Senator Hillary Clinton is sounding the alarm and calling out President Bush and his administration for "quietly putting ideology before science and women's health."

The Bush

Administration is up to its old tricks again, quietly putting ideology before

science and women’s health. The U.S. Department of Health and Human

Services is poised to put in place new barriers to accessing common forms of

contraception like birth control pills, emergency contraception and IUDs by

labeling them "abortion." These proposed regulations set to be

released next week will allow healthcare providers to refuse to provide

contraception to women who need it. We can’t let them get away with this

underhanded move to undermine women’s health and that’s why I am sounding the

alarm.

These rules

pose a serious threat to providers and uninsured and low-income Americans

seeking care. They could prevent providers of federally-funded family

planning services, like Medicaid and Title X, from guaranteeing their patients

access to the full range of comprehensive family planning services.

They’ll also build significant barriers to counseling, education, contraception

and preventive health services for those who need it most: low-income and

uninsured women and men.

The regulations

could even invalidate state laws that currently ensure access to contraception

for many Americans. In fact, they describe New York

and California’s

laws requiring prescription drug insurance plans to provide coverage for

contraceptives as part of "the problem." These rules would even

interfere with New York

State law that ensures

survivors of sexual assault and rape receive emergency contraception in

hospital emergency rooms.

We’ve seen this

kind of ideologically driven move from the Bush Administration before.

Senator Patty Murray and I went toe to toe with the Bush Administration to

demand a decision on Plan B by the FDA. We won that fight and we need to

win this one too.

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When I learned

about these proposed rules, I immediately joined with Senator Murray to call on

the Bush Administration to stop these dangerous plans. I am joining with New York family planning

and healthcare advocates to spread the word. Now is the time to raise our

voices. I will continue to press HHS and I hope you will join me. I

have posted information on how to get involved at www.hillpac.com.