Dems Court Women's Support For Health Reform As Female Sens. Tout Legislation In Floor Speeches

Top congressional Democrats and the Obama administration are increasingly targeting women in their push to gain support for health care reform, the AP/Boston Globe reports. Women are considered a critical group in the health care debate because they usually make the majority of a family's health care decisions, according to the AP/Globe. However, recent polls indicate that many female voters are skeptical of some proposals in Congress' health reform legislation. According to an AP/GfK poll, women are generally split over health reform legislation, and nearly one-third of women ages 55 and younger said they neither support nor oppose the legislation.

Efforts to sway women have included a September speech by first lady Michelle Obama and a rally at the Capitol on Tuesday hosted by the Feminist Majority Foundation and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) (Hirschfeld Davis, AP/Boston Globe, 10/9).

On Thursday, several female Democratic senators gave speeches on the chamber floor to emphasize the impact of health reform on women, who face higher costs and other discriminatory practices under the current health care system, according to the New York Times' "Prescriptions." Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) said, "We want to tell our colleagues and the American people that we want to join together as women of the Senate today and to talk about the compelling issues facing the American people in terms of the need for health care reform."

During her address, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) said that the current health care system "is simply not meeting the needs of women," adding that it is "time to tend to the insurance discrimination that women face." Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) addressed the issue of insurance companies denying coverage to domestic violence survivors by classifying abuse as a pre-existing condition.

Two senators -- Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) -- focused on the lack of maternity coverage in many health insurance plans. Stabenow said that among insurance plans sold on the individual market, nearly 60% do not offer maternity coverage, adding, "For the women in these plans ... no amount of money can buy maternity care that they need." Stabenow's remarks on maternity care were a return to the issue for the senator, who challenged Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) on the matter in a recent Senate Finance Committee hearing. During a
debate on an amendment requiring insurers to cover maternity costs, Kyl said including the coverage would increase costs for people who do not need or want the coverage, adding, "I don't need maternity care." Stabenow countered Kyl's argument, saying, "I think your mom probably did" (Herszenhorn, "Prescriptions," New York Times, 10/8).














Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) focused on health care costs, both for the government and individuals. "Health care reform is essential for several reasons, but one of the important reasons is to get costs under control, and begin to help balancing this federal budget, and getting us back on a surer financial footing," she said.

Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) noted that "in all but 12 states, insurance companies are allowed to charge women more than they charge men for coverage. The great irony here is that mothers, the people who care for us when we're sick, are penalized under our current system."

Sens. Take Message to "Larry King Live"

To continue the discussion, Sens. Boxer, Stabenow and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) appeared Thursday evening on CNN's "Larry King Live" to discuss women and health care reform. Boxer and Stabenow reiterated many of the arguments made during their Senate addresses, and Murray addressed the goals of health care reform for women. Murray said the senators "want to make sure that ... women get equal access to health care coverage." She said that women are "the ones who most often take care of our kids and our families, our parents," adding that "we want to make sure this insurance reform passes so that women aren't second-class citizens anymore" ("Larry King Live" transcript, 10/8).


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