24 March 2017

GOP Senator Scoffs at Trumpcare's Potential Cuts to Women's Health, Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) scoffed, "I wouldn't want to lose my mammograms." 23MAR17

Mark Reinstein/ZUMA
WHAT A TOTAL ASS!!!!! he can apologize all he wants, but his comment shows just what he thinks about women, his real attitude toward women. His is one of the right wing fanatics that puts the PIG in REPIGLICAN. From +Mother Jones .....

GOP Senator Scoffs at Trumpcare's Potential Cuts to Women's Health

His comment came hours before the House was supposed to vote on the Republican health care bill, whose fate is in doubt.

MAR. 23, 2017 2:04 PM

With Republican support for the American Health Care Act in jeopardy, President Donald Trump held a last-minute meeting with House Freedom Caucus members Thursday to discuss the possibility of eliminating one of Obamacare's signature elements: the requirement that insurance policies cover 10 so-called essential health benefits.

One of those benefits is preventive services, which include cancer screenings such as mammograms. According to a January report, more women across all income and education levels used mammograms under Obamacare than before the health care law was enacted.

But preserving affordable access to these types of benefits doesn't seem to be a major concern for Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.). Asked on Thursday if he supported abandoning Obamacare's essential health benefits, Roberts reportedly scoffed, "I wouldn't want to lose my mammograms."

Under fire for the comment, Roberts later tweeted that he regretted his remarks:

The joke, which appears to make light of the fact that as a man he doesn't need the breast-screening test, came just hours before the House is slated to vote on Republicans' plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. Republicans are reportedly scrambling to get the bill passed, and its fate remains in doubt.

As Trump met with Freedom Caucus members Thursday, White House official Cliff Sims tweeted the following image, in which the only woman present in the room appeared to be Kellyanne Conway:

INAE OH

Inae Oh is the associate engagement editor at Mother Jones. Follow her on Twitter

Mother Jones is a nonprofit, and stories like this are made possible by readers like you. Donate or to help fund independent journalism.

A PICTURE REALLY IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS.....

THIS shows the real attitude of repiglican leadership towards women. From +Mother Jones .....

What's Missing From This Photo of Politicians Deciding the Future of Women's Health?

Anyone?

MAR. 23, 2017 3:36 PM

TIM MURPHY

Tim Murphy is a senior reporter at Mother Jones. Reach him at tmurphy@motherjones.com.

President Donald Trump met with the arch-conservative House Freedom Caucus at the White House Thursday to try to hammer out a deal on Obamacare repeal. A major question in the final negotiations? Whether or not maternity care and mammograms should be considered "essential" treatments covered by all health insurance policies under the Republican proposal. ("I wouldn't want to lose my mammograms," quipped Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), who supports scrapping the requirement. He apologized.)

The White House happily snapped a photo of the gathering that will go a long way toward deciding the future of women's health in America, and EMIILY's List, the group that works to elect pro-choice Democratic women to Congress, also blasted out a photo of the event to reporters. Notice anything?

Here's another angle:

Update: Washington Democratic Sen. Patty Murray has weighed in:

NORTON META TAG

24 March 2017