Lawmakers Pursue Limited Action On Abortion, Family Planning

Main Category: Abortion
Also Included In: Sexual Health / STDs;  Women's Health / Gynecology
Article Date: 10 Feb 2009 - 5:00 PDT

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Antiabortion-rights groups are escalating efforts against the Freedom of Choice Act and other policies to protect abortion rights that President Obama has said he would support, the Baltimore Sun reports. "Antennas are way up in the pro-life community," according to Catholic League President Bill Donahue. As evidence, the Sun cites the massive postcard campaign against the Freedom of Choice Act -- which, if approved by Congress and signed into law, would codify Roe v. Wade and prevent states from infringing on abortion rights. The groups are organizing against FOCA, which Obama had said he would sign, despite the fact that Democrats seem inclined to hold off on pursuing the broad reproductive rights agenda feared by social conservatives.Although more abortion-rights supporters gained House and Senate positions in the 2008 elections, a large number of moderate Democrats who oppose abortion or support only incremental policy changes remain in Congress, the Sun reports. In addition, any large-scale effort to overhaul abortion policies would require expending political capital, which Obama might rather use toward promoting his economic agenda. Democratic lawmakers say that although they remain committed to overturning former President George W. Bush's policies related to abortion rights and family planning, they might postpone pursuing an expansive agenda for the time being.

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), a past sponsor of FOCA, said she has no plans to reintroduce the bill in the immediate future. Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), co-chair of the Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus, added that FOCA "is not our top priority right now." Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, said, "We deal in reality. You have to be pragmatic, realistic and, in the end, strategic." Keenan added that the "votes just aren't there" to enact significant changes to abortion-related policies.

Instead of promoting sweeping changes to abortion and family planning policies, advocates instead are focusing on reversing Bush administration initiatives. Obama already has repealed the "Mexico City" policy, also known as the "global gag rule," which prohibited international organizations that received U.S. aid from promoting or providing abortion-related information and services. In addition, the administration is expected to rescind the HHS "conscience" rule that Bush enacted before leaving office, which allows health care workers to refuse to perform any services that violates their "religious beliefs or moral convictions," the Sun reports. Opponents of the rule claim it could be used to prevent patients from obtaining information about services related to abortion or contraception (Oliphant, Baltimore Sun, 2/7).

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