Bush’s rendition of A Nightmare before Christmas
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In the final days of its “Shock and Awe” attacks on agency regulation changes that are dismantling public protections, the Bush Administration has granted sweeping new protections to health care workers who can refuse to provide care if it violates their personal beliefs. Lord knows what this will mean the next time I seek health care treatment as an openly out trans person!
The Department of Health and Human Services published in yesterday’s (12/18/08) Federal Register the final version of its “conscience rules” that protect health care providers who have moral or religious objections to performing or furnishing particular services. (see HHS News Release.) The Federal Register release titled Ensuring That Department of Health and Human Services Funds Do Not Support Coercive or Discriminatory Policies or Practices in Violation of Federal Law provides that the new rules take effect January 20, 2009– just before the change in administrations. This 127-page rule, was issued just in time to take effect in the 30 days before the change in administrations so adding to the growing list of last minute rules Bush is implementing before he finally leaves office. And sadly this is simply one of many agency regulations over the last month or so that have dismantled so many public protections or put another way “Bush’s rendition of a Nightmare before Christmas!”
This latest in attacks on public protections has far-reaching impacts by cutting off federal funding for any state or local government, hospital, health plan, clinic or other entity that does not accommodate doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other employees who refuse to participate in care they find ethically, morally or religiously objectionable. Clearly this rule has wide ranging impacts upon so many communities, including the trans and gender non-conforming communities! There is already legislation in Congress by Senators Clinton and Murray to repeal such a ruling but yet another Bush midnight rule that will keep the administration and congress busy in its early days rolling back these mean-spirited rulings rather than addressing the serious economic and social concerns facing our peoples.
The California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee unveiled a new website inviting folks to help “send Bush packing,” http://www.SendBushPacking.com. The site offers an interactive game highlighting some of the “midnight rules” — last minute regulatory changes — the Bush administration is seeking to cement in place in its waning days
2 comments
Good post, Jeri. I think we're all in for a big, collective sigh after this disgusting fascist leaves office–that is, right before we dig our heels in to start putting pressure on our next set of rulers.
Ditto to the next set of rules Deric!! Also the Courant just published a piece on the impact of the DHHS reg on Plan B here in CT (view here). Here is the first few paragraphs above the fold:
A federal regulation set to take effect in the final days of the Bush administration threatens to "blow apart" the carefully crafted agreement that guarantees all Connecticut hospitals provide emergency contraception to rape victims, state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said Friday.
The rule, issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, reinforces protections for health care workers and institutions who refuse to provide services they object to, including abortion.
When it takes effect Jan. 18, the regulation will override the 2007 Connecticut law that requires hospitals to provide emergency contraception, commonly known as Plan B, to rape victims, Blumenthal said.
"We went through a very lengthy, painstaking, contentious process to reach our statute in Connecticut, which has worked well for everyone," Blumenthal said. "This administration's new regulation threatens to blow apart that very significant balance of interests and compromise."
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