Twitter
StumbleUpon
Facebook
Delicious
Digg
Newsvine
Google
Yahoo
TechnoratiHHS Proposal Undercuts State Birth Control Laws
The Bush administration's Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has been called "ground zero for the ideological wars in this country," and a new HHS proposal leaked this week proves why. In a spectacular act of complicity with extremists on the right, HHS is proposing to allow any federal grant recipient to obstruct a woman's access to contraception.
The American public is nearly unanimous in supporting contraception: 90 percent favor wide availability for birth control, and 90 percent of sexually active women of reproductive age are using it. It is simple common sense: the average woman spends nearly three decades of her life attempting to be sexually active without getting pregnant, and access to contraception is the only proven way to avoid an unintended pregnancy.
For most women, birth control is a basic health care need. But with this new proposal, the Bush administration plans to hand over the gears of health care to the few extremists who want to impose their deeply unpopular right-wing doctrine on the many. The "Pill Kills" fringe has generally been ignored for its warped pseudo-science, but not at Bush's HHS. Its new proposal would make agencies receiving HHS funding promise not to discriminate in hiring against anyone who objects to abortion -- and then redefines abortion so as to include most commonly used forms of birth control including oral contraceptives and IUDs.
This is the latest -- and now incontrovertible -- proof that the anti-abortion movement, and the administration that appears beholden to it, opposes basic pregnancy prevention and is firmly committed to control over Americans' sex lives. If the HHS proposal is approved, anti-contraceptive operatives will seize health financing, one of the most important levers of control. The regulations would be vast in scope and serve as an open invitation for local extremists to directly meddle with your most important life decisions.
Under the new rule, any health care provider who receives federal funding and would like to prevent women from having access to prescription birth control would have federal protection for doing it. State laws requiring hospitals to give pregnancy prevention to rape victims would be automatically invalidated. Pharmacies nationwide could be granted instant permission to refuse to fill prescriptions for birth control. Health centers may be forced to hire religious extremists who would refuse to provide contraception to their patients, even if contraception service is the main focus of the facility.
The new regulation would overrule laws in 27 states requiring health insurers to cover contraceptives. Keep in mind that reluctance of Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) to cover contraception was what led to these state mandates in the first place. Health insurance plans would likely be able to eliminate contraceptive coverage, re-imposing on women 68 percent more in out-of-pocket health care expenses than men pay.
President Bush has been committed to restricting Americans' access to pregnancy prevention since his first days in office. In 2001, he attempted to eliminate contraceptive coverage for federal employees and soldiers. At the request of the anti-contraception movement, he has obstructed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's process of approving proposals for wider access to contraception; appointed self-described anti-contraception leaders to oversee the nation's federal contraception program for the poor; eliminated funding for international family planning programs; appointed anti-condom activists to the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS; promoted programs that withhold information about birth control from sexually active teens; and sunk unprecedented sums of public funding into these no-sex-until-marriage programs, even after witnessing, as governor of Texas, that the result there was the highest teen birth rate of any state in the union.
The proposed regulation is just one of many campaigns against contraception, all led entirely by the anti-abortion establishment. Few Americans know that not one anti-abortion organization in the United States supports contraception. Even fewer understand that every effort to ensure Americans' access to pregnancy prevention is met with fierce, well-financed, and increasingly successful opposition by anti-abortion groups.
The Bush administration has been able to implement these deeply unpopular attacks against birth control and family planning because the American public doesn't really believe that an anti-contraception movement even exists. Under the cover of public denial, behind the banner of "Who could be against contraception?" ideological extremists have accomplished much of their agenda. Approval of the HHS proposal would be the most encompassing and far-reaching attack on the right to contraception they could hope for. What the anti-birth control extremists need now is for the public to continue to believe it can't happen.
Page is the author of How the Pro-Choice Movement Saved America: Freedom, Politics and the War on Sex and spokesperson for BirthControlWatch.org.
Copyright (C) 2008 by the American Forum. 7/08
32 Comments so far
Show AllDaniel David sez:
"Frederick,
You can have Obama or you can have McCain (and his hired veto pen.) That's all you get."
I guess this pleases you.
It DIS-pleases many of us.
While "probability-wise" it may be true, there is very little difference between these two war-mongering candidates, each of whom is pledging to do Israel's bidding.
So it really doesn't matter to "us anti-war types", which of these two posers gets the job: Heads-we-lose, tails-we-lose.
Those of us who are AGAINST any further American involvement with wars in the Middle East, will have to look elsewhere for a candidate in whom we can put our trust.
The odds are definitely against us, but a viable third party
is the only way to deal with a two-party system in which both parties have already sold their souls to special interests.
The Republican Party didn't birth overnight.
It had to grow slowly from the dying remnant of the Whigs.
Perhaps the Green Party, or the New Party will rise up from the dying carcass of the Democratic Party.
Or perhaps the specter of such an eventuality will scare the Democratic Party back "to the Left" (i.e. to its roots).
Today the stark choice in presidential candidates is between two (slightly) different versions of Bush...which is no choice at all.
FUCK RELIGION FOR RUINING LIVES AND OUR PLANET.
abort (not murder) the extrmists and bush to protect basic human rights and the health and safty of millions of innocent women who dont want children
Julian:
Please read Mr David's post again. You hate this policy, yes? Think it deprives a woman of her rights and freedoms and is generally misogynist and oppressive? So does Mr David, hence his referring to it as "crap". Don't you think it's a crap policy? I sure as hell do. I'm not sure why you'd take issue with you calling crap for what it is.
As to a "temporary annoyance", that's exactly what it will be if the correct president takes office just a few short months away. Sure, it'll suck, but with luck it won't have much time at all to take effect and be in practice before President Obama sends it back to the dustbin of history where it belongs. On the other hand, if we end up with a President McCain, say goodbye to your reproductive rights until 2013.
There won't be a President Nader any more than there'll be a President Kitty_tc. President Micky Mouse has basically identical statistical chance. You might as well write in Mr Spock.
I just wish more people understood those basic facts.
Juliann et al,
To correct my earlier statement, I do not agree with DD that the problem is minor, if that is what he was implying. This is a major problem the Bushies are causing, in their 11th hour. What I agree with is the word "temporary". If BO takes the oath of office on January 20, then this significant problem will be ended shortly thereafter.
I live in a male body, but I support the use of birth control 100 percent. In fact, I think governments should provide condoms and birth control pills FREE to everyone who wants them. Several countries around the world already do this. It would be great if the USA did this, but I fear it probably won't happen here until the religious right wing becomes a tiny fringe group. I predict that this will happen eventually, but probably not in the next decade.
At least, if McCain is not elected, things should improve regarding the availability of birth control, both in the USA, and overseas.
Thomas More: Little of grace in my decision to write that last posting, written in opposition to my true feelings, written to say "enough." When I say I could have done better I mean it, but the "better" I had in mind would be unprintable.
Rockerbabe1 July 26th, 2008 1:18 pm
You go girl!!!
mr. d. July 26th, 2008 7:46 am
Thank you.
Juliann July 26th, 2008 2:12 pm
Gracefully said.
Thank you Mr. D. I have to agree with your last sentence. I could have done better.
Juliann
juliann 9.11 am. I agree that DD's use of the word "crap" was in poor taste as well as wrong. As a 66 yr. old male, I remember the days of no birth control except "Vatican Roulette" as my Catholic mother called it. My wife and I have no children, a decision made by both of us when we were engaged. We were able to do this in 1969 as a result of easily available birth control pills and later, after we were sure of our decision, a hysterectomy in l975. I have read of instances in the south USA where women have been denied the pill because of their religious beliefs and find this very strange and disturbing. I do sympathize with your position and understand your anger. But I stand by my comments about the use of the word "moron"
Surely we can really discuss this subject intelligently without all the name calling.
Contraception is a big part of a woman's life if she is sexually active with a man; especially is she is married to a man. Limiting the number of children one has, goes a long way in managing the limited resources needed to raise and educate children. No one, man or woman should be forced to have children they don't want and can't support.
As a woman and a citizen, I want the same rights as men. The Constitution says men get to make their own decision about all aspects of their lives and I demand the same right, especially if I am paying for the service! If I want contraception or any other medical service, I should have it. This business of medical professionals telling me they won't do this or that because of their beliefs, is disrespectful of me as a person. Can you imagine a medical professional telling a male client he can't have this or that because of their religious beliefs? Unheard of. I am a working healthcare professional and everyday I am confronted with issues I don't like, but I am there to serve my patients or clients and their needs come before mine in most cases. If a person has a dislike of contraception and/or abortion, they should not work in those pharmacies or clinics that offer those services. FYI, there are also a lot of pharmacist who dislike the use of Ritalin, ABT and any number of HIV meds; can you just imagine the uproar, if a rx for those meds were not filled due to the pharmacist's religious beliefs?
Denying women needed services to prevent unwanted pregnancies is disrespectful and just plain mean. Any women who finds herself in that situation, should raise as much hell as possible, demand another caregiver, demand to see the supervisor on duty and get a lawyer and sue the hell out of the unprofessional person. No hospital or clinic should be allowed to tend to rape victims with this type of policy in place.
As I have said in the past, I will do what I have to do to take care of myself, the medical people notwithstanding. I make my own decisions and anyone who denies me care or service due to religion, will find me less than charitable towards themselves.
Just remember, soon Senator Obama will be our next President [hopefully] and all this cock-in-bull-crap will be over and done with. I bet there are a lot of woman around, who now wish they had supported Senator Clinton for President, as she would never let this shameful episode happen. IMPEACH DUBYA AND DICKIE.
All the world's religions were founded by superior persons (except Christianity, founded not by Jesus, but by Paul). Jesus, Buddha, Mohammad, Zarathustra, all visionaries eager to help less spiritually aware people around them.
The organizations which claim to represent the worlds religions,i.e. the bureaucrats are decidedly inferior people: petty toadies bent on getting even for every perceived slight to the machine they are identified with, and as greedy for power as corporations are for money---to the extent the two can be separated.
You won't go wrong following the words of Jesus. The words of Benny Hinn are not so precious.
mr. d [male] - I agree that it is becoming more difficult to read comments in CD when the level of discourse bottoms out. I find myself not even reading most of the postings anymore.
I stand by my comment that so offended you.
Daniel David [male] used a poor choice of words in referring to this issue as "crap" and a "temporary annoyance."
My hunch is neither of you has lived in a female body nor sought out birth control & other medical care only to be rejected or told by someone of the opposite gender that they won't provide it because of their own personal beliefs. I won't go further than that – you know some of the history. As a 57 yr old woman I've LIVED much of the history and I'm fed up and disgusted and angry that anyone – ESPECIALLY MALES – would stand in the way of any woman receiving the medical care she needs right now.
Mr. David used a poor choice of words. I stand by my response to it. To belittle this situation by calling it "crap" and a "temporary annoyance" (ANNOYANCE????) demeans women who lived in the past, live in the present, and who are our future.
Juliann 3.01 pm. So Daniel David is a "moron" for having an opinion which differs from yours? Moron: A mentally deficient person who has a mental age of l2 to l5 yrs. upon reaching adulthood. (Websters Encyclopedic Dictionary of the English Language) Did it make you feel good calling him a moron? If so, I wonder what the term would be for a person deficient in the ability to discuss and differ without resorting to name calling. I don't know off-hand what the term would be but I suspect that its definition would have something to do with a "mental age of 12 to 15 yrs. of age upon reaching adulthood. It is getting more and more difficult to read comments in CD when the level of discourse bottoms out.
Ever read "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood? If not, do. Along with "Mein Kampf" it is one of the Bush administration's inspirations.
Call me a moron if you wish, but I agree with Daniel David that this problem, while significant, will be temporary if Obama gets in. The Bush administration is trying to get some last-minute evil done. McCain will perpetuate the evil until at least 2013, if he is elected. The chance of Nader being elected is ZERO, so a vote for him is essentially a vote for McCain.
I am hoping that after the crash in oil supply, and then population, people will realize how instrumental the religious right-wing was in causing so much overpopulation in the world, with our temporary fossil-fuel adventure supporting a population of 6.7 billion people. And there will then be a huge backlash against the evangelicals and other conservative religious types in the post-carbon era, as society realizes small families are essential, and the Earth's carrying capacity is less than 1 billion in the new era.
"The more poor people they have around, the more poor people they have to oppress, to hire to clean their pools, their gardens, their damned toilets and houses."
AND the more consumption of "their" resources (forests, oil, water etc) to fill their pockets
AND...lest we forget...to fill their military
AND keep us in fear 'cause we hafta pay our bills and keep our treadmill going
AND when we get depressed about not feeding our kids...."give" us our prozac
pretty vile sociopaths we have in our ruling class
I love the hypocrisy of right-wingers who are against birth control and then complain that our cities are overrun by "minorities" and that Arab "terrorists" are out-reproducing 'Mericans; I love the hypocrisy of how they are against abortion but also against funding for maternal and child health care and education. I love the hypocrisy of their being "pro-life" but supporting wars to kill foreigners to support their "pro-life" ideology; I love the hypocrisy of arranging for their knocked-up debutants to visit an out-of-state "aunt" when an unwelcome arrival is pending; I love the hypocrisy of demonizing homosexuality while practicing it on the down low.
Organized religion is the root of all evil. No religion is founded on or teaches democratic principles; their basis is fascism.
I don't need to say this for most people here, or maybe I do, anyway I'm going to say it.
The only reason Republicans are in power and keep getting reelected is their implied promise to obstruct racial equality under the law every chance they get.
Fox News is working for them now. You would think Jesse Helms' ghost was haunting that network to hear some of the barely veiled references to White superiority, and it's hardly a secret that they carry water for the RNC.
Lately they have a whole gaggle of Malibu Barbie-Airhead types spewing the most vile extremism to be heard outside a shareholders' meeting---and in a tone as shrill as a pigsty.
Stop complaining Americans. Dont you realize that Bush and his coherts, with their devine power, knows what is best for you.
"The more poor people they have around, the more poor people they have to oppress, to hire to clean their pools, their gardens, their damned toilets and houses."
good point ACC, i always wondered why conservatives were so anti-abortion. (we all know its not because they are pro-life or whatever that means). i figured they would be all for abortions, after all, it would mean less liberals around right?
I had one grandmother that was slaved into having twelve children, another who was slaved into having ten. NO WOMAN in her right mind (and both my grandmothers were smart, survivalist, competent women) wants a goddamned baseball team all her own. But they were both religious (one a Catholic, one a Baptist) and the rule of the day was that you DIDN'T say no to your husband. So they said yes yes yes right up to the blessed day of menopause. The Baptist granny was pumping them out till she was 46. Men, let me ask you to just imagine what giving birth 10 or 12 times can do to a woman's body.
But as I said, they were survivors, and one lived to 99 and the other to 101. They had a kind of grit I can't even imagine. They had those babies, every single one, at home, in bed, without a doctor. I suppose I got good physical genes.
But I learned from my grannies. When I met my husband we agreed: NO KIDS. I tied my tubes at 21 and thank god no fucking government-enabled crappy laws told me I couldn't do that with my body if I wanted to. I would have hit the roof if some sanctimonious jerk had said it was my duty to reproduce. The planet is groaning under the weight of homo sapiens (or not so sapiens) and anyway I don't like kids and neither does my husband. I have no objection to other people having them, though I pray for people who stop after having two, but otherwise it's none of my business. But if someone had tried to stop me from tying my tubes I would've taken it to the Supreme Court. Nowadays I suppose that might not cut any mustard. I would go to Canada. (Yes, that means I have the money to do that, and most women might not).
We gotta do something about these insane laws. What if you're poor and you can't afford babies and the goddamned neocon-evangelist-scumbags just love forcing you to have them anyway? It's like any other form of power, I think. The more poor people they have around, the more poor people they have to oppress, to hire to clean their pools, their gardens, their damned toilets and houses.
To be born as a human being is very difficult.
Among uncountable sperm and eggs...
we get Barbara's idiot son.
Heckovajob!
Daniel David: EASY for YOU to call this issue "crap" and say it's a "temporary annoyance." Moron.
Wilmoor - bless you - we can ALL use goddess. After all, "Our Goddess gave birth to their god."
And I do know our past - most of which is our present and becoming more so. My paternal grandfather (the good christian) beat 3 babies out of his wife. One of his sons went on to become a christian minister who beat his wife and his children. My father fortunately went the other direction and I remember him as gentle and loving, and his letters written to his mother before his early death tells us that was so.
And it's time for another chorus of 'every sperm is sacred'...
So, M. Atwood was a prophetess when she wrote 'the Handmaid's Tale'. I'll bet she's not happy to see someone trying to make the book a work of history, not fiction.
Impeachment's still off the table, eh? Heck of a job Pelosi.
Frederick,
You can have Obama or you can have McCain (and his hired veto pen.) That's all you get.
ranchero42 - Guess I haven't been paying attention. They don't.
juliann asks "How in the name of goddess did some people (mostly men) get into positions of denying women ANY health care needs? Why do we listen to them?" (like that goddess thing, Juliann. Mind if I start using it?)
Men have always controlled womens' lives. The Bible supposidly gives them that right.
I grew up in the era when a man had the right to "demand" his conjugial rights regardless of how his wife felt, and she had to comply, or chance being beaten; could tell the doctor to do something to his wife, and the doctor would obey, without any input from the wife; and the law said any woman of childbearing age, in good health, was not allowed any kind of surgery to prevent pregnancy, even if she'd already had six or a dozen babies - unless her doctor signed a legal document saying another pregnancy threatened her life, and then she could have her tubes tied - the only sure way then to prevent pregnancy.
It's only the generations of women coming of age in the sixties and on down that have no conception of what women's lives were like before theirs. I've been warning my granddaughters that this was coming.
Ok Mr. DD,
Let's see how Obama stands up to the rightwing crowd even on this issue. So far, he's been FAILING otherwise he wouldn't be pandering to the rightwing the way Bill Clinton did.
Oh, and what about those Democrats already in Congress? They have the power to stop it but why don't they? They have the nerve to rollover to the GOP but refuse to stand up for what they claim to be for. So what's the guarentee that turning the White House Demo will change a thing? What if the "conservative" Democrats join the GOP in greater force? They might as well be primaried and SHITCANNED even if it's gonna take 3rd party progressive/liberal candidates.
Well, SURELY, the CD reactionaries won't be mad at me again for supporting Obama on this one. If you don't like the Bush HHS Department, un-elect it, don't re-elect it with McCain. This crap is nothing but a temporary annoyance if the election produces Democrats (uh, except for the five Catholics we already let on the Supreme Court by default.)
wilmoor: Have you been paying attention? Do you think either of the twins looks like him? How does Jeff Guckert feel about all this? I think we pretty well figured out the problem a long time ago.
I'd like to know how he and Laura got off with only one pregancy! Then again, that might be what his problem is.
Bush's way of birth control is to kill the people who give birth.
I just don't care what percentage of Americans "support" contraception. If a woman wants it - she should have it - no apologies - end of discussion. How in the name of goddess did some people (mostly men) get into positions of denying women ANY health care needs? Why do we listen to them? In the meantime, men have ready access to their erectile dysfunction pills - I know men who leave their doctors' offices with fists full of samples of the little blue pill! And prescriptions that are easily filled and in most cases paid for by insurance.
Damn these people.
I'm too angry and too tired to write more.