Dear Richard,
Iowa House Republicans are so committed to their anti-choice agenda that they're willing to revictimize rape survivors and endanger the health of low-income families.1 It's up to you, and the Iowa Department of Human Services (DHS), to stop them.
No woman should be revictimized by being forced to carry her rapist's child to term, simply because she can't afford other options. For 36 years, both anti-choice and pro-choice advocates have held a truce on this issue, but now 41 extremists in the Iowa House are declaring war on Iowa women and Iowa families, for their own electoral gain.2
They've sent a petition to the DHS demanding that it break federal law and deny low-income rape and incest survivors the right to use Medicaid funds if they choose to terminate their pregnancies.
And as if that weren't bad enough, this blatant disregard for the law could jeopardize the state's entire $1.9 billion annual Medicaid grant, and put roughly 400,000 Iowans at risk of losing their health care coverage.3
The 41 politicians demanding this outrageous and irresponsible change in policy don't represent the will of the people. But we have to make that clear to the rulemakers in the Iowa DHS before they make a mistake that would have dire consequences for rape and incest survivors and everyday Iowans.
Thanks for standing up for Iowa women and families,