Pro-Choice Victory in House For the first time in recent history, an ly when there are shifts in trends. For the total federal employee wage pack­ anti-abortion amendment has been de­ years, anti-choice groups have suc­ age and that federal employees pay for feated in a vote on the floor of the U.S. ceeded in getting their legislation at least 40 percent of their health insur­ House of Representatives. By a vote of enacted by using just this technique. (To ance themselves through direct pre­ 192-182, the House rejected an amend­ write to your Members of Congress, miums. The amendment is also far­ ment by Rep. Robert Dornan (R-CA) address your correspondence to: The reaching in that it potentially affects 10 which would have prohibited the District Honorable , U.S. House million individuals (federal employees of Columbia from using local tax money of Representatives, Washington, D.C. and their dependents). The full Senate to fund abortion services within the Dis­ 20515; or The Honorable , has not yet taken up the Treasury Ap­ trict. The Dornan amendment was seen U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C. 20510.) propriations bill. Hopefully, it will not not only as a cruel attempt to stop nec­ Not all the news is good, however. agree to the restrictions and will hold essary health services for low-income The anti-choice Members of Congress firm so that the restrictions do not be­ D.C. women, but also as a violation of have expanded their targets to include come law. the integrity of the District's home rule the Treasury, Postal Service, and Gen­ When the Legal Services Corporation charter. eral Government Appropriations bill reauthorization came to the Senate floor This victory is a clear indication that (see article on page 2). When this bill on June 13, an amendment by Senator IMPACT 80 is working and that Mem­ came to the House floor, an amend­ Jacob Javits (R-NY) was approved bers of Congress are sta• ting to respond ment by Rep. John Ashbrook (R-OH) which prohibits legal aid organizations to the voice of the pro-cht,ice majority. lf was approved (228-192) which prohib­ from being involved with abortion cases you can take time to wr;te a letter or its federal employees' health insurance which deal with funds that have been postcard to your Representative either from covering abortions. The Ashbrook denied by Congress (such as Medicaid thanking for or protesting his/her vote amendment wouldn't even allow abor­ abortions). The Javits amendment help­ on the D.C. bill, we will continue to im­ tion coverage for abortions necessary to ed to prevent a much stricter amend­ press Members of Congress that pro­ save the woman's life. This restriction ment proposed by Senator Gordon choice voters are monitoring their ac­ becomes even more abhorrent when Humphrey (R-NH), which would have tions. They do respond to mail, especial- you note that health insurance is part of prohibited all legal aid activity with re­ spect to abortion from being adopted. Therefore, a vote for the Javits amend­ ment is considered pro-choice. Congress will be holding a ''lame duck" session this year, which means that the 96th Congress will reconvene to finish its work after the November 4 elections. Many important bills pertain­ ing to abortion rights-including those noted above-will be finished during the lame duck session. This means that a number of important votes have still to be taken-including Labor-HHS Ap­ Election Day is fast approaching. Make sure your propriations (Medicaid), Department of Defense Appropriations (health pro­ opinions are recorded on November 4! grams for military personnel and de­ pendents) and so on. 2 Bill Can Affect 10 Million A recent CBS News/New York Times Detroit, to chair a committee for the If your best friend is one of the 3.5 poll showed that changes in the way an American Public Health Association an­ million Americans on the federal payroll, abortion question is asked can dramati­ nual meeting. The 25th will find her in does she know that the U.S. Senate may cally affect the results. The nationwide Philadelphia, giving the keynote address soon act on a House-passed bill that sample of 1, 769 adults was asked at the Pennsylvania NARAL annual would forbid her federal employee whether they were for or against: meeting. health plan to pay for abortion? • an amendment prohibiting abor­ Then, beginning October 29, Karen If your next-door-neighbor is one of tions; will make a quick sweep of Iowa, stop­ the 6.5 million Americans who is depen­ • an amendment protecting the un­ ping in Des Moines and Waterloo, meet­ dent on a wage earner who brings home born; ing with the press and the public. a federal paycheck, does she know that • allowing women to have abortions. abortion services may be stricken from Respondents overwhelmingly opposed her family health plan even though that a constitutional amendment prohibiting wage earner pays nearly half the cost of abortions (62% to 29%) and for allow­ Support for legal abortions has in-­ coverage hlrn/herselfr- --------- - ing women to have abortions (62% to creased consistently since the 1973 Su­ Nearly 10 million Americans will have 19%). They also were in favor of an preme Court decision-and the most re­ abortion services eliminated from their amendment protecting the unborn cent Gallup poll (taken July 11-14, hard-won pay packages if the U.S. Sen­ (50% to 39%). 1980) confirms this. The survey of ate retains the anti-abortion amendment While Americans are more supportive 1,548 adults showed that: 25 percent attached to H.R. 7583 by Rep. John of an amendment labeled "pro-life" felt that abortion should be legal under Ashford (R-OH). At this writing, the bill than they are of an amendment labeled all circumstances; 53 percent felt it has passed the Senate Appropriations anti-abortion, contradiction is greatest should be legal only under certain cir­ Committee free of anti-abortion lan­ among those with less education. Pre­ cumstances; and only 18 percent felt it guage. It now goes to the full Senate. sumably, this means that those with less should be illegal under all circum­ The anti-choice amendment passed education are more susceptible to stances. Four percent had no opinion. by 228 to 170, before the Treasury, changes in question wording. This means that 78 percent of American Postal Service, and General Govern­ Of those adults in the sample who did citizens think abortion should be legal at ment Appropriations bill in its entirety not have high school diplomas, the tal­ least under some circumstances as com­ was approved on the House floor. lies were as follows: amendment prohib­ pared with 18 percent who are against it. "It is stunning to realize that the iting abortions, 36% for and 52% The same Gallup poll compares the amendment forbids even administrative against; amendment protecting the un­ opinions of Catholics and Protestants on expenses for any health plan which pro­ born, 65% for and 22% against; allow­ the same questions. The results: vides abortion coverage for federal em­ ing women to have abortions, 51% for c p ployees--even for abortions necessary and 24% against. Legal under all to save women's lives," NARAL Execu­ circumstances 22% 23% tive Director Karen Mulhauser said. Legal under certain "Federal employees may soon join circumstances 55% 55% Medicaid-eligible women, Peace Corps Illegal under all volunteers, and military families as vic­ NARAL Executive Director Karen circumstances 21% 18% tims of a cruel narrowing of access to Mulhauser will be making key stops No opinion 2% 4% abortion when it is medically necessary around the country this fall in some final In this and other public opinion polls, to preserve their health-and even their IMPACT 80 strategy efforts. the message is clear: the majority of lives,'' she said. In October, she will spend two days in Americans are pro-choice-by a margin You can help turn the tide by alerting South Dakota making public appear­ of almost 4: 1. media in your state to this threat to ances and assisting NARAL organizer Remember to stand up and be thousands of citizens in every state, and Libby Shreves. On October 17 and 18, counted in the most critical public opin­ by contacting your Senators. she'll be in Rapid City and Sioux Falls. ion poll of all-Election Day 1980. We H.R. 7583 is of national interest, and Later in the month, Karen will fly to are pro-choice ... and we vote! of stateilocal interest to editors as well. In all but six states, there are tens of thou­ sands of federal employees; in seven highly populous states, there are You can make a difference! hundreds of thousands. You can tell your local radio, televi­ Vote on November 4. sion, and newspaper editors of the (continued on p. 8) 3 Participate in the Most r Crucial Poll: Vote! It seems as if political polls are people believed abortion should be vote in our favor-2,005 to 956--was thrust at voters almost weekly. The legal under all circumstances; while a clear demonstration of our efforts Gallup and Harris organizations, as many as five of every twenty be­ to organize a pro-choice voting bloc. NBC along with Associated Press, lieved it should be illegal under all We know from these "dress re­ and CBS along with the New York circumstances. hearsals" that pro-choice indivi­ Times, present their own polls with In 1980, that has reversed itself.