Bush Admin Seeks to Redefine Birth Control Pill as Abortion

As reported in the Wall Street Journal OnLine, "The Bush Administration's Department of Health and Human Services writes a draft regulation that defines most birth-control pills and intrauterine devices as abortion because they work by preventing fertilized eggs from implanting in the uterus."

The regulation considers that such contraception approaches - destroys the life of a human being. By its expansive definitions, the draft furthers a key goal of the religious right - to define single-cell fertilized eggs as legal people with full legal rights. If the regulation is enacted, insurers, hospitals, HMOs and other institutions could decline to provide or cover contraception pills and IUD devices.

If Roe v. Wade were to be overturned, it is conceivable that even the common birth control pill and IUD device could eventually be ruled to be a type of abortion by a very right leaning Supreme Court of the United States. The next President will likely appoint as many as three new Supreme Court Justices to the bench. Long after the next president is gone, his appointments will be sitting on the bench, making decisions that impact our rights and liberties.

McCain has repeatedly stated that he opposes abortion and has said that he would appoint Supreme Court Justices who would overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark court decision from the 1970s that legalized abortion, whereas, Obama supports the current Roe v. Wade position.

Which Presidential candidate do you want to appoint the next three Supreme Court Justices? John McCain or Barack Obama?? The choice is up to you - the voter!

A message from Cecile Richards, President of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. It seems like the [other] person who doesn't want to discuss this issue is Secretary of Health and Human Services Mike Leavitt. A few days ago, health care blogger Scott Swenson asked Secretary Leavitt whether it will be "HHS policy that the 98 percent of Americans who use contraception at some point in their lives are terminating rather than preventing pregnancy." Leavitt's reply: no comment. We deserve answers from Secretary Leavitt on this secret plan to radically change family planning funding rules, and we need you to help us get those answers. Here's what you can do: First, leave a comment on Secretary Leavitt's blog urging him to respond to Swenson's question and growing concerns that the Bush administration's proposed rule would severely threaten women's health care. Just leave a comment on his most recent blog post. Leavitt uses his official blog to communicate about government policy — it's time he came clean on this issue. Second, let us know you left a comment. Because the blog comments are moderated, some may be blocked from visitors to the site. We need a way to keep track of the growing outcry about the Bush administration's proposed attack on women's health care — we can't let them keep this quiet. Please, help us stop this proposed rule change before it can harm the people who most desperately need access to quality, comprehensive health care. The first step is to get straight answers from Secretary Leavitt. And don't forget to tell us what you said to Secretary Leavitt. Thank you for standing with us, and please keep an eye out for future updates on this vital issue. P.S. Our best chance of stopping this assault on the fundamental health care rights of women is to raise a massive public outcry. Help us get a head start by urging your friends to contact President Bush. Click here.