This Week's Celeb Rebel Deb: Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA)

Just listen to Representative Speier responding in opposition to the Pence Amendment. Makes you want to shout, "Go, Jackie, go!"



‎"... the American people at home are wondering, 'What does this have to do with getting me a job?' It doesn't. It has nothing to do with that at all. Last time I checked, abortion - whether you like it or not - is legal in this country. But then again, so is Haliburton. They're guilty of fraud, embezzlement and 10 other felonies. But are we up here trying to pass amendments making them illegal? No."

Thank you, Congresswoman Speier, for reminding us why Feminism is still relevant today and will be necessary to protect women's reproductive choices forevermore.

And in case anyone is wondering "Why is this even an issue? Isn't Roe v. Wade on the books already? Why isn't this dead on the Hill? Isn't freedom of choice here to stay?" A little info to answer and, I hope, to enlighten:

The central holding of Roe established that, before a fetus becomes viable, a woman's right to abort was considered "fundamental." After Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1993), however, women's rights to abortion via the viability standard were reclassified as "liberty interests." Which means that any statutes to restrict access to abortion can be upheld as constitutional under a slightly less rigorous standard called "Rational Basis" review. Casey held that states can require 24-hour waiting periods, parental consent forms, and can make access to abortion much more difficult and expensive -- so long as that access isn't cut off completely, and it's not considered an "undue burden" on the woman seeking one.

So, yeah. Nothing is here to stay. I agree that it would be difficult to reverse Roe in one fell swoop, but that's not what the Republicans are trying to do. The Pence Act need not reverse Roe v. Wade directly in order to take away women's rights to abortion. They can simply regulate it to death, little by little. Like ancient warriors used to say of their enemies, "Why fight something you hate when you can simply starve it to death?"

xoxo,
Rebel Deb