News

There’s something exceedingly wrong with this photo

Picture:
Picture:
Mike Pence

There's something missing from this picture.

Yesterday, Vice-President Mike Pence tweeted a photo of his meeting with other Republicans discussing a new healthcare bill to replace the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare.

The bill affects access to pregnancy and maternity care. In the picture with Pence is a diverse cross-section of gender and ethnicities, showing people from all parts of American life.

Just kidding, it's another picture of all white men legislating what women can or can't do with their bodies.

Not a single woman was discussing pregnancy and maternity care.

The former Governor for Indiana was joined by Donald Trump to meet the conservative Freedom Caucus, an all-male group of 30 Republican House representatives.

They were there to talk to about changes they'd like to see to the 'Trumpcare' bill, which included removing the law making maternity care an essential part of healthcare plans.

A vote on Trumpcare was scheduled to take place yesterday, but was pushed back to today due to lack of support across the House.

The amendment would also allow states to take away insurance from new mothers who don't find a job within two months of giving birth.

The picture has gained a lot of criticism online with some commentators saying it's going to "kill poor women".

Before the Affordable Care Act became law in 2010, only 12% of health care plans covered maternity care and women often had to pay more than men for the same coverage.

It was effectively legal for insurance companies to discriminate on the grounds women were pregnant or 'might soon be pregnant'.

Diversity is a major issue in American politics. Less than a fifth of Republicans in the House of Representatives are women, and the US Congress as a whole is 80% male.

After the backlash, Trump's social media executive tweeted another picture showing two women in the background.

For many, there are hints of deja vu, harking back to Trump signing an executive order reducing abortion rights surrounded by all men - on his first day as President.

More: The two photos of Donald Trump that tell a very worrying story

The Conversation (0)
x