VOTER POWER
Women’s Rights
Myth: Many Americans believe Planned Parenthood is essentially an abortion mill.
Fact: Abortions account for around 3% of the services performed by Planned Parenthood, but more than a third of their service is contraception, which reduces unwanted pregnancies—and abortions.
Myth: Many Americans believe abortion clinics use tax money for abortions.
Fact: The Hyde Amendment expressly forbids the use of government funds for abortions.
Roe v. Wade was a controversial decision, and the controversy has only grown ever since. Many Americans, even pro-choice advocates, have a sincere interest in reducing the number of abortions.
But misinformation is keeping the conversation from civility. A considerable number of Americans believe that abortion providers, particularly Planned Parenthood, are abortion mills, using tax money to murder unborn children. Some even believe that these organizations take advantage of an underground market for body parts to profit from access to vulnerable babies.
Where are the manufactured scandals, and where is the truth? When does regulating healthcare cross the line into denying women their basic rights? And, perhaps most importantly, how can we have a fact-based conversation around such a heated issue?

Women Flock to Illinois Amid Abortion Restrictions in Midwest
An increasing number of women are crossing state lines to have abortions in Illinois. The reason? Reproductive laws in neighboring states have become so restrictive that women are willing to travel long distances just to undergo a safe procedure.
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New Tax Reform Bill Counts Fetuses as People
Last Friday, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed a bundle of bills known as “Tax Reform 2.0.” This proposal would count “unborn children” as beneficiaries under 529 education savings plans. Democrats say it’s just a way for Republicans to push their anti-choice agenda.
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Why Dr. Ford Is No Less Credible If She Chooses Not to Testify
Christine Blasey Ford, the woman who accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault, is under an immense amount of pressure to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee. The Palo Alto University professor originally wanted to remain anonymous, but was forced into the spotlight after the press discovered her identity.
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5 Women’s Rights Issues That Are Currently at Stake
There’s been a lot of progress on the gender equality front in the past 50 years. Unfortunately, what progress has been made is now being threatened by what the United Nations deems “alarming pushback.”
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States Are Prepping for Possible Overturn of Roe v. Wade
Pro-choice activists are preparing at the state level for a possible overturn of the historic Roe v. Wade decision if Brett Kavanaugh is confirmed as a Supreme Court justice. They hope to get states get laws banning or restricting abortions off their books.
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GOP Candidate Says Wives Should ‘Submit’ to Husbands
North Carolina Republican candidate Mark Harris has come under fire for comments he made while serving as a Baptist preacher. A 2013 sermon in which he preached that wives should submit to their husbands recently surfaced, and has called into question his other beliefs.
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One More State Needed to Ratify Equal Rights Amendment
With the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment by the Illinois State Legislature, the amendment is one step closer to becoming part of the Bill of Rights. There’s just one problem: the ratification deadline passed in 1982. Could the ERA still become the law of the land?
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Major Republican Accomplishments in US Government
Earlier today, we shared a post about major Democratic accomplishments in American history. As a follow-up, here’s a list of some of the actions taken by the Republican party over the past 100 years or so that have shaped America into the country we know and love.
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Major Democratic Accomplishments in US Government
Although many Americans have become disillusioned with our two-party system—and for good reason—it’s important to take a look back at history and see what has been accomplished by each of these parties. Later today, we’ll have a similar post about Republican accomplishments.
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GOP Congressman Seriously Believes Women Can’t Think
Congressman Jason Lewis of Minnesota longs for the days when women could be called “sluts” and has said—these are his actual words—that he believes women “have no cognitive function” and that they only vote on the basis of which candidate will offer free birth control.
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