S. 1021, Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance Act of 2021, introduced 3/25/2021
- S. 4504, A bill to protect freedom of travel and reproductive rights, introduced 7/12/2022. (No text has been released yet.)
- H.R. 8296 and S. 1975, Women’s Health Protection Act of 2022
- H.R. 8297, Ensuring Access to Abortion Act of 2022
- S. 1864, Reproductive Rights are Human Rights Act of 2021
- H.R. 1670, Abortion is Health Care Everywhere Act of 2021
- H.R. 345, Reproductive Health Information for Veterans Act
Until next time…
Please share your thoughts in the comments. Or email me, and let’s have a problem-solving conversation. I welcome ‘letters to the editor’ type emails and may publish yours. Have a topic you want to know more about? Let’s create a caucus with positive, back-to-the-founders’-dream-for-America results.
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Thanks again for reading! I’m glad you’re here!
