Remember the probes.
Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell -- and Republican vice presidential hopeful -- is giving up on requiring medically unnecessary transvaginal ultrasounds in a bill he previously said he would support. He released this statement moments ago:
Mandating an invasive procedure in order to give informed consent is not a proper role for the state. No person should be directed to undergo an invasive procedure by the state, without their consent, as a precondition to another medical procedure.
For this reason, I have recommended to the General Assembly a series of amendments to this bill. I am requesting that the General Assembly amend this bill to explicitly state that no woman in Virginia will have to undergo a transvaginal ultrasound involuntarily. I am asking the General Assembly to state in this legislation that only a transabdominal, or external, ultrasound will be required to satisfy the requirements to determine gestational age. Should a doctor determine that another form of ultrasound may be necessary to provide the necessary images and information that will be an issue for the doctor and the patient. The government will have no role in that medical decision.
After more than a thousand people staged a silent protest at the state capitol, the Virginia House of Delegates twice put off voting on the bill this week. Last night the Washington Post reported that Governor McDonnell wasn't so committed to the measure anymore, or at least to the probes.
Make no mistake: the governor still says Virginia's government should have the right to examine a woman's body. You can see that in his full statement, after the jump.
Statement of Governor Bob McDonnell on SB 484
RICHMOND – Governor Bob McDonnell issued the following statement today regarding SB 484, a bill before the General Assembly that would require an ultrasound prior to an abortion being performed.
"I am pro-life. I believe deeply in the sanctity of innocent human life and believe governments have a duty to protect human life. The more our society embraces a culture of life for all people, the better country we will have. Over the course of my 20-year career in elected office, I have been glad to play a leading role in putting in place common-sense policies that protect and defend innocent human life in the Commonwealth. One of those bills was Virginia's informed consent statute, of which I was the chief patron in the House of Delegates, finally seeing its passage in 2001. This session, the General Assembly is now considering amending this informed consent statute to include a requirement that any woman seeking an abortion receive an ultrasound in order to establish the gestational age for appropriate medical purposes, and to offer a woman the opportunity to voluntarily review that ultrasound prior to giving her legal informed consent to abortion.
Over the past days I have discussed the specific language of the proposed legislation with other governors, physicians, attorneys, legislators, advocacy groups, and citizens. It is apparent that several amendments to the proposed legislation are needed to address various medical and legal issues which have arisen. It is clear that in the majority of cases, a routine external, transabdominal ultrasound is sufficient to meet the bills stated purpose, that is, to determine gestational age. I have come to understand that the medical practice and standard of care currently guide physicians to use other procedures to find the gestational age of the child, when abdominal ultrasounds cannot do so. Determining gestational age is essential for legal reasons, to know the trimester of the pregnancy in order to comply with the law, and for medical reasons as well.
Thus, having looked at the current proposal, I believe there is no need to direct by statute that further invasive ultrasound procedures be done. Mandating an invasive procedure in order to give informed consent is not a proper role for the state. No person should be directed to undergo an invasive procedure by the state, without their consent, as a precondition to another medical procedure.
For this reason, I have recommended to the General Assembly a series of amendments to this bill. I am requesting that the General Assembly amend this bill to explicitly state that no woman in Virginia will have to undergo a transvaginal ultrasound involuntarily. I am asking the General Assembly to state in this legislation that only a transabdominal, or external, ultrasound will be required to satisfy the requirements to determine gestational age. Should a doctor determine that another form of ultrasound may be necessary to provide the necessary images and information that will be an issue for the doctor and the patient. The government will have no role in that medical decision.
I have requested other amendments that help clarify the purposes of the bill and reflect a better understanding of prevailing medical practices. It is my hope that the members of the General Assembly will act favorably upon these recommendations from our office. We will await their action prior to making any further comments on this matter.”
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Let's all do our best to make sure that the right wing nuts that were behind this ugly episode don't get re-elected. In case you need to update your voter registration status:
http://www.vote411.org/registertovote.php
Also, just in case you might not be able to make it to the polls on election day, several states offer "no escuse" voting by mail:
http://www.ncsl.org/legislatures-elections/elections/absentee-and-early-voting.aspx
The website may be a litte out of date because I know RI just changed their law to accept no excuse mail ballots but they are not on the list yet. So if your state is not listed, you might want to double check with your state's Secretary of State's website.
This is exactly why, I LOVE RACHEL MADDOW!!! She helped get the news out there, to PROPERLY explain the latest in Republican psycho barbarism. They need to change their party's Elephant symbol to that of a PIG!
http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/pro-aborts-completely-made-up-vaginal-ultrasound-requirement-in-virginia-bi
Yeah, the current iteration of this misogynistic bill needs to go down in flames and shame, and the GOPerverts who support(ed) it need to do the same in November. Women of Virginia, we've got your backs, and uteri, too!
I'd like to know how this isn't considered 'rape'. Especially under the FBI's new definitions.
This is state-sanction sexual molestation/rape.
Goooooo, smaller government!
Well the Republicans finally backed down when they saw there was no support from the religious community and a backlash from everyone else. This is only a prelude to the general election where the women hopefully will come out in force. The Republicans are obsessed about women's sexuality in a restrictive way. If thinking people stay home on election day and let these people take over than whoa to us all.
That is what you get when you vote in radical republicans. I am an independent fomally Reagan republican. Look Plain and simple, you all republicans ans esp women out there think beyond the hate the gops and sputting out there about P Obama.like it or not he is smart, fighting for the middle class,yes has made some mistakes but let face what did the gop do about our foreign policy no osama benladin and elite members of alqueada??? nothing Obama did. p obama has fought for the pay roll tax !!!! republican or not my daughter will be on my obama care till 26 yrs even at college. No preexxisting conditions under obama care , this pre is taking the higher road with all the hate on his religion, patrotism, his race yes !!! what are the gop doing taking us back into the middle ages. america is changing difrrent dynamics of family, culture ect. The gop wants to go back to war and yet they talk of lowering the countrys debt. The economy is actually getting better, lots of companys are hiring now!!!! so now what!!!! you and a republican so you will blindly vote for a gop to take us back and give more tax break to the rich!!!! You actually believe Mitt R whith all his lying and flipfloping ,really.Please you all think this thru b4 its too late. Look at all what the gop s in senate and governors are doing are you surprised scott walker recall and almost on his way out. Look at what virgina is doing . Reagan era is over the radical gops want to take over it up to us to use our heads to vote for pre obama. its a pity how republicans voted for all these house congressmen and now regreat it they get paid and do nothing but take the house hostage.is it the kind of government we want.To hear Rick Santoruim go on and on about our presi obama xtian priciples!!! what is r Santorium economic policy or for that matter Ginginch or m Ramnney!!!! really well the power of our votes!!! let it be the decidin g factor lets examine what are the real facts.Gops says they are xtians yet they just preach hate division and i for one am sick and tired of it. American are not stupid and i for one am proud to be one please do the the right thing for this great country of ours!!!!!!
This is Grover Norquist gone insane - "Shrink government so that it fits into a uterus."
Here is a wonderful soundtrack for Governor Bob McDonnell's outrageous treatment of women, from the great hill-country bluesman Terry Harmonica Bean and the Cornlickers, "Rock This House Live at Right Coast" track 2, "Old MacDonald:"
Go to <http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/terryharmonicabean2>
Thank you Rachel Maddow for your wonderful work and fierce good humor.
What's bad for women is bad for the country. Here's a soundtrack for Gov. Bob McDonnell's outrageous treatment of women. Go to<http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/terryharmonicabean2> to hear "Old MacDonald" like you've never heard it before.
Thank you Rachel Maddow for your wonderful mind, tireless work, and fierce humor!
I have actually had a trans-vag ultrasound, and it was not only painful, but very invasive--it felt much like being raped, or at least probed by unmerciful aliens. I couldn't shake the feeling of having been violated. And that was medically necessary! I can't even imagine having one at the behest of the government. That is some seriously scary stuff.
The GOP:government just small enough to fit up your vag!
Calling all women! No more Pill? Deny sex. Demand vasectomies! They'll change their minds.
Better yet , get the politicians wives/girlfriends on board to deny the politicians
So they still haven't answered who is going to pay for this?
My last pregnancy there was an insurance mix up. The person who entered my information typed that I was person 1 instead of person 2. So my insurance company denied coverage to all prenatal care until I yelled at them for being a$$holes over the number 1 vs 2. I'm on the fricking policy. The policy covers the prenatal care. Being person 1 or 2 should be irrelevant. But that's another rant entirely.
I received the bills for the ultrasounds. I was supposed to pay for the technician, the machine, and the doctor who read the results. $180 for the in-office ultrasound. Over $200 when I was at the hospital.
So who is going to shell out that money? Will it be covered as part of the existing cost for an abortion? Will the state pay for it since they require it, and it is not medically necessary? Will the state require insurance to cover it as a necessary medical proceedure even if the insurance policy doesn't cover the cost of the abortion? Will the doctors have to eat the costs when the women say they refuse to pay for a proceedure they don't need and don't want?
Come on McDonnell. Who is going to pay for your unnessessary medical proceedure?????
Are these politicians willing to get anal probes ( whats fair is fair )
What's going on in Virginiq is wrongxas. Has anyone looked at Texas lately? Perry is signing a bill for the same thing that's is going on in VA and no one is fighting it here.
Really? Hadn't heard...is there a petition out there to sign? I would support you in Texas as well.
Tell us what to do.
I really like this David Englin. He should be a candidate for congress! Great supporter of women's rights.
McDonnell is quite the wordsmith.
Please, please, please, ask Pelosi to have a group of six women to discuss and vote that for men to obtain treatment for ED, they must first have a colonoscopy, but NO SLEEPING DURING THE TEST!
Another one: maybe before obtaining ED drugs, men should submit themselves to psychological tests run by a panel of women. If the panel believes the individual patient has a real physical issue, then he can have the drugs.
I think if I lived in Virginia, I would gather up all my female relatives and LEAVE if this law goes into effect. There would be no nookie in Virginia for me or mine, ever! If we can play God by saving lives, we should be able to have the right to prevent an unwanted child from having to pay for the mistakes of its parents. The fruits of overpopulation are war, disease, famine, and pestilence. You can't have your cake and eat it too. Pick one and move on...oh, that's right, you'd rather have war, disease famine, etc, Virginia?!
Buying a gun at a gun show is just as controversial as abortion. I think every man who buys a gun at a gun show without a background check should be required to have a rectal ultrasound to see if he is carrying any illegal weapons on/in his person.
Apart from the indefensible, misogynist, and barbaric aspect of this bill, who is going to pay for this medically unnecessary procedure? If a period of 24 hrs was required of all women between the ultrasound and the abortion, would Maryland also foot the bill for the overnight stay for women who must travel long distances to have a procedure that should involve only a woman and her physician? Perhaps the Governor could set up state operated B&Bs where women would be required to stay so that their breakfast muffin could be delivered with a dose of moral judgement. That would give a whole new meaning to the term, "Rape and pillage."
Can you imagine the hue and cry that would rise up if such a procedure were to be required of men wanting to have a vasectomy which would make any sexual act "Not for the purpose of procreation" another moral concern of more than one contender for the Republican nomination for President.
This bill is what the spawn of 1984 and Clockwork Orange would look like. Why aren't the women in Maryland marching in the streets? Please pay attention and express your outrage.
What is going to follow if the "interviewer" doesn't like a woman's morality? Is this a forced psychological evaluation? Could this cause women to be arrested or wrongfully comitted, etc. by people trying to stop them from having abortions? There are tons of red flags here to me - and ways for women's personal rights to be invaded way beyond the abortion itself.
The GOP is a total, reprehensible JOKE. TEAliban. They have been so full of themselves that the laws they've been passing or trying to pass are beginning to reveal just how far out there they are. Unfortunately, they have the political power and ideology to ruin real people's lives. I can only hope enough people in all states wake up and recall them (as in Wisconsin) or vote them out of office.
Just imagine the GOP's hyperbolic OUTRAGE if Dems passed any sort of law interfering with men's medical care -- e.g limiting Viagra to men whose wives are capable of bearing children, and requiring the man to bring the wife along to confirm she concurs.
Virginia is for lovers? Ha! Virginia is for haters of women. Not only will I never
vacation there, I won't as much as stop for gas there on my way to anywhere else.
Don't vacation in Virginia!
Why doesn't anyone ask these Republicans what would happen if a CEO of a company were Christian Scientist and didn't believe that health care providers should provide injections or antibiotics or provide blood if needed or surgery, etc.?