Victory for Contraception Rights

[fiestynurse]

PLANNED PARENTHOOD APPLAUDS RESTORATION OF

CONTRACEPTIVE COVERAGE FOR FEDERAL EMPLOYEES

HOUSE VOTE REPUDIATES

GEORGE BUSH'S WAR ON FAMILY PLANNING

Statement by Gloria Feldt, President

Planned Parenthood Federation of America:

Washington, DC. -- We applaud the vote taken in

the House of Representatives today, approving the Treasury-Postal Appropriations Bill. The measure included the restoration of

contraceptive coverage for federal employees, which had previously been eliminated in President Bush's budget proposal. This vote is a repudiation of George Bush's war on family planning and contraception by members of Congress on both sides of the aisle.

Since practically his first day in office, George Bush hasn't missed

a single opportunity to take away access to family planning services, which are so important to the health of women and

families. First, he revived the "global gag rule," which threatened

the funding of family planning programs overseas, while restricting

their free speech rights and their ability to advocate for the

health of the at-risk populations they serve. Then he proposed a budget that eliminated contraceptive coverage for Federal employees. That decision not only ignored the basic health needs of women in public service, it put the Federal government on the list of major employers who discriminate on the basis of gender. More recently, the Department of Health and Human Services has been turning down routine requests from one state government after another for rule waivers that would allow more poor pregnant women to receive Medicaid coverage for family planning

services over an extended period of time after they give birth. Like the global gag rule, these decisions will deny essential health

services to the most vulnerable of women.

For a president who opposes a woman's right to choose to also limit a woman's access to the very thing that helps prevent unintended pregnancies and makes abortions less necessary is

the height of hypocrisy and callous indifference. It's clear that this President fails to grasp what the Equal Opportunity Commission, Federal Courts, the American public, and now Congress have said they understand: Americans need family planning, Americans want family planning, and Americans have a right to family planning; it's a basic part of health care.

AND NOW THE BAD NEWS

President Bush has announced 18 nominees to be

federal court of appeals judges. At least half of them oppose civil rights and women's rights. One third of the 18 have argued to overturn Roe v. Wade or limit access to abortion.

Learn More: http://www.million4roe.com/fedcourts/

Tell Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), the chair of the Judiciary Committee of the Senate, and Senator Tom Dashle (D-SD), the

majority leader of the Senate, to oppose judges who do not support women's rights and civil rights.

Take Action:

http://capwiz.com/fmf1/issues/alert/?alertid=44113

[Brown Suga]

I am gald to see the federal workers are going to have a choice for there method of contraception. This issue was a shock to my system when I first heard about it. I can't believe we as a society have taken a giant leap forward and two steps back. I hope this issue can be resolved asap.

Thanks,

Brown Suga :)