Companies’ rights v. Women’s rights

Here is a quote from a Republican senator:

Discussing health care outside the Supreme Court today, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) told ThinkProgress that there “shouldn’t” be a law requiring businesses to cover employees who have cancer because that would “create an obligation” for others. “When you create a right for somebody,” Johnson said, “you create an obligation for somebody else, and then you’re taking away that person’s right.”

And here is a very excellent point made in the comments section:

Funny how he says this about cancer patients, but probably would never say it about a pregnant teenager looking for an abortion…even though it’s the exact same thing.

In other words, giving people the right to have their cancer treatments covered by their insurance plans an undue burden on health insurance companies (or the businesses that purchase their plans) and thus removes some of the company’s rights and is therefore wrong. But given that this senator is also anti-abortion, giving a fetus rights is somehow okay even though it places an obligation on the woman carrying the fetus and thus removes her rights. I somehow doubt the senator quoted above has ever really thought that through. I mean, companies have rights. But women? Come on!

I am so glad I am no longer associated with the craziness that has become the Republican party.