Still, it took three years for the Bush administration to stop interfering with the FDA's approval process. I suppose it's more fun to place politics and ideology over sound science and women's health.
Shortly after last year's decision, I wrote about what we could expect in the wake of the FDA's decision. Looking back, I can see that many of our initial concerns were valid: anti-choice activists and politicians, who were further emboldened by the Supreme Court decision on the Federal Abortion Ban, did indeed try to distort the facts and push divisive legislation to undermine women's access to birth control.
Thankfully, as a result of the '06 midterm elections, we now have additional pro-choice allies in Congress who are standing up against these threats, and we have been able to keep some of them at bay. But we still need more pro-choice lawmakers to stop politics from interfering with science and women's health. With that in mind, it's a good thing the '08 elections are right around the corner!
A woman's right to choose has already become a pivotal issue in the presidential campaign. During the first Republican debate in California, many of the candidates came out stronger in their opposition to Roe v. Wade than even President Bush did during either of his presidential campaigns. Say WHAT?!?! I know it's hard to believe someone could be more anti-choice than George W. Bush, but watch this video for a satirical look at statements that were recently said during the debates. (It's scary to think that the statements about Roe v. Wade aren't satire, but verbatim answers by the presidential candidates.)
Anti-choice candidates like these are clearly opposed to abortion, but what's more - they're also opposed to birth control, although you'll likely not hear them talk about it. Even those candidates who once claimed to support a woman's right to choose are pulling back from commonsense prevention measures. For instance:
And don't even think that the others aren't in on it too. Sens. John McCain, Sam Brownback, and the still undeclared Fred Thompson, all voted against family-planning bills in the Senate. I wish there was a word stronger than "hypocritical" because that somehow doesn't seem to convey this draconian position against family-planning services.
Let's keep these statements and actions in mind as we reflect on the one year anniversary of the FDA's approval of Plan B® for limited over-the-counter sales. Let's be sure to spread the word and call on lawmakers and candidates to put an end to the divisive attacks on contraception and the right to choose and work together on commonsense issues that will ultimately reduce the need for abortion. We really shouldn't have to sit through another speech that calls for an end to abortion without hearing the candidates articulate support for birth control. And if candidates refuse to support something as basic and necessary as birth control, then let them know you won't support them in '08.
This is just one piece of the effort to ensure access to Plan B®. For a different view on the Plan B®, please visit NARAL Pro-Choice America's blog, BushvChoice, this week to check out our exciting series of blogposts from different organizations within the pro-choice movement. Our guest-bloggers will highlight the various problem areas they've come across while doing their work to protect women's reproductive-health rights. Be sure to stop by and check it out!
]]>Seems to me like a pretty clear call for an end to divisive attacks on women's health and privacy. Even so, eight anti-choice presidential candidates have caved in to the right-wing base and publicly called for the overturn of Roe v. Wade.
That's outrageous, but there's another story the press is missing: most of the same presidential candidates who want to make abortion illegal are also refusing to support prevention programs that make abortions less necessary.
For years now, in addition to our work in defense of safe, legal abortion, NARAL Pro-Choice America has advocated for prevention-related policies. In February 2005, we issued a challenge to President Bush and his anti-choice allies who oppose legal abortion to support efforts to prevent unintended pregnancy through sex education, access to birth control (including emergency contraception), and improved family-planning services. The conversation about reproductive-health care can and has been broadened.
Even self-described "pro-life" voters see better access to birth control and honest, age-appropriate sex education as the best ways to prevent unintended pregnancy and reduce the need for abortion.
This election cycle provides an opportunity for voters to see the broader implications of how anti-abortion often means anti-birth control, too. Take a look at the following examples of the leading presidential candidates who want Roe overturned:
Sens. Brownback and McCain, and Former Sen. Thompson are all anti-birth control and have never cosponsored or supported legislation to prevent unintended pregnancy or reduce the need for abortion. Former Gov. Mitt Romney vetoed modest proposals that would have allowed pharmacists to dispense emergency contraception without a prescription and ensured that sexual-assault survivors receive information about, and access to, the medication.
These candidates are part of a yet-to-be written story about the hypocrisy of opposing Roe while also attacking birth control.
Thankfully, it's not all bad news. Check out the statements from leading pro-choice candidates, all of whom reference prevention.
As someone who ran for and held elected office for nearly 20 years, I have seen how some candidates fall victim to short-term tactics like bowing to far-right pressure groups that want to outlaw abortion and block women's access to birth control. They do so at their own risk. Divisive attacks against women's freedom and privacy didn't win in 2006, and they won't win in 2008.
NARAL Pro-Choice America will continue to share the candidates' comments about choice with the American public, in order to educate them about the importance of electing a pro-choice president. The organization is adopting a "protect and elect" approach -- protect the pro-choice gains made in 2006 and elect more pro-choice candidates, including a pro-choice president, in 2008. The organization recently launched a new online resource featuring presidential candidates' written statements, public comments, and voting records on choice. For more information, please visit www.ProChoiceAmerica.org/elections/.
]]>Did Bush even read his own governments' report? I doubt it. You know, since he took office, Congress has spent a whopping $778 million on ineffective abstinence-only programs! That's $778 million of your tax dollars wasted on medically inaccurate and misleading information. This news is not terribly shocking—given this administration's record over the course of the past six years. But thankfully, now that Congress is under pro-choice leadership, we have a chance to fight back.
Today, to counter the actions of anti-choice groups and to highlight the consequences of wasteful spending, please take a moment to tell your members of Congress today that Americans oppose ineffective, ideologically driven abstinence-only programs.
Study after study has shown that many abstinence-only programs include medically inaccurate and misleading information. Even worse, independent research shows that students in these classes are not more likely to abstain from sex or delay when they become sexually active. Instead of recklessly spending your tax dollars on programs that don't work, Congress should be focusing on commonsense solutions to prevent teen pregnancy.
Please, urge your members of Congress to stop putting politics ahead of young people's health and stop funding dangerous abstinence-only programs.
]]>At NARAL Pro-Choice America, we've taken our fight to the next level and started an all-out campaign to support the Freedom of Choice Act. The Freedom of Choice Act would codify Roe v. Wade's protections into federal law, essentially repealing the Federal Abortion Ban and guaranteeing the right to choose for generations to come.
NARAL Pro-Choice America helped organize a diverse list of 25 groups for a national call-in day today, April 25. And what better day to flood Congress with phone calls about the Freedom of Choice Act than on the three-year anniversary of the historic March for Women's Lives.
Exactly three years ago today, on April 25, 2004, more than one million pro-choice Americans came to Washington, D.C. to send a message that politicians have no place in women's personal, private medical decisions.
It's time to send that message again, because anti-choice activists and politicians are ready to unleash even more attacks on safe, legal abortion, without any regard for women's health:
Today, Wednesday, April 25, call on Congress to support the Freedom of Choice Act. Click here to find our instructions, including our sample phone script. Don't miss this important chance to fight back against Bush's Federal Abortion Ban.
P.S. If you can't call, send an email to your members of Congress in support of the Freedom of Choice Act.
NARAL Pro-Choice America is co-sponsoring the national call-in day with the following coalition partners:
Advocates for Youth
Alliance for Justice
American Association of University Women
American Civil Liberties Union
Catholics for a Free Choice
Center for American Progress Action Fund
Choice USA
Feminist Majority
Law Students for Choice
Medical Students for Choice
National Abortion Federation
National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum
National Council of Jewish Women
National Council of Women's Organizations
National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association
National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health
National Organization for Women
National Women's Law Center
People for the American Way
Planned Parenthood Federation of America
Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
Reproductive Health Technologies Project
Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States
Sistersong Women of Color Reproductive Health Collective
]]>Nancy Keenan is the President of NARAL Pro-Choice America.
Editorial Note: The US House of Representatives approved this bill with a minor amendment, meaning that it will likely sit in the doldrums until next year's new Congress comes to town. (aka "pure political stunt")
Tomorrow, the House is set to vote on a divisive and dangerous bill: the so-called "Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act" (CIANA). CIANA is a desperate political ploy that shows that anti-choice congressional leadership is out of step with Americans' priorities. This divisive and controversial anti-choice bill would virtually eliminate young women's right to choose through a crazy quilt of rules and regulations with no exceptions to protect young women's health.
]]>Nancy Keenan is the President of NARAL Pro-Choice America.
Editorial Note: The US House of Representatives approved this bill with a minor amendment, meaning that it will likely sit in the doldrums until next year's new Congress comes to town. (aka "pure political stunt")
Tomorrow, the House is set to vote on a divisive and dangerous bill: the so-called "Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act" (CIANA). CIANA is a desperate political ploy that shows that anti-choice congressional leadership is out of step with Americans' priorities. This divisive and controversial anti-choice bill would virtually eliminate young women's right to choose through a crazy quilt of rules and regulations with no exceptions to protect young women's health.
Facts on the so-called "Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act":
This outrageous bill would do nothing to protect our young people or promote communication between teens and their parents. Pro-Choice Americans agree that teens in trouble should talk to their parents, and thankfully, most do. However, if they can't, for whatever reason, their safety is the most important thing. The American public wants teen pregnancy prevented, not punished, and we can see through this political posturing.
Frankly - that's just fine with anti-choice congressional leaders. Their goal is to distract voters from the issues that are really on their minds when they go to the polls this fall.
If anti-choice lawmakers truly wanted to protect our teens, they would stop blocking votes on commonsense measures to prevent unintended pregnancies and reduce the need for abortion. They would fund programs that provide honest, realistic sex education, teach young people about the serious responsibilities that accompany parenthood, and stop slashing budgets for after-school programs that keep kids out of trouble and on the road to success.
It's clear that anti-choice congressional leaders are using divisive issues, like CIANA, to rally their far-right base to protect vulnerable incumbents. The question is: will we let them?
For more information, please visit our website and read our press release on CIANA.
]]>Nancy Keenan is the President of NARAL Pro-Choice America.
The Food and Drug Administration, after more than three years of unprecedented political interference, finally agreed with its medical and scientific experts to allow women to purchase the emergency contraceptive pill Plan B® over-the-counter.
NARAL Pro-Choice America, along with other women's health advocates, rightly celebrated this decision as a victory for sound science and women's health over the Bush administration's attempts to block women's access to this safe, effective form of birth control.
]]>Nancy Keenan is the President of NARAL Pro-Choice America.
The Food and Drug Administration, after more than three years of unprecedented political interference, finally agreed with its medical and scientific experts to allow women to purchase the emergency contraceptive pill Plan B® over-the-counter.
NARAL Pro-Choice America, along with other women's health advocates, rightly celebrated this decision as a victory for sound science and women's health over the Bush administration's attempts to block women's access to this safe, effective form of birth control.
Bush and his right-wing allies may have lost this round, but we cannot underestimate their zeal to cut off women's access to contraception of all types. Already the far-right Family Research Council is "pursuing legal and legislative options against the FDA." These hysterics signify their open opposition to all forms of birth control. Perhaps they need reminding that birth control prevents abortion.
Okay, so in the face of this opposition, what can we do to ensure that all women receive Plan B® and other forms of birth control without harassment, lectures, or delay? PLENTY.
Here are examples of steps that can, and must, be taken by local and federal policymakers in order to realize emergency contraception's full potential:
It is time to build upon the success of the FDA decision to allow over-the-counter purchase of Plan B® and turn our efforts toward ensuring women's access to this safe, effective birth control option. Together, we flexed our grassroots muscles and gained the FDA approval. Now, we need to gather once again to ensure that we realize emergency contraception's full potential to prevent unintended pregnancy and reduce the need for abortion.
For more information on additional ways in which we can make the most of the FDA's Plan B® decision, please click here.
]]>Nancy Keenan is the President of NARAL Pro-Choice America.
Editor's Note: Our coverage this week has been dedicated to the Tornto AIDS Conference, but this poll, released this morning from NARAL Pro-Choice America, is important news we want to bring to our readers. In doing so we also note the increasing importance and interconnectedness of reproductive health, choice, contracpetion and disease prevention efforts in the public dialogue in America today.
On the reproductive rights front, the message is clear: Americans are tired of divisive attacks on a woman's right to choose and in November's election, they are ready to vote for a positive change.
NARAL Pro-Choice America just released a poll that shows pro-choice candidates have an opportunity to capitalize on the public's support for commonsense solutions to prevent unintended pregnancy and reduce the need for abortion. Nearly 77 percent of voters polled agree that the government and politicians should stay out of a woman's personal and private decision about whether or not to have an abortion.
]]>Nancy Keenan is the President of NARAL Pro-Choice America.
Editor's Note: Our coverage this week has been dedicated to the Tornto AIDS Conference, but this poll, released this morning from NARAL Pro-Choice America, is important news we want to bring to our readers. In doing so we also note the increasing importance and interconnectedness of reproductive health, choice, contracpetion and disease prevention efforts in the public dialogue in America today.
On the reproductive rights front, the message is clear: Americans are tired of divisive attacks on a woman's right to choose and in November's election, they are ready to vote for a positive change.
NARAL Pro-Choice America just released a poll that shows pro-choice candidates have an opportunity to capitalize on the public's support for commonsense solutions to prevent unintended pregnancy and reduce the need for abortion. Nearly 77 percent of voters polled agree that the government and politicians should stay out of a woman's personal and private decision about whether or not to have an abortion.
The poll, conducted by Celinda Lake, Lake Research Partners, surveyed 1,000 registered likely voters ages 18 or older nationwide, as well as a national sample of 100 drop-off unmarried women who voted in 2004 but not in 2002, and found that voters feel most favorable toward practical prevention measures, such as access to birth control and honest, realistic sex education. Other significant findings include:
Energized pro-choice candidates are running powerful campaigns in key states from coast to coast, and represent the promise of electing a pro-choice Congress.
Ending the reign of anti-choice dominance in Congress and electing a pro-choice majority would bring advancements in legislation to require insurance companies to cover birth control in the same way they pay for Viagra. We could pass laws requiring hospitals to provide emergency contraception to rape and incest victims in the emergency room. It means we could stop anti-choice pharmacists from refusing to fill prescriptions for birth control.
We have an outstanding slate of pro-choice candidates who can help change the direction in Congress, and a growing grassroots force ready to take action. For instance, in Iowa's 1st District, we identified 17,000 pro-choice voters and turned out the number necessary to provide Bruce Braley with a 3,000-vote margin of victory in his June 6 primary.
In the battle for control of the Senate, pro-choice Americans can proudly support a host of candidates poised to defeat anti-choice incumbents. We have state Sen. Jon Tester of Montana, a farmer with a record of standing up for privacy; Rep. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, a champion of women's freedom; and Jim Pederson in Arizona, a respected business leader with solid pro-choice values.
Public opinion is on our side. Pro-Choice candidates are stepping forward. Now is the time for pro-choice activists to employ every strategy necessary to engage voters and elect a pro-choice Congress in 2006. Please visit the elections section on our website for more information on other pro-choice candidates.
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