Room Full of Men Propose Women's Healthcare Cut
Here's a Room Full of Men Proposing Healthcare Cuts That Only Affect Women
President Donald Trump's administration is quite comfortable making decisions about women's health care without consulting any women — or at least, photographic evidence would suggest as much. In another totally unsurprising instance of Trump's team making sweeping decisions about women's lives without any women actually present, Mike Pence shared a photo of himself — surrounded by a room full of male congressmen from the Freedom Caucus — proposing to make drastic changes to insurance coverage.
Appreciated joining @POTUS for meeting with the Freedom Caucus again today. This is it. #PassTheBill pic.twitter.com/XG6lQIy5a6
— Vice President Mike Pence Archived (@VP45) March 23, 2017Specifically, as Vox reporter Matthew Yglesias points out, the group was attempting to negotiate cutting breast cancer screening (like mammograms), maternity care, and contraceptive coverage from the House Republicans' proposed healthcare act. Under the American Health Care Act, GOP congressmen have debated whether to abandon Obamacare's essential health benefits stipulation, which includes care like mammograms.
People on Twitter were predictably incensed by the photo and the suggestion that health care shouldn't include female-specific care. Ahead are some reactions.
The group proposing to cut breast cancer screening, maternity care, and contraceptive coverage. pic.twitter.com/CxsrxZmcqz
— Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias) March 23, 2017
.@mattyglesias CAPTION:
Vice President Mike Pence explains the concept "bros before hoes." The bros nodded solemnly in agreement.
— Max Kennerly (@MaxKennerly) March 23, 2017
all this "I don't want to pay for maternity & mammograms" bullshit is based on the idea that male bodies are the norm and women are "extra."
— laura olin (@lauraolin) March 23, 2017
40,000 US women will die from breast cancer this year. But Republicans think taking away coverage for mammograms is funny. #TrumpCare https://t.co/249J5WdUKi
— Rep. Barbara Lee (@RepBarbaraLee) March 23, 2017
.@SenPatRoberts A 52 yr-old man pays to cover mammograms for the same reason a 28 yr-old woman pays to cover testicular cancer screenings.
— CandaceTX (@CandaceTX) March 23, 2017
This is the group deciding whether insurance plans should cover mammograms. Anyone missing? https://t.co/RwbUYepmGN
— Aaron Wiener (@aaronwiener) March 23, 2017
