Stop The Comstock Act - Protect Women
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Stop The Comstock Act
Let’s be clear - taking away a woman’s bodily autonomy, the right to an abortion, is a clear form of subjugation by those that don’t think women can be trusted to manage their own health.
The lack of access to an abortion puts women’s lives at risk. Women risk death when their water breaks too soon, they risk loss of fertility, This is brought to you by legislators, not doctors, who think they know what is best for others. They don’t.
We’ve seen a rogue anti abortion judge in Texas try to declare Mifepristone, one of the two abortion medications, illegal to dispense. That case is not over. Remember it can be brought again by people with standing. (Medpage Today)
Frequently abortion medications are provided by telemedicine. This is crucial in areas where it is hard to get to a doctor. Medication abortion prescribed via telemedicine just as safe and effective as in-person care -- it also has immense impacts in reducing barriers to care. Even in states that protect abortion access, patients face many geographic and financial hurdles to abortion care. This is especially true in rural and underserved communities where the nearest clinic providing abortion care may be hours or hundreds of miles away.
The ability to mail medication abortion pills has offered a lifeline to people who need access to abortion. Unfortunately, it's also at the heart of an increasingly popular anti-abortion strategy that could go well beyond telemedicine abortion to endanger all abortion access.
During oral arguments, Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito invoked the Comstock Act, an 1873 law that prohibits mailing "obscene" materials, including abortion materials. At the time of its inception, it was part of a crusade by Anthony Comstock against sexual freedom.
The history of the anti abortion movement in America is that white, usually Protestant, women with money could afford to get an abortion and there was a concern that the White Christians would be replaced by people of color and immigrants because of a low birth rate This is the beginning of the Great Replacement Theory. HOLD THAT THOUGHT.
The application and enforcement of the Comstock Act has changed significantly since its passage, and for the last 50 years, it has not been applied to the mailing of abortion materials -- until recently, with anti-abortion advocates pushing to bring this application back from the dead. They argue that the courts or a second Trump administration could invoke it to ban the mailing of any drug or device used for abortion -- a stance echoed by Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), the newly minted Republican vice-presidential nominee.
Legislation can fix this. Senator Tina Smith is preparing to introduce the STOP COMSTOCK ACT. Here is a link to her one page summary.
The Stop Comstock Act would repeal language in the Comstock Laws that could be used by an anti-abortion administration to ban the mailing of mifepristone and other drugs used in medication abortions, instruments and equipment used in abortions, and educational material related to sexual health. Medication abortion is how nearly 60% of abortions take place in this country today. It is the most common form of abortion in the United States.
Rep. Becca Balint will be introducing the House companion bill, with co-leads Reps. Bush, Escobar, Scanlon, and Watson Coleman. The legislation is cosponsored by Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Catherine Cortez-Masto (D-NV), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), John Fetterman (D-PA), Cory Booker, (D-NJ), Peter Welch (D-VT), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Laphonza Butler (D-CA) and Brian Schatz (D-HI).
We need to Act
ACTION
Let’s remind our member of Congress and Senators that abortion care is healthcare and at least 20% of the women who need that care get their medication by mail. Ask them to actively support and pass Senator Tina Smith’s and Representative Becca Balint’s “Stop Comstock Act”. I know some of them are already supporters but they need to get this moving to a vote. Phone and email for elected reps is here. https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials. You can use the script below as a template.
Or use RESISTBOT via [Apple Messages / WHATSAPP / MESSENGER] or by texting SIGN PMXNGP to 50409 on your cell phone to send that message to our Senators and members of Congress.
“I am your constituent and I am fed up with women being treated as 2nd class citizens without bodily autonomy. Aren’t you? The Comstock Act can be used to prevent the mailing of critical abortion medications. There is nothing in law that precludes application of the Comstock Act being applied to abortion medications. More than 60% of all abortions use those medications safely and effectively and 20% of those are sent to women by mail. Invoking the Comstock Act would harm women who need that medicine in the US and unduly harm women in rural and underserved areas.
There are several things you can do to restore women to full citizenship and I want you to do it.
First, make sure that women can access abortion medication by mail and telehealth and actively support Senator Tina Smith’s and Representative Becca Balint’s “Stop Comstock Act”. Here is a link to the summary for you. https://smithsenate.app.box.com/s/lukg6iugfejff7lh3kvth7dkh5mdncuk
Use discharge petitions, rules suspension or whatever means are necessary to get a vote on this and start helping the women who are your constituents.
Then you can pass the Women’s Health Protection Act (S. 701/HR 12) to restore the right to an abortion nationwide.”
Then please stand up and speak long and loud about your support for women’s rights. Thank you.”
Resources
Find My Elected Officials
Contact State and Federal Representatives - phone and email
Healthcare Advocacy (Us) Website
Our Newsletter resources including reproductive healthcare - Healthcare Advocacy Reading List
Important Healthcare Resources
League of Women Voters Healthcare Reform Toolkit
Organizations to Contact
National Nurses United Medicare4All
Physicians for a National Health Program
One Payer States
Healthcare Now
Reproductive Health
NARAL - Pro Choice America
Charley. chatbot abortion resource - make sure to use a secure incognito browser if you live in a state that has banned abortion
Planned Parenthood
Miscarriage and Abortion Hotline has references about where to procure abortion medications. They also assist women in the process of self managed abortion or miscarriage by phone or text and will respond in an hour. Details and hours of operation at their website.
United State of Women Reproductive health page (bottom of the page) has important resources such as medical support, access to Telehealth, prescriptions by mail, and legal support references.
Practice careful communications - The Digital Defense Fund has a number of tips to keep texts, calls, and internet use private. Here is their site.
If you need financial help with an abortion try abortionfunds.org
Claims Denials and Appeals & What to Do
Appeal a Healthcare Decision
Appeal/Negotiate a Hospital Bill
Disinformation Management
Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency
Save Democracy
Chop Wood, Carry Water by Jessica Cravens
RESISTBOT
Link to the RESISTBOT site to learn more
Link to Chop Wood, Carry Water RESISTBOT write up
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