President Barack Obama has taken another step in advancing his pro-choice agenda. The Chicago Tribunereports that today, the new administration "will move to rescind a controversial rule that allows health-care workers to deny abortion counseling or other family-planning services if doing so would violate their moral beliefs."
Last month, Obama overturned the Mexico City policy, which prevents taxpayer money from going to groups that provide abortions overseas. The conscience protection that Obama seeks to overturn has stood for more than 30 years.
Supporters say the change is necessary to protect women's health.
The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology has reported cases such as that of a Virginia mother of two who became pregnant because she was denied emergency contraception. In Texas, the group said, a rape victim had her prescription for emergency contraception rejected by a pharmacist.
Supporters say the rule protects doctors who should not be forced to prescribe treatments such as birth control pills or the so-called morning-after pill.
Posted by Stan Guthrie on February 27, 2009 10:23AM
Comments
Obama is increasing his pro-abortion record, and now he wants ot force medical staff and centers to do abortions. Yeah real pro-choice. lol More on this at http://www.lifenews.com/nat4865.html
Posted by: Steven Ertelt at February 27, 2009
One important detail: the rule Obama is overturning was instituted just 2 months ago by Bush, a parting gift to his base.
Posted by: Nat at February 27, 2009
Well, at least we won't have to see any more _Boston Legal_ or _Law and Order_ episodes bashing this rule...
Posted by: John Hale at February 27, 2009
You say "The conscience protection that Obama seeks to overturn has stood for more than 30 years." This is factually incorrect.
As the Chicago Tribune article you link to states, "For more than 30 years, federal law has allowed doctors and nurses to decline to provide abortion services as a matter of conscience, A PROTECTION THAT IS NOT SUBJECT TO RULEMAKING." (Emphasis added). This means that as a matter of constitutional law, President Obama cannot, by rulemaking, undo or overturn the protections in that federal law.
President Bush, at the end of his administration, had the HHS Secretary promulgate a NEW RULE that added more regulation on top of the 30-year-old protections in the federal law. It is this NEW RULE that President Obama is reversing, NOT the 30-year-old law.
Posted by: Christian Lawyer at February 27, 2009
Hmm. I guess if you're Amish, and don't believe in riding in automobiles, you shouldn't get a job as a bus driver...
Posted by: TM at February 28, 2009
It's not a "pro-choice" agenda, CT, it's a death agenda, period. I hope all the evangelicals who voted for Obama because of their wallets now realize this man is leading us not only to financial bankruptcy and a future of debt, but a future of moral bankruptcy and death. 50 million dead children and counting...
Posted by: Ingrid at March 2, 2009
Thanks for the correction on my factual error.
Posted by: Stan at March 2, 2009
What ever happened to "choice"? Where's mine now that he's in power? Liberals sure like to paint themselves as "pro-choice," but like so many other things with them, it all seems to be one way. Bi-partisan means doing it their way; tolerance means we tolerate them, not the other way around; pro-choice means you HAVE to participate in abortion whether or not you support it. No choice for the baby, no choice for the father, no choice for parents of a minor girl, and now no choice for medical personnel either.
Posted by: CCE at March 4, 2009
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