Pennsylvania’s Capitol (Source: Wikipedia)

On the heels of Indiana Senate candidate Richard Mourdock comments about rape, God and pregnancy comes news of a bill proposed in the Pennsylvania legislature.

Five legislators have proposed a bill that could halt an increase in welfare benefits for women who become pregnant while on public assistance. There are two exceptions: rape and incest.

Elimination of benefits…shall not apply to any child conceived as a result of rape or incest if the department: (1) receives a non-notarized, signed statement from the pregnant woman stating that she was a victim of rape or incest, as the case may be, and that she reported the crime, including the identity of the offender, if known, to a law enforcement agency having the requisite jurisdiction or, in the case of incest where a pregnant minor is the victim, to the county child protective service agency and stating the name of the law enforcement agency or child protective service agency to which the report was made and the date such report was made.

First, the sponsors of this bill should realize that if this law is in effect, then a woman on public assistance who becomes pregnant is going to be far more likely to have an abortion than previously. Having another child to take care of while receiving the same amount of money is going to persuade some of these women to have an abortion.

The sponsors of the bill include four Republicans and a Democrat, all men. It is no surprise that every one of them opposes abortion. What is surprising is that none of them thought through the rather obvious unintended consequences of their bill.

Then there is the practicality of the law. Many rapes are never reported. That is a requirement in this law. That means many women who are trying to put the horrific event behind them while have to relive it by reporting it to the police weeks or months later. A woman who finds herself pregnant weeks afterwards is also going to be viewed suspiciously when she has to present a letter stating that she was raped but delayed reporting it.

Just the process of having to write a letter proving that she was raped is demeaning and appalling.

It is worse for a minor. Minors are far more likely to become victims of incest than adults. Incestuous sex is just as much about power as rape, except the rapist usually disappears forever. The incest perpetuator remains a part of the victim’s life. It usually involves an adult family member taking advantage of a child. How often does that child report incest to the police or child protective services? Rarely.

This isn’t a bill that would reduce welfare costs or abuse. It is a prescription for misery for women who have to endure a rape, have the misfortune of becoming pregnant and then must relive the trauma to public agencies. If it involves a minor, the experience is worsened by the vulnerability of youth.

There really is a war on women, and it isn’t in just asinine comments from Senate candidates like Todd Akin and Richard Mourdock. Some want to make it a part of government policy.