Kirsten Gillibrand to speak out against Stupak Amendment in NYC

: Image by Freedom To Marry via Flickr

11/12/09-by Paula Brooks
New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced today that she would be holding a press conference with other elected women in Manhattan next Monday. They are expected to speak out against the Stupak-Pitts Amendment.

Introduced by Michigan Rep Bart Stupak as part of a last minute deal to get passage of the larger Health Care Bill, the amendments language not only prohibits abortion coverage in the public insurance option included in the House bill. It would also prevent private plans from offering coverage for abortion services if they accept people who are receiving government subsidies and will require that women want to continue to receive such services purchase a separate policy rider that covers reproductive services.

Abortion-rights advocates are calling the Stupak amendment a “de facto” abortion ban and have mounted an intense lobbying campaign against it.

Earlier this week, Gillibrand joined the fight against Stupak’s anti-abortion health care amendment and went on the Senate floor, throwing down the gauntlet on saying, “Proposing that women … purchase a separate abortion rider is not only discriminatory, but ridiculous.”

A Gillibrand spokesman says the Senator will be also be standing up in opposition to the Stupak amendment with other women elected officials, pro-choice leaders and women’s health experts during the press conference.

The event is scheduled for 11:15am Monday, November16th 2009 at 780 3rd Avenue in New York City.

For more information you can call 212 688-9595.