BUSH REPORT CARD ON FIRST 100 DAYS IN OFFICE

CAKE.rating = F (which stands for fucking failed)

The woman's right to choose was granted by way of Roe v. Wade in 1973. CAKE believes that women should have the option to choose how we go about negotiating our sexual and reproductive lives.

When President Bush appointed John Ashcroft, the nations most outspoken anti-choice Attorney General to date, he initiated the groundwork for rolling back constitutional rights for women. Anxiety is running high as summer approaches... the President will be nominating one or more potentially anti-choice Supreme Court justices. The Supreme Court consists of nine justices and decisions are made based on a majority rule. Abortion-related votes have been faring positive, but only by centimeters (margin of 5-4). Roe v. Wade could be overturned.

The FIRST 100 DAYS of Bush's presidency has been littered with anti-choice action. What gives? Here it is in summary:

• Appointment of Infamous Attorney General John Ashcroft Throughout his career, exhaustive efforts have been made on his part to abolish women's right to choose
• Head of the Department of Health and Human Services Appointed- Anti-Choice Tommy Thompson We all know that Thompson revealed his true anti-choice colors as governor and now he's in the hot seat -- giving him the ability to play with poignant reproductive health policies
• On the Anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Bush Issues Statement of Support for March for Life (anti-choice) participants and states, "The promises of the Declaration of Independence...are for everyoneÑincluding unborn children."
• Global 'Gag' Rule Implemented (see CAKE.Politics for full description) On the anniversary of Roe v. Wade Bush reinstated the global 'gag' rule which virtually prohibits international recipients of U.S. financial assistance from engaging in education around issues of family planning or abortion. In other words, all reproductive health discourse should cease. Does he think that this will actually stop people from having sex, from getting pregnant, from opting to abort?
• Office for Women's Initiatives and Outreach Closed! Created under President Clinton, this office acted as a liaison between women's groups and the White House administration
• Conservative Judicial Nominees Selected The creation of a far right conservative team further tends the soil for anti-choice actions
• Faith-Based and Community Initiatives Office Established Pulling on religious strings, Bush declares that public opinion on abortion issues must change
• Abolishment of American Bar Association Bush has abolished the ABA's role as impartial reviewer of potential judicial nominees
• Secretary Thompson Threatening Stem Cell Research Groundbreaking research that seeks to obliterate life-threatening diseases may be banned under this administration. National Institute of Health guidelines, which currently allow federal funding of embryonic stem cell research when private firms provide the cells, are under review. Decisions will be announced in June.
• Declaration by Bush and Thompson to Review the FDA Approved Mifepristone (RU-486) When the administration says 'review' it is a clear indication, in this case in particular, that this will lead to further restrictions on access to the 'abortion' pill OR reversal of its approval
• Contraceptive Insurance Benefits for Federal Employees Eliminated In his first budget, Bush put forth eliminating insurance coverage for contraceptives
• FY 2002 Budget Allocations Include Increased Funding for Abstinence-Only Education geared toward children ages 12 to 18 (an increase of $10 to $30 million) Statistically insignificant educational materials will be delivered in schools nationwide. Abstinence-only education only serves to silence thousands of rambunctious, sexually curious kids by serving up unrealistic, basic information. Closing our eyes and pretending that kids won't have sex if they hear that they shouldn't is ludicrous and outright risky
• Bush Announced That He Will Change Medical Privacy Rule This will result in allowing parents to obtain confidential information on the health services minors receive, including contraception and abortion

  Global 'Gag' Rule: Revving up for Reversal?
  In a bi-partisan 26 - 22 vote on May 2, 2001, the International Relations Committee approved a bill introduced by Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA) that could effectively overturn President Bush's reinstatement of the Global 'Gag' Rule (a.k.a Mexico City Policy). The Global 'Gag' Rule prohibits recipients of U.S. international family planning assistance from counseling women on family planning issues, promoting and/or providing abortion services with their own funds.

  Representative Lee's bill included two provisions (1) foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs) cannot be denied funding based on the medical services they provide, including counseling and referral services and (2) foreign NGOs, as a condition of eligibility for U.S. development assistance need not sacrifice their right to use their own funds to engage in free speech and assembly activities any more than U.S. based groups are asked to do. The bill must come to a vote before the entire House, as well as the full Senate, before becoming law.

  Next Steps: HR755 will go to the House floor this coming Wednesday or Thursday. Subsequently, the bill will head to the Senate (IR committee) and soon thereafter the status of the 'Gag' rule will be determined.

  Jessica Zucker, MPH - Contributor

  Sources: Feminist Majority, CNN, Naral, Center for Reproductive Law & Policy (CRLP), Congressional Office of Rep. Barbara Lee (DC)