News · Press Release

On Women’s Health, Four More Challenging Phrases For Congressman Coffman

In his last debate, Congressman Coffman memorably forgot the phrase “birth control.” Coffman’s lapse was about more than his momentary struggle to relate to women’s lives: it was part of a longstanding pattern of disrespecting a woman’s ability to make her own health care decisions. Given Congressman Coffman’s attempts to run away from his own positions on the issues, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has offered a few helpful vocabulary terms ahead of the debate.

“Congressman Coffman’s failure to remember how to talk about birth control wasn’t an accident but was part of a clear and 20-year disregard for women,” said Emily Bittner of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “Congressman Coffman’s lapse in the last debate spoke volumes about how his priority has always been restricting women’s ability to make our own health care decisions.”

Here are a four other phrases that Coffman will be hoping the voters forget during tonight’s debate:

“Personhood” – Congressman Coffman supported the Personhood measure, even though it would outlaw abortion even in the case of rape and incest and restrict women’s access to the most common forms of birth control.

Colorado Right to Life Said Congressman Coffman Supported Personhood Amendment. According to Colorado Right to Life, Coffman was “on record supporting Personhood.” [Colorado Right to Life blog, 10/2/10]

Congressman Coffman Supported the Personhood AmendmentIn 2008, Coffman responded to a Colorado Right to Life Candidate Questionnaire stating “Yes” in response to the question “Do you support the 2008 Colorado Personhood amendment effort to define “person” to include any human being from the moment of fertilization?” [Colorado Right to Life, Candidate Questionnaire, 2008]

  • Personhood Amendment Would Ban Many Forms of Birth Control. According to a 2008 Denver Post Editorial, the personhood amendment “goes far beyond banning abortion and many forms of birth control.” [Denver Post, 6/2/08]

“Hobby Lobby” – Just this year, Congressman Coffman agreed with the five men on the Supreme Court who ruled in the Hobby Lobby decision that employers could interfere with women’s access to birth control.

Congressman Coffman Supported the Hobby Lobby Decision. In 2014 KDVR reported: “Tyler Sandberg, Coffman’s campaign manager, explained after the debate that Coffman supports the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Hobby Lobby case, which allows religious corporations exemptions on subsidies that cover their employees’ birth control under the Affordable Care Act; and, Sandberg said, Coffman also supports access to birth control.” [KDVR, 8/14/14]

“Todd Akin” – Congressman Coffman joined Todd Akin in attempting to redefine rape.

Congressman Coffman Co-Sponsored a Bill to Redefine Rape. In 2011, Coffman co-sponsored the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortions Act, which would redefine a ban on federal funding for abortions to exempt only “forcible rape” and not “rape” generally. According to the Washington Post, the Act would make a version of the Hyde Amendment permanent. The Hyde Amendment, which had been renewed every year since 1976, prevented some federally-funded health care programs from covering abortions, with exceptions in cases of rape and incest, and when the life of the woman is threatened. However, under the language proposed by the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortions Act, rape becomes “forcible rape.” [HR 3 Co-Sponsors, 112th Congress; Washington Post, 2/01/11]

“Colorado Right to Life” – Congressman Coffman was praised by Colorado Right to Life for opposing abortion, even in the cases of rape and incest.

Coffman Praised by Colorado Right to Life Blog for Opposing Abortion in “All Cases of Rape and Incest.” In 2008, Coffman was praised by the Colorado Right to Life Blog for clarifying that he did “oppose abortion in all cases of rape and incest.”  [Colorado Right to Life Blog, 10/29/08]





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