Rep. Chris Smith, the bill's author, announces that the term "forcible rape" will be dropped. Source: Politico.

Republicans have once again made their true priorities clear. They’re here to muck up the political waters by introducing incredibly divisive legislation designed to restrict a woman’s access to abortion.  Over the last few days, there’s been a media firestorm around what many have been calling a “redefinition” of rape. Under the GOP definition, only “forcible rape” would have been exempt from the federal ban on abortion funding, as if to suggest that rape isn’t always forcible. I guess this means that Republicans believe that women who consent to their rape should pay the price.

Many in the media have picked up on this dangerous attempt to redefine rape, including Jon Stewart and Kristin Schaal, who lampooned the GOP in one of the Daily Show’s most brilliant clips ever:

The Daily Show: Rape Victim Abortion Funding

I am, of course, glad to see the GOP get called out over this appalling language. And I’m equally glad to see that they have removed the controversial language from bill. But this controversy has swept a more disturbing problem under the rug.

Remember Bart Stupak? He was the Democrat, who, during the last Congress, introduced the “Stupak Amendment” which would have barred all federally funded healthcare plans under Healthcare Reform from covering abortion procedures. Stupak failed to get his amendment through both chambers, but compromised with the President, who issued an executive order that upheld the ban on federal abortion funding. This was Stupak’s consolation prize, designed for him to save face.

Now the GOP is trying to get what is a stronger version of the Stupak amendment through Congress. And because of the controversy over the term “forcible rape,” nobody is paying attention to the damage this bill can do even without this petty language.  We’ve been distracted from the actual purpose of the bill, which is this: women who buy federally funded healthcare plans would be forced to supplement their plans with separate abortion coverage.  And, for those women who have been raped, they will have to prove it before they receive an abortion funded by the federal government. This is always a difficult and traumatizing ordeal that nobody should be forced into.

If this is what Republicans are already digging up only a month into the new Congress, I’m not looking forward to seeing what other plans they have for America.

This year’s CYD Lake Tahoe Retreat was incredible! Cal Dems was the largest college contingency at the retreat this year with over 40 members (and we made sure everyone knew it with every chant of “Go Bears!”). We had a blast getting to know each other and meeting other Young Dems from chapters around the state. Additionally, we met many candidates for statewide office and attended great leadership trainings on fundraising, health care reform, and many other topics.

We were humbled to be recognized at Tahoe as one of the top ten clubs in the state for voter registration, and to have our President, Claire Viall, recognized for all the wonderful things our club has been involved in this year, such as voter registration, health care reform advocacy, and LGBT issues. Thanks to all the Cal Dems who attended for making it so much fun for every one of us!