Are there double standards in health care for men versus women?
The state Assembly is scheduled to take up a bill (SB-306) that governs abortion services in Wisconsin. Madison Democrat Mark Pocan says Republicans are attacking women and comprehensive health care, making them “jump through all kinds of hoops.” Pocan says the use of erectile dysfunction drugs should have the same standards. “What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.”
The abortion consent bill passed through the Senate last month. In an effort to highlight the hypocrisy of increased legislative interference in a woman’s private medical decisions, Pocan is introducing his “equality” amendment, which mandates similarly private restrictions for men looking for male enhancement medications, such as Viagra. He says policymakers have no problem legislating a woman’s womb, why not men’s reproductive health? “The best that we can do is put an amendment out that is equally as ridiculous, but to show the true comparison about how unequal we’re treating men and women when it comes to healthcare.”
New Berlin Republican Mary Lazich is the bill’s author in the Senate. She says, among other things, the bill requires doctors to make sure women are not being coerced into seeking an abortion. The bill increases criminal penalties for doctors and its goal is to deter women from having abortions.
Pocan says sometimes you have to “poke a little fun” to show the absurdity of the proposal from Republicans. “This is a crazy place; this is an especially crazy week, this bill will probably take the frosting on the cupcake of craziness for the week.”
Pocan doesn’t expect his amendment to stand up, but in his job at the statehouse, he says, it’s important to maintain a sense of humor.
AUDIO: Jackie Johnson report 1:44