McCain on Choice: Title X and Counseling on Abortion

February 18, 2008 by Holly in 2008 election, anti-choice, politics  

family planning After a little break, we’re back to John McCain’s anti-choice record.

John McCain, an uber-conservative (for those who still think he’s in any way pro-choice) voted to permit federally funded Title X family planning clinics to decline to counsel women on abortion services.

Title X family planning clinics have served as health care facilities for typically young and low-income women for 30 years; one of the most-recognizable Title X clinics is Planned Parenthood, which makes up 14 percent of Title X projects. Their goal, as health care providers, is to educate women in this country on how to be safe when it comes to sex, avoid unintended pregnancies, and make education and services readily available to the women who need them.

These clinics offer a wide range of information and health care to women who need their services. They offer birth control, emergency contraception, literature and testing for sexually transmitted infections and diseases, education on how to prevent unintended pregnancies, pregnancy tests and screenings for breast and cervical cancer. The best thing about these clinics, in my opinion, is that absolutely no one is turned away from receiving the health care and/or education they need because of inability to pay.

Since Title X is federally funded, a law has been placed in Section 1008 of the law saying that Title X funds cannot be used “in programs where abortion is a method of family planning.” In other words, Title X funds cannot be used to provide abortions. However, Title X projects must offer women neutral and factual information, non-directive counseling and referrals upon request for all of their pregnancy options, including prenatal care and delivery, infant care, foster care or adoption and abortion.

Senator John McCain voted in favor of Title X projects not even counseling women on abortion, as if the option didn’t even exist anymore. If you are pregnant and go into Planned Parenthood, a reproductive health care facility located in a hospital, which make up six percent of Title X projects or health department, 57 percent, and are seeking information about your options as far as pregnancy or not going through with your pregnancy, John McCain voted to make Title X projects refuse to even bring up the option of abortion. In his eyes you have two choices–you are either delivering and raising the child or delivering and giving the child up for adoption.

It’s no secret that McCain wants to abolish reproductive freedom for women, but to insist of closing the door on even the thought of terminating pregnancy is ridiculous. It is saying that McCain, along with the rest of the anti-choice brigade do not believe in women. They do not support or even like women unless they are in their place and doing what the conservative agenda believes is right. They do not trust women to make informed decisions about their own bodies but would love to force them into delivering and raising a child that they are either not ready for, in a matter of financial stability or mentality, or simply do not want. But we went over the reasons for this in the last McCain on Choice post. The more low-income children born to low-income mothers or families, the more future troops we have to carry out our world domination agenda.

  comment Comments

Related Posts

  • I think this is a great article. I feel that women should be given a choice, having this clinic open, gives women the choice!
  • Although our political views have never been quite eye to eye to say the least. I do believe that woman need to have a choice. I do believe more funding should be available for family planning clinics even if the planning is to abort the child. Granted I do not believe abortion should be used as a form of birth control I do believe that sometimes a situation warrants the necessity of abortion.
  • I am really happy I im'd you. I thought maybe you would have read my comment prior to the im but you didn't so I wanted to take the time to comment and say I'm glad we made up weeeee
  • Is it just me, or is John McCain starting to seem like a sick parody of the Republican party? I mean, is it really possible for someone to be so belligerently clueless? What a tool.
  • Since I live in the The Netherlands I do not seriously keep track f the politics in the US. But of course all the pre elections are also covered by the news here so luckily I know who John McCain is XD *lol* Ahem, back to the topic of your post. I really think it's bad that there are conservative people who are against adoption and such. Of course it's always sad when a woman has no other option left and it shouldn't be seen as a normal way out of a unwanted pregnancy (birthcontrol). I also think good and honest education is the way to go. It's totally scary there are still people 'out there' that are conservative like that or should I say 'stupid' ? *gulp* Very interesting blog, I'm adding this one to my favorites ;) Take care ~ xoxo
  • I have never approved of abortion and probably never will as we're talking about another human being here...but I respect other people's opinions so I don't want to say anything more about the subject.
  • Dave
    As someone who will never be faced with the decision on the grounds of being male, the first thing I see wrong here is that a male politician is trying to say that he opposes a practice that doesn't and never will concern him. Personally, I view the practice of abortion as being destruction of life, as the unborn child is intended by nature to become a fully functioning life form at some future time - Nature doesn't have the ability to understand the concept of "medical complications" - it just takes its course. Still, the concern does not exist for me, so while I might believe on moral grounds that the practice is wrong, I don't have any right to try and tell anyone what plan of action to take, and neither do politicians. It's a woman's personal business, in short, not something that the male population needs to ultimately benefit from or have to pay for.

    Basically, it sounds like it's yet another plan in the works to benefit the upper class and the imperialistic efforts of our nation. One on side, like was stated, it could easily become a conspiracy to produce more troops over the next 18 years, and at the same time, taking away federal funding would mean more money for the government to try to conquer the world with, while at the same time, women seeking abortion would then be forced to pay some fat-cat doctor for the service were it to remain even legal.

    Furthermore, it's a total shame as well that our country's supposed leaders even care about the matter when our people that are already alive are being left to experience an overall decline in their quality of life. Let's at least start doing something about urban decay, putting roofs over the heads of the homeless and hungry, and get a federal healthcare system in place before we go fighting battles that are as ludicrous as Iraq and Vietnam combined.
  • It seem with all the hoopla in politics,there is definate need for change- be it a feminist,a womyn,Yeti..but something..I am not really one for politics but Bush really has to go.He is like a bad facial tick you cannot stop twitching.Useful forum here,Bitv.
  • I have never been a fan of abortion. I dont think we have a right to kill unborn children for our benefit. Why not consider adoption? But anywho, I just realized that this is a feminist blog. Thought I might mention an article I read on a feminist author, Elizabeth Rapaport. It's called On The future of love: Rousseau and the Radical Feminists. Interesting article.
  • Ditto to what Dave said--men have no right to tell a woman what to do with her body, nor should some title/law. If that's the case, when are they going to "outlaw" the selling of cigarrettes... they don't just harm the person using it, they harm people who choose not to smoke. So the laws will try to stop people from personal decisions, but won't help me with my rights to deny the intake of toxic carcinogens? The priorities seem misguided in this sense.
  • andreea360
    In my opinion, family planning clinics are vital to the provision of reproductive health care and often serve as an entry point into the health-care system for young women and low-income people in this country. They offer contraceptive services and education that prevent unintended pregnancy, testing and treatment for sexually transmissible infections (STIs), and other primary reproductive health care.
  • I think family planning is the foremost thought you will come across after your marriage. Women also have equal rights to say their opinion about there career and future.
  • Ann
    I work as an Outreach worker for a Title X-funded clinic. That means I go tell people about Title X. It truly is a great program and provides all the services needed to keep up reproductive health and prevent unwanted pregnancies.

    I always explain the goal of Family Planning is keeping someone healthy enough to have a child while preventing that pregnancy...until that person chooses to have a child.

    Family Planning is steps taken before an abortion is an option - and that is the politically correct reasoning behind McCain's vote. Why use funding from a program preventing pregnancy to end an already established pregnancy.

    Title X PAYS COMPLETELY for annual exams, any of the dozens of birth controls available; it hands out condoms, even provides Plan B - It's there to do everything to prevent an unwanted pregnancy and doesn't need to be used to alleviate the consequences of irresponsibility.

    The only problem is telling all the people that it's available and getting them to the clinics!

    I agree with John McCain. But, I appreciate all your information and points of view.
blog comments powered by Disqus