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It’s Only “New” If You Haven’t Been Paying Attention

Jill

Apparently there’s a “new” Democratic strategy to lower the abortion rate. You’ll never guess what it is. Really. Just guess.

Contraception and sex education! Well, no one has ever thought of this before! It’s not what Planned Parenthood has been advocating for the past, oh, 70-plus years.

But good for the Dems for finally catching on. Except, no, progressive Democratic politicians have been pushing this one for a while too. So, really, this is old news. But good on the Dems for finally getting their shit together and whipping up the Prevention First Act. According to Kos (I know, I know…):

The “The Prevention First Act” requires health plans to cover “contraceptive drugs, devices and outpatient services” if they cover the cost of other prescription drugs and outpatient services. More on the bill:

It would also require the secretary of health and human services to disseminate information on emergency contraception to healthcare providers and require hospitals receiving federal money to provide emergency contraception to victims of sexual assault.

The bill would also mandate that federally funded programs provide information about contraceptives that is medically accurate and includes data on health benefits and failure rates.

Sounds good to me. And it would certainly point out the anti-choice hypocrisy in their opposition to abortion-preventative measures. Of course, these folks don’t seem to care too much for blatant hypocrisy, and you can bet that they’ll rally against this bill like it’s their job to mandate pregnancy for any woman who has the audacity to have sex (and it kind of is their job at this point, isn’t it?). I do think that the Democrats will be able to use that to their advantage. Which is good. Or, better than what we’ve got.

11 thoughts on It’s Only “New” If You Haven’t Been Paying Attention

  2. What part of the Constitution allows Congress to dictate what services insurance companies and hospitals provide?

  3. Uh yeah, this is going to die a rather quick and painless death, and no one will ever know about it.

    Yes, i’m a cynical pessimist. Until the Dems show me that they can shove bullshit back down the Repubs’ throats, i will remain so.

  4. Besides bashing muslims and providing flags for fuel to keep people warm in muslim cities, there are some good points to living in Denmark.

    Abortion was formally legalized in the seventies, and since then the abortion rate has been steadily decreasing. for the last three years however the rate has been going up for 15-18 year old women, while the total rate still is going down.

    The numbers on this were in a couple of weeks ago, and the response was that we should increase sex education in grade school, and introduce it into the differnt educations for young people, such as high school, economics high school, schools for crafts etc. Furthermore we should make contraception more readily available to young people (giving it out for free).

    Aware of the issues that I see in the states with the crazy abstinence only trash etc. I watched out for the reactionary forces to react to these suggestions, but we are still in the clear 😉

    /Soren

  5. But is there alternate punishment for sluttitude?

    Andrew:

    That would be the commerce clause.

  6. Andrew:

    That would be the commerce clause.

    The Commerce Clause grants Congress the power to make regular the flow of goods between states. How does that apply to what drugs are covered by local insurance companies or provided by local hospitals?

  7. The Commerce Clause grants Congress the power to make regular the flow of goods between states. How does that apply to what drugs are covered by local insurance companies or provided by local hospitals?

    Last time I checked, drugs are part of a national market, and thereby subject to Congressional regulation.

  8. Andrew Says:

    “What part of the Constitution allows Congress to dictate what services insurance companies and hospitals provide? ”

    In the invisible (to all but executive branch lawyers) part of Article II.

  9. Last time I checked, drugs are part of a national market, and thereby subject to Congressional regulation.

    The Commerce Clause does not grant Congress the power to control everything in the “national market.” It was written merely to preserve free trade by allowing Congress to stop states from implementing tarrifs. 230 years ago, when the Constitution was written, the word regulate was understood as meaning “to make regular” and commerce was the simply the flow of goods. The federal government intended to have very few enumerated powers. It was never intended to be the leviathan it has become today.

  10. Pingback: chez Diva » The Abortion Wedge

  11. I wonder if Andrew feels that the enabling legislation for the Food and Drug Administration is unconstitutional. That would be consistent, at least.

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