Monday, June 23, 2008

Seriously?...The Affordable Birth Control Crisis Really Hasn't Been Fixed Yet?

Yet again, Congress has rejected the chance to fix the affordable birth control crisis.

Since January of 2007, women all across the country have watched as birth control prices have soared 900% in many university clinics and safety-net family planning providers, all because of a MISTAKE Congress made. See, Congress inadvertently reversed a rule in the Deficit Reduction Act which allowed these clinics and providers to receive birth control at a discount price so they could turn around and sell it to their clients at an affordable price.

Recently, the Senate passed the War Supplemental bill, which contained a provision to fix this crazy mess. Unfortunately, on June 18th, the House stripped this provision from the bill.

So. Frustrating.

Birth control should be affordable. This is a simple, common-sense concept, right? After all, an overwhelming majority of women will use birth control at some point in their lives, and preventing unintended pregnancies is the best way to 1.) ensure happy, healthy families and 2.) reduce the need for abortion.

Planned Parenthood will continue to push for some sort of legislative fix. Here's what you can do to help:

Contact your Representative (find yours at http://www.ppaction.org/mppan/leg-lookup/search.html ) and ask him/her to reach out to Speaker Nancy Pelosi and urge that 1.) a vote be taken on the House floor for the Prevention Through Affordable Access Act and 2) affordable birth control is indeed restored this session.

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