How Anti-Choice Use "Tax Payer Funding" to Force Women Into Giving Birth

Yesterday, I mentioned an Oregon woman who is being refused a medical furlough or supervised trip to obtain an abortion, who does not have $6500 to post her own bail in order to go receive the abortion herself.

Money is often used as a way to deny a woman a right to obtain a legal abortion, one of the reasons why the Hyde Amendment is fundamentally flawed, as it prevents poor women from having same rights to reproductive autonomy as women of greater economic means.

But obviously, that's the push being the "no taxpayer funding for abortions" talking point.  It's not about taxpayers not being forced to "pay" for something that they don't agree with. Nearly every taxpayer in America pays some tax dollars somewhere for something they don't approve of.  Inherently, it's about using the guise of "no taxpayer dollars" to force women into giving birth, regardless of whether or not she wants to.  And anti-choice advocates make that clear as they advocate to keep the jailed woman away from a clinic.

Oregon Right to Life executive director Gayle Attebury responded to the situation, saying she is concerned taxpayers will be on the hook for the abortion and transportation costs.

“This is a heartbreaking example of taxpayer’s paying to end a precious baby’s life. Presumably this lady’s abortion would be paid for by the Oregon Health Plan, plus, to add insult to injury, taxpayers would pay for her to be escorted to the abortionist,” she told LifeNews.

They don't care about the money.  Money, as always, is being used as a way to create power over a woman and take away her constitutionally granted rights to decide when and if she wants to be a mother.

This post was originally published at RH Reality Check, a site of news, community and commentary for reproductive health and justice