The Politicization of Sex and Reproduction
February 4th, 2009
The following is a guest post by Chief Deputy Whip Diana DeGette, who is serving her 7th term in Congress as the representative for the First District of Colorado. As the Vice Chair of the powerful Committee on Energy and Commerce, an exclusive congressional committee with vast jurisdiction over health care, trade, business, technology and consumer protection, she is one of the leading voices in the health care debate in this country. She played a vital role in the reauthorization of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program as the lead whip, has fought for tough food safety legislation, and was a key player in crafting a comprehensive consumer product safety bill. Below, she shares her thoughts on how human sexuality and reproduction issues are handled by Congress:
After eight years of the Bush administration’s disastrous health care policies, isn’t it outrageous that one of the first big fights of the 111th Congress is over family planning? The Medicaid Family Planning State Option — a simple, cost-effective program allowing states to provide basic reproductive health care to poor women — would save four dollars for every dollar spent. Yet House Republicans singled out this provision for attack and succeeded in eliminating it from the House passed version of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Right-wing Republicans continually use sex as a weapon when they don’t have an effective argument to stand on as they did over the stimulus fight. They attack common-sense policies that not only save taxpayers money, but also promote public health. Republicans have now successfully targeted HIV prevention funding in the Senate version of the recovery bill. The vast majority of Americans believe that reproductive health programs — from comprehensive sex education to science-based HIV/AIDS prevention programs — deserve public funding. So why are these programs so controversial in Congress?
After years of working on these issues, I concluded that the most harmful politicization of science by extremist Republicans and the religious extremists takes place over issues related to human sexuality and reproduction. My book, Sex, Science, and Stem Cells: Inside the Right Wing Assault on Reason explores how the religious right has politicized sex and reproduction in an effort to further its extremist agenda. My firsthand view from Congress gave me the opportunity to analyze floor debates, committee hearings, and hallway discussions that highlight some of the crazy things happening in Congress when it comes to reproduction — such as the Bush administration and its right-wing supporters pushing abstinence-only sex education programs that have been proven ineffective and insisting that HIV/AIDS programs not offer condoms.
Unfortunately, some politicians are still incapable of thinking rationally about sex and reproduction. We saw it multiple times during the last administration, and we still see it today. Surprisingly, again and again, policymakers turn a blind eye to common-sense prevention and education programs that would reduce unintended pregnancies and the need for abortion. And they stood silently by former President Bush’s health care refusal rule that permitted health care workers to deny services based on their own religious beliefs — all with one aim in mind: to advance their political agenda over common-sense public health policies.
Instead of policies based on extreme ideology, we need to start a new dialogue about reproductive and sexual health that is based on sound, science-based public policies. It’s amazing to me that anyone would be against saving taxpayer money and promoting public health — goals we all presumably share. Change has come to America — and I think it’s high time we put science above politics.
This piece is cross posted with huffingtonpost.com.
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February 4th, 2009 at 3:14 pm
Congresswoman DeGette, your posting is so wonderful. It does seem as though the previous Congress and the Bush administration were looking through funhouse mirrors when making social policy. Nothing ever seemed to make sense or based on science. After a while, I started questioning my own beliefs! Sex does seem to make members of Congress turn into pilgrims. Whether discussing legislation about sex ed or abortion, invariably the debate would end with a big fat “NO!” Now with the repeal of the Global Gag Rule, a sensible president and more members like you, I finally have hope that those funhouse mirrors will be taken down and reality will prevail. Keep fighting, Congresswoman. You are the champion of women like me, my daughter, my mother and all of us who believe there is common ground in preventing unwanted pregnancies through comprehensive sex ed and availability of affordable, high quality contraceptives. We’re counting you you!
February 4th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
Thank you for making a clear distinction between good policymaking and partisan tactics. I am so glad you are on the Hill, continually giving Right-wing extremist Republicans hell. Thank you!
February 6th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
[...] Diana DeGette, who’s taking on the Republican hate machine and has a great post at Disruptive Women in Healthcare. She’s also published a book on Sex, Science and Stem Cells and how the Religious Right and [...]
February 7th, 2009 at 9:57 pm
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