I’ve written before about Bush’s proposed dangerous new DHHS rule, which would prevent publicly funded health clinics from “discriminating” against potential employees on the basis of their opposition to abortion — even when abortion is one of their services, and that employee inaccurately and ludicrously describes birth control as “abortion.” Planned Parenthood just sent out an email with bad news:
This summer, the Bush administration tried to keep secret a proposed federal regulation that would allow health care providers to redefine abortion to include birth control. With your help, we forced Secretary of Health and Human Services Mike Leavitt to make the plans public.
Then the administration submitted the proposed rule for public comments. More than 200,000 people — including more than 90,000 Planned Parenthood supporters like you, and more than 150 members of Congress — immediately called on the Bush administration to withdraw this damaging proposal that could keep millions of people from receiving basic health information and necessary medical care.
The Bush administration promised not to release any new regulations after November 1.
Well, it’s now November 14, and guess what? President Bush is poised to implement this disastrous new policy as soon as next week. Tell the Bush administration: Keep your word. Stop the attack on women’s health.
[. . . ]
This new rule could allow almost 600,000 health care entities that receive federal funding to redefine abortion to include the most common forms of birth control — and then refuse to provide these basic services. For any health provider to intentionally withhold information about widely embraced treatment options from a patient — for any health condition — is absolutely unconscionable under any circumstances. The federal government has no business funding providers who do not abide by this most fundamental standard of care.
A woman’s ability to manage her own health care is at risk of being compromised by politics and ideology if this regulation goes into effect. We need you to speak out now, before the administration implements this rule. The exam room is no place to play political games. Click here to speak out now.
Again, send your message now.
And because I’m not particularly hopeful . . . does anyone know if this is something that Obama would easily be able to overturn once he takes office?