Lawmaker Says Women Should Plan Ahead in Case of Rape, Since He Carries A Spare Tire

Once the Republicans have their way and eliminate abortion coverage from all insurance plans, you will have two choices — pay for abortions out of pocket in all circumstances, or pay a rider to ensure you have coverage just in case you need it.

Why would you need it? You know, in case you get pregnant via a rape. You should always plan ahead for that sort of thing, apparently. At least, so says one Kansas legislator when discussing banning insurance coverage of abortions in all cases, even rape.

Via The McPherson Sentinel:

Abortion rights supporters are skeptical, believing the bill’s backers want to cut off a way for women to cover the cost of terminating pregnancies.

And Rep. Barbara Bollier, a Mission Hills Republican who supports abortion rights, questioned whether women would buy abortion-only policies long before they have crisis or unwanted pregnancies or are rape victims.

During the House’s debate, Rep. Pete DeGraaf, a Mulvane Republican who supports the bill, told her: “We do need to plan ahead, don’t we, in life?”

Bollier asked him, “And so women need to plan ahead for issues that they have no control over with a pregnancy?”

DeGraaf drew groans of protest from some House members when he responded, “I have spare tire on my car.”

“I also have life insurance,” he added. “I have a lot of things that I plan ahead for.”

First, I’m just going to set aside the spare tire comment because — well, I can’t even respond to that.

But when it comes to life insurance being compared to paying monthly for insurance so you can have an abortion in case you get pregnant after a sexual assault, there is absolutely no comparison. Life insurance is something that you pay a premium for and, if you have an accident, your family receives money to recoup costs. An abortion rider would be something you pay for in order to, if you have an unwanted or nonviable pregnancy, terminate the pregnancy without it costing even more than if you didn’t have the coverage in the first place.

Now, taking just a moment to look at the overall picture of what is being discussed, it needs to be said clearly. A Republican just suggested a woman should have to “plan ahead” and obtain insurance in case she is raped. She should have a plan ready in case she is raped. I cannot repeat that enough — a Republican lawmaker believes that women should be planning for a future in which she is raped, just in case.

Who says there isn’t a war on women?

(hat tip Blog for Choice)

Take Action: Sign the petition to tell Rep. DeGraaf that rape is NOT like a flat tire.

photo from wikimedia commons

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
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Britt V.

3:03PM PDT on May 1, 2012

As a rape survivor myself, I am outraged, hurt, and so offended by this statement. If only this person knew what being raped takes from a women they're view would be so different. This is such an ignorant statement and I am deeply offended that there are people that actually think like this in the world.

send a green star

3:02PM PDT on May 1, 2012

DeWitt J.

8:35AM PST on Dec 31, 2011

This is yet another example of a Repub. uttering something that is not only rude and offensive, but beyond what I'd think ANYONE would ever say on an issue. Is there some dingy, beat-up, smoke-belching factory somewhere that stamps these guys out on a regular basis?!? :^)

Karen H.

7:25AM PDT on Sep 8, 2011

I would like to repeat - I think all men whos brains are smaller than their testicles should have a vasectomy to prevent the reproduction of such stupidity.

Sarah M.

10:17PM PDT on Sep 7, 2011

This makes me sick to my stomach.

11:08AM PDT on Aug 19, 2011

This is not simply a religious thing. This is about the government controlling our persnal freedoms and choices even more than they do now. Someone should take all Republicans, especially the teabag heads, put them into ship's containers and send them into exile in Antarctica to start their own country with their own frigid view of what they want people to do.

Hilary C.

9:07AM PDT on Aug 19, 2011

Rape culture totally isn't an issue. Because telling women that rape is pretty inevitable sometimes doesn't constitute rape culture. Nope.
Jeez. What a load of horse crap.

Also, @Elizabeth P. on May 28 2011: Yeah, you do all need to get over it. It isn't going away. I'm sorry that it's really hard for people to accept that. We'll keep loudmouthing off until you stop telling us that we are incapable of making our own decisions. Until that happens, expect A LOT of people telling you what's what for the sake of the wonderful procedure that is abortion being kept available, affordable, and safe.

Shirley M.

7:51PM PDT on Jul 22, 2011

I'm with Annmarie L! You ARE all gold! Isn't it funny how, the more religious a person is, the more they are anti abortion? Yet according to religions, death frees the soul to abide in Heaven with the Creator - the ultimate bliss! So why would you want to prevent the innocent soul of a newborn this bliss without having to go through the traumas of 'life' first? Also, didn't your God give us free will? Why then would 'He' punish us for using it? I guess logic is the first thing to go out the window when a religion is embraced.

People, we don't need religion to tell us what to do; we have a conscience! And 'Do
As You Would Be Done By' is a very simple, failsafe philosophy to follow. There are a lot of wonderful, thinking people who are trying to drag the hierarchy of the religion they embrace kicking and screaming into the 21st century. Give it up folks, and rely instead on commonsense, your own conscience, and the 'DAYWBDB' philosophy.

Annmari L.

3:06AM PDT on Jul 22, 2011

Hilary E. Jun 23, 2011 10:18 PM
Lori H. Jun 5, 2011 1:50 PM
Dana H. May 29, 2011 12:26 PM
William Y. May 28, 2011 5:39 PM

You are all GOLD! Thanks for your postings and for making my day!

Roderick M.

1:15PM PDT on Jun 24, 2011

SO according to Elizabeth P. nobody can talk about cancer, venereal disease, or abortion unless they have had it. I guess Elizabeth wants to tell us that she speaks from experience or that she just likes to run off at the mouth. In either case her posting is hardly an accolade for the pro-lifers.

The difficulty is that so many people, like Rep. DeGraaf (and Elizabeth for that matter) have nothing intelligent to say and so people take the bait and get drawn into these meaningless discussions. That serves the political purpose of distracting people from real issues, like the economy, the two wars, the loss of young men and women for no good policy objective of the United States, unemployment, etc. These are the real problems which the people who profess to represent us in government should be concerned about, but as long as they can bait people with idiotic statements about abortion insurance they don't have to do the work for which they were elected.
Would we allow ourselves to get worked up about two imbeciles trying to understand why they have five toes on each foot? Of course not! So lets get with holding these, our elected representatives, responsible to do the job for which they were elected and to stop the nonsense. Or vote them out!