Two controversial bills regulating abortions passed through the Florida House Health and Human Services committee today, one of which is the ultrasound bill, that requires a woman to receive an ultrasound before she can undergo an abortion. Proponents of the bill say this will give the woman an opportunity to "review the results." The general idea being if she sees the fetus, she may be less likely to go through with an abortion.
This poses an interesting question though. If those politicians seeking to limit access to health insurance are going to prohibit any health insurance that covers abortions, are we to assume that they will force a woman to pay for an expensive ultrasound whether she wants it or not? Since she would be seeking an abortion in the first place, I'm guessing the ultrasound wouldn't be covered by insurance.
And since the argument behind opposition to the Affordable Care Act is that no one should have to be "forced" to carry health insurance, it's been argued that forcing someone to buy health insurance is even unconstitutional.
Yet these same politicians are going to force a woman to have an ultrasound before having an abortion, and I assume they will also be forcing the woman to pay for that ultrasound. Is that also unconstitutional? Maybe, maybe not. But one thing's for sure.
It is hypocritical.