Blog for Choice

House: Yes to Extreme Anti-Choice Politics, No to Women's Health and Privacy

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:26:25 -0500

Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, released this statement upon the passage of a stunning last-minute anti-choice amendment to health reform: :

Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, called House passage of a stunning last-minute anti-choice amendment to health reform an outrageous blow to women's freedom and privacy -- and she vowed to fight to remove this provision as the process goes to the Senate.

The amendment, offered by anti-choice Reps. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) and Joe Pitts (R-Penn.), was adopted late tonight by a margin of 240-194.

The Stupak-Pitts amendment makes it virtually impossible for private insurance companies that participate in the new system to offer abortion coverage to women. This would have the effect of denying women the right to use their own personal private funds to purchase an insurance plan with abortion coverage in the new health system -- a radical departure from the status quo. Presently, more than 85 percent of private-insurance plans cover abortion services.

"This vote is a reminder to America's pro-choice majority that, despite our gains in the last two election cycles, anti-choice members of Congress still outnumber our pro-choice allies," Keenan said. "It is unconscionable that anti-choice lawmakers would use health reform to attack women's health and privacy, but that's exactly what happened on the House floor tonight. Even though the bill already included a ban on federal funding for abortion and a requirement that only women's personal funds could pay for abortion care, Reps. Stupak and Pitts took their obsession with attacking a woman's right to choose to a whole new level. We will hold those lawmakers who sided with the extreme Stupak-Pitts amendment accountable for abandoning women and capitulating to the most extreme fringe of the anti-choice movement. In short, the fight is not over. That's why we will continue to mobilize our activists and work with our allies in Congress to remove this dangerous provision from the health-care bill and stop additional attacks as the process moves to the Senate."

Keenan said anti-choice members of Congress and their allies distorted key elements of the Stupak-Pitts amendment to make the proposal appear less extreme. Here are rebuttals to these distortions, including the myth of an abortion "rider" that they say women could purchase in addition to their insurance plan:

The Stupak-Pitts amendment forbids any plan offering abortion coverage in the new system from accepting even one subsidized customer. Since more than 80 percent of the participants in the exchange will be subsidized, it seems certain that all health plans will seek and accept these individuals. In other words, the Stupak-Pitts amendment forces plans in the exchange to make a difficult choice: either offer their product to 80 percent of consumers in the marketplace or offer abortion services in their benefits package. It seems clear which choice they will make.

Stupak-Pitts supporters claim that women who require subsidies to help pay for their insurance plan will have abortion access through the option of purchasing a "rider," but this is a false promise. According to the respected National Women's Law Center, the five states that require a separate rider for abortion coverage, there is no evidence that plans offer these riders. In fact, in North Dakota, which has this policy, the private plan that holds the state's overwhelming share of the health-insurance market (91 percent) does not offer such a rider. Furthermore, the state insurance department has no record of abortion riders from any of the five leading individual insurance plans from at least the past decade. Nothing in this amendment would ensure that rider policies are available or affordable to the more than 80 percent of individuals who will receive federal subsidies in order to help purchase coverage in the new exchange.

The release can be read online here.

Surprise: Anti-choice Senators Block Nominee to the Federal Court!

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:08:54 -0500

I'm sure you're as shocked as I am... but did you know that the madness described below has been going on since... oh April?! Yep, April. Nancy was blogging about it on Huffington Post and right here on our blog. The health-care reform and the Sotomayor confirmation drowned out the anti-choice objections, but only temporarily. So please, read the language below - excerpted from an email alert we sent out - and then take action. We need all the help we can get!

Right-wing senators are blocking Judge David Hamilton's confirmation to a position on the federal court because he has issued pro-choice rulings.

We can't let anti-choice politicians win this fight.

The Senate could take action as early as tomorrow. Help us confirm this highly qualified nominee to the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals -- please contact your senators today.

The right wing has turned Judge Hamilton's nomination into a circus. He's widely respected, earning praise from the New York Times editorial board and garnering the bipartisan support of his homestate senators.

But anti-choice senators boycotted Hamilton's first committee hearing, and anti-choice Sen. James Inhofe of Oklahoma has threatened to filibuster him.

Their stall tactics have worked! Judge Hamilton is President Obama's very first nominee to the federal courts, but his nomination has been held up since June.

We need to urge the Senate to bring Judge David Hamilton's nomination to a floor vote. Even if you have contacted your senators before in favor of Judge Hamilton, please send them an email again.

After you take action, please forward this blog post to your friends and ask them to get involved.

Your $10 donation can help us win $1,000!

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:27:12 -0500

From 3 p.m. EST Monday, November 2 until 3 p.m. EST on Tuesday, November 3, your $10 donation to our Facebook Cause can help NARAL Pro-Choice America Foundation win $1000 through America's Giving Challenge.

The NARAL Pro-Choice America Cause is competing with hundreds of other Causes to win a daily challenge with a $1,000 prize.

We want to win the daily challenge for Friday, but need your help! To win, we need more people to donate to us on in 24 hours than any other Cause.

One of the top Causes in America's Giving Challenge right now is anti-choice! As Facebook users, we can't let an organization that brings its anti-choice agenda to campuses across the United States end up at the top of the list.

Please donate $10 or more between 3 p.m. EST Monday, November 2 and 3 p.m. EST Tuesday, November 3.

Then spread the word by posting the link on your Facebook or MySpace page, tweet it, or just email it to your family and friends (Yes, people who aren't on Facebook can contribute, too!) Check our Cause page throughout the day to see how we're doing.

All donations to our Cause will benefit NARAL Pro-Choice America Foundation's important work. Our foundation protects access to abortion and reproductive-health choices. For example, we convinced two major national corporations, Wal-Mart and the Kroger Co., to stop blocking women's access to emergency contraception. With your help, we can achieve even more wins for women.

A Vote for Jon Corzine Is a Vote for a Woman's Right to Choose

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:28:52 -0500

Elizabeth Shipp is the Political Director for NARAL Pro-Choice America.

Vote for Gov. Jon Corzine!

Okay, so do you remember how yesterday I ranted about the Virginia governor's race? Well, I'm over the ranting stage (mostly) and have turned my attention to New Jersey. You know, some people say that the only thing that separates New Jersey from Virginia is I-95, New Jersey's full-service gas stations, and Virginia's cheaper cigarette prices. The two states have much more in common than you might realize.

Both states are actually commonwealths (as I've mentioned before) and both Virginia and New Jersey have two pro-choice candidates for governor who need every pro-choice vote on Tuesday, November 3. We've heard about Creigh Deeds' commitment to choice and how he'll be a governor who will protect and defend a woman's right to choose. Deeds is running loud and proud as a pro-choice candidate and, boy, could we use more of those in America.

But just because a candidate isn't always loud about his pro-choice beliefs, that doesn't mean he's any less pro-choice. Case in point? New Jersey's Governor Jon Corzine.

If you live in New Jersey, you may not know just how pro-choice Governor Corzine is because you don't see it on television every day; you don't hear about it much on local radio programs, and newspapers aren't covering it as much as other local issues. Do you ever wonder why?

Here's my guess - and I'm just guessing: You don't hear about women's reproductive rights at risk in New Jersey because Jon Corzine IS your governor. With a pro-choice governor in Trenton, women have been able to rest assured that choice is safe in New Jersey. (It also helps to have a pro-choice legislature that votes down most anti-choice bills. We Virginians don't know much about that, unfortunately.)

It's pretty amazing that Jon Corzine hasn't had to veto any anti-choice bills as governor. BUT, he has signed two pro-choice bills into law. One required health insurance plans issued to state employees to cover abortion services. The other prohibited pharmacists from refusing to provide or dispense contraceptives in all or most circumstances.

To sum it up, here's what you need to know about Governor Corzine:

He was fully pro-choice as your United States Senator
He's been fully pro-choice is his first term as governor
He'll be fully pro-choice in his second term

His opponent is anti-choice and will restrict a woman's right to choose. Chris Christie has stated unequivocally, "I am pro-life," and he supports laws that interfere with a woman's right to choose by hampering access to legal abortion.

Two radical anti-choice groups, the New Jersey Right to Life PAC and the Family Research Council's PAC, have endorsed Christie.

So, the choice is clear: Vote for Corzine and protect your right to choose. It's really that simple.

Governor Corzine has been there for us. Now, let's be there for him.

Finally, here's a little inspiration to get you motivated to get out there and work your heart out for Jon Corzine this weekend:

Paid for by NARAL Pro-Choice America, 1156 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005. This expenditure was not made with the cooperation or prior consent of, or in consultation with, or at the request or suggestion of, any candidate, or person or committee acting on behalf of the candidate.

October is Sex Education Action Month!

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:06:22 -0500

I just saw this video and you have got to check it out!

Seriously? "When you use a condom, it's like you're playing Russian roulette?" If you want to have sex before marriage you "have to be prepared to die, and you'll probably take with you your spouse and one or more of your children?!" Wow... Those are some outlandish statements!

The video is from an "abstinence-only" program. These ideologically-driven programs teach teens about abstinence but withhold life-saving information about birth control, or lie about birth control's effectiveness. Thanks to former President Bush and his friends, students are being told these lies in public schools, and taxpayers are paying for it!

Fortunately, with a pro-choice president and pro-choice leadership in Congress, funding for "abstinence-only" programs has been going the way of the dodo. Of course, anti-choice members of Congress are trying to reinstate funding for "abstinence-only" programs into the health-care reform bill, and no doubt they'll try this in other bills, too.

This is where you come in: There's already a bill in Congress called The REAL Act, which would get age-appropriate, comprehensive sex education into our classrooms. In other words, it will give students all the information they need to make the best decisions for themselves. Tell your member of Congress to support the REAL Act.

October is Sex Education Action month, and there are only a few days left, so take action now!

Channeling Oprah: The One Thing I Know for Sure

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:51:19 -0500

Elizabeth Shipp is the Political Director for NARAL Pro-Choice America.

Ever have one of those weeks where you just want to stand on your chair and yell at the top of your lungs, "ENOUGH ALREADY!!!!"?

Well, if you're pro-choice and live in Virginia, I imagine you've felt that way in the past week. Pundits, armchair quarterbacks, and reporters, have all declared the Virginia gubernatorial battle over in one way or another. I keep checking my calendar to make sure Halloween hasn't come early this year, because every day brings another "trick" instead of a "treat" when it comes to this race.

So, here's what I'm telling myself and sharing with you: Buck up, baby! The last week of any campaign is grueling and things can change in a heartbeat. And to quote Oprah, the "one thing I know for sure" is that giving up five days before an election is the easiest way to lose the race.

Five days is a lifetime in the world of campaigns. We have five whole days to work like hell for Creigh Deeds and prove all the "nattering naybobs of negativity" wrong come November 3. (Yes, I just gave a shout out to Bill Sapphire - hated his politics, loved his passion for the English language.)

Virginia, we are this close to electing a fully pro-choice governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general - a trifecta of pro-choice champions, if you will - to represent our interests for the next four years in Richmond. This is not the time to give up or give in. If we do, the results could be devastating for women in Virginia. (And no, that's not hyperbole, that's reality.)

Think about Wednesday, November 4. We can wake up knowing that reproductive rights are safe for four years because we spent the last crucial hours of the campaign knocking on doors, making phone calls, taking our neighbors to vote, and telling our pro-choice friends that the only way to protect a woman's right to choose in Virginia is to elect Creigh Deeds, Jody Wagner, and Steve Shannon.

Or... we can wake up on Wednesday, November 4 with a pit in our stomachs and the realization that Virginia has elected an anti-choice ticket that, based on their previous actions, is committed to turning back the clock in Virginia when it comes to women's rights - especially the right to choose. Bob McDonnell, Bill Bolling, and Ken Cuccinelli don't just seem scary because of things they've said or written. They are frightening because of the actions they've taken against reproductive choice.

Throw away Bob McDonnell's thesis and pretend it never existed. (I'm sure he wishes we all would do just that.) Even IF McDonnell had never written that document while attending Pat Robertson's law school, we'd still have his record: During his 15 years in the Virginia House of Delegates, Bob McDonnell voted 35 times to restrict a woman's right to choose, and he opposes abortion even in cases of rape or incest.

Let's forget for a moment that Bill Bolling has a 100% rating from the Family Foundation and was previously endorsed by an extreme anti-choice group, Virginia Society for Human Life. Or that he not only voted anti-choice consistently without pause, but took the lead and signed onto 16 anti-choice bills while a state senator. Here's the main reason you should vote for Jody Wagner over Bill Bolling: As lieutenant governor, Bolling cast the tie-breaking vote to de-fund Planned Parenthood clinics throughout the state - and then went on to brag about it as if denying women access to contraception and reproductive health services is something to be proud of!

Finally, there's Ken Cuccinelli who's running for Attorney General. Ken "I'll only defend laws I agree with" Cuccinelli, who co-sponsored that anti-Planned Parenthood bill that Bolling brags about, wants to be the top law enforcement officer for the Commonwealth of Virginia. If his run-of-the-mill anti-choice extremism doesn't bother you enough, consider this: Ken Cuccinelli was the co-patron of a human life amendment in 2007 that stated that, "life begins at the moment of fertilization and the right to enjoyment of life guaranteed by Article 1, § 1 of the Constitution of Virginia is vested in each born and preborn human being from the moment of fertilization." If passed, Cuccinelli's bill would have banned abortion in Virginia - and potentially birth control and In-Vitro fertilization, too. Is this the person you want as your next attorney general?

And if all of this doesn't scare you enough, check out this website and ask yourself if you can handle seeing this on the front page of every newspaper in Virginia on Wednesday, November 4.

Okay. We have five days to make a difference. Five days to change the outcome. Five days to remind ourselves what we're fighting for in this election.

Get motivated. Get angry. Get fired up! Watch this and then tell those naysayers to shut up... we have work to do!

What Happened Last Week

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:30:12 -0500

Here's a run down of last week's notable, choice-related news:

Last week was filled with juicy D.C. gossip (sorta), more ridiculously lame "personhood amendment" actions in three states, and an election update straight from the mouth of our very own "Glee-" loving Political Director Elizabeth Shipp.

Stupak Takes Lame Jokes to New Heights: The Associated Press reports on NARAL Pro-Choice America's efforts to stop anti-choice Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) from imposing an abortion ban in the new health-care system. In an effort to inject humor into this debate, Stupak made this comment about his meeting with Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.):

Stupak, who's on the tall side, made a joking reference to Waxman's diminutive stature when asked whether their conversation had yielded a meeting of minds. "I'm a little taller. Our minds don't meet," Stupak said.

Oh, well, Mr. Stupak will be here all week...unfortunately.

Welcome to the "Real World - C Street": So Rep. Stupak won't be appearing at comedy clubs anytime soon, but you'll be able to catch up with him where he lives in D.C. at the C Street House. You remember the C Street house, right? As the Politico reports Stupak's list of roomies reads like a Who's Who of Anti-Choice Zealots. Sens. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma and Jim DeMint of South Carolina are residents and the house's "distinguished alumni" includes South Carolina Gov. and former Rep. Mark Sanford and Sen. John Ensign of Nevada.

Talk about bringing down property values...

"Personhood" Amendments... Coming to a State Near You?: Since when did it become cool for anti-choice groups to push so-called "personhood" amendments? These sneaky, back-door attempts to ban abortion and take away women's privacy will be defeated, whether they appear as ballot initiatives - like the ones announced in Nevada and Missouri this week - or as legislation like the one introduced in Michigan this week. Winning these fights is the only option, and we'll do it, especially with NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri on the case.

New Jersey & Virginia: Only Two Days Left: In her signature style, NARAL Pro-Choice America Political Director Beth Shipp took to our blog and wrote about the deadlines that are fast approaching for voting absentee and/or voting by mail in New Jersey and Virginia. What's the deadline in each state? Wouldn't you rather read her eloquent prose to find out? Thought so.

Attention New Jersey & Virginia: Only five days left...

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:04:49 -0500

Elizabeth Shipp is the Political Director for NARAL Pro-Choice America.

Okay, my Virginia and New Jersey pro-choice peeps, you only have a limited time to apply to vote absentee (in VA) or actually vote by mail (for the cool kids in NJ) because the deadline is October 27 in both states! And trust me, we need every vote in both Commonwealths - yes, they are both commonwealths, my historically inquisitive friends - if we're going to make a difference in the lives of millions of women who live in both states. But hey, no pressure right?

Click here to get information about vote-by-mail in New Jersey. What's cool about the Garden State (other than the movie with the same title, real honest-to-goodness diners throughout the state, and BRUCE!!!!)? In New Jersey, you don't need a reason - read excuse - to vote by mail. Plan to be out of town that day? Vote by mail! Afraid you'll be stuck in line for hours on Election Day? Vote by mail! It's so easy and yet, so important. You have until October 27 to request an early-mail ballot, so if you haven't done so already, get crackin'!

For my fellow Virginians, well, let's just say that Bob McDonnell's thesis isn't the only thing stuck in the past. Unfortunately, we aren't as lucky as our friends in New Jersey, so no vote by mail for us! (Seriously, Virginia General Assembly - is it that hard to make it easier to allow people to vote? I know; I digress.) So, even though our voting laws are stuck in the dark ages with McDonnell's thesis, you can still vote absentee, but you have to register to do so by October 27. And, unlike New Jersey, you actually need a reason for having to vote absentee. Here's a nifty link to help you figure out if you qualify.

One thing that is cool about voting in Virginia is that you can show up to vote absentee usually beginning 45 days before the general election and ending the Saturday before the general election. (Pop quiz without looking at a calendar: What day would that be? If you answered Oct. 31, come by my condo and I'll give you a piece of candy on Halloween. Okay, not really because I don't know you well enough yet.) If you want to find out if your local election office is offering in-person absentee voting, click here and then call or email your city/county registrar to find hours and locations for in-person absentee voting.

Okay, that's it. Now, just don't stand there...vote! Seriously...go vote. Right now. I'll wait.
Oh, wait...before you go: remember to vote ONLY for pro-choice candidates!

VA voters: Vote Deeds, Wagner and Shannon
NJ voters: Vote Corzine/Weinberg

Okay, I'm done now. I'll just wait here nice and quiet like while you go participate in democracy.

White House Advisor Valerie Jarrett Reaffirms President's Commitment to a Woman's Right to Choose

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:39:17 -0500

Presidential Advisor Valerie Jarrett spoke at NARAL Pro-Choice America's 18th National Power of Choice Luncheon at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City last Wednesday, October 14.

We were thrilled to have Ms. Jarrett as our special guest, since she is at the forefront in a White House that already has made significant advances in protecting women's freedom and privacy. You can watch her remarks below:

Other speakers included NARAL Pro-Choice America President Nancy Keenan and Pulitzer-Prize-Winning Columnist Cynthia Tucker.

In addition to these speeches, Emmy-Award winning actress Susan Saint James Ebersol served as the event's mistress of ceremonies and she presented the Anne E. Fisher Champion of Choice Award to playwright, journalist, and author Cindy Cooper for her steadfast support and work for women's reproductive freedom.

To read more about the event, check out this post by Odile Weissenborn on Huffington Post.

NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts: Decline in Abortion Access

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:03:15 -0500

This is a guest blog post from NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts that originally appeared on Blue Mass Group.

NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts recently released new research showing that the availability of abortion care in the Commonwealth has declined dramatically since the early part of the decade.

The study found that Massachusetts - like the rest of the nation- has witnessed an overall decrease in the number of health care providers offering abortion services. They are also increasingly concentrated in the Metro-Boston area - leaving women in the Southeast, Central, and Western regions with the least access to these medical services.

Massachusetts prides itself on being a leader in improving access to health care, but we're heading in the opposite direction when it comes to meeting the needs of women as they make personal, private decisions about their pregnancies. Without providers, the right to choose could become but a hollow promise.

Moreover, while Massachusetts is recognized for its role in training many future physicians, there are gaps in what medical residents learn here. A review of the six ob/gyn and five family practice residency programs found that nearly half (4 family practice, 1 ob/gyn) did not offer training in abortion care. Of the remaining six that do, all but one is located in Boston.

Clearly, even in Massachusetts, women face significant barriers to abortion care. Our elected officials have an opportunity this session to show their support for women's private medical decisions - and the courageous physicians who care for them - by repealing the last vestiges of our anti-choice history.

NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts is calling on legislators to pass An Act Updating the Public Health Laws. Sponsored by Sen. Chandler and Rep. Story, the bill would revoke three, archaic and unconstitutional statutes that could jeopardize women's health and well-being if they were ever enforced again, including a pre-Roe v. Wade ban on all abortions and a medically unjustified mandate that pregnancy terminations after twelve weeks take place in a hospital.

Learn more about the availability of abortion care in Massachusetts.

Choice News Round-Up: October 9, 2009

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 18:20:11 -0500

There was a ton of news this week that we wanted to make sure you were aware of. So here are some recaps from across the states, and in NARAL Pro-Choice America's own back yard.

Empire State of Mind: NARAL Pro-Choice America is beyond pleased to announce that Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to President Obama, will be a special guest at this year's Power of Choice Luncheon in New York City on Wednesday, October 14. She will join Emmy Award-winning actress Susan Saint James Ebersol, nationally-syndicated and Pulitzer-Prize-winning columnist Cynthia Tucker and playwright, journalist, and author Cindy Cooper who is on hand to receive the Anne E. Fisher Champion of Choice award. Tickets are still available, so register online today!

Ok, so What's a Breastival?: In collaboration with the Youth Organizing Working Group, NARAL Pro-Choice America tabled at American University's "Breastival," a tabling fair focusing on breast-cancer awareness and other key health issues. We participated in honor of October being sex-education month. In just a few hours we collected more than 150 signatures for our sex-ed petition! We are very excited to add these to the efforts to the work of activists around the nation in honor of sex-ed month.

NARAL Pro-Choice America PAC Makes Some First-Round Endorsements: Sen. Chris Dodd joined Rep. Paul Hodes as one of the NARAL Pro-Choice America PAC's endorsements for U.S. Senate candidates. The Hartford Courant and a blogger at Blue Hampshire covered these endorsements. More news to come on the endorsement front, so keep your eyes and ears open for more.

Allyson Hagen Shuts Down the So-Called "Personhood" Amendment in Billings Gazette LTE: Allyson Hagen, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Montana, wrote an incredibly compelling LTE to the Billings Gazette about the so-called "personhood" initiative that's making the rounds in Montana. She outlines Montana's history of valuing privacy and electing pro-choice leaders. She calls this proposed amendment what it is: a back-door attempt to ban abortion and take away women's privacy. It's a must read.

Over in the Old Line State (yes - we're talking about Maryland now): Baltimore City Council President Stephanie Rawlings-Blake introduced the Limited Service Pregnancy Centers Disclaimers Bill that would require so-called "crisis pregnancy centers" to disclose that they do not provide or refer for abortion or birth control. NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland Executive Director Jenny Blasdell wrote a great blog post about this for RH Reality Check - so be sure to give it a read.

We've Got Massachusetts on Our Mind... and for good reason. NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts just released some new research that shows a decline in access to abortion care in Massachusetts. In the report, they document the current status of access to abortion care across the Commonwealth and note significant changes since 2002. The full report is available for download here (it's a PDF).

We Must Win Because Women Could Lose Abortion Coverage They Already Have

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:11:03 -0500

The anti-choice movement will stop at nothing to take away women's access to abortion care. Anti-choice members like Rep. Stupak (D-Mich.) and Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) are willing to derail the entire health-reform effort if it doesn't ban abortion. If these people have their way, women could lose abortion coverage they already have.

We must fight back. We must win.

Watch this video:

... and then share this blog post on Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter.

Then... visit www.ProChoiceAmerica.org/WeMustWin to find out more ways you can help.

Baltimore Finds A Common Sense Solution to Crisis Pregnancy Centers

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:13:31 -0500

Jenny Blasdell is executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland and John W. Nugent is CEO of Planned Parenthood of Maryland. This blog post originally appeared on RH Reality Check.

Imagine a friend of yours, a pregnant woman, walks into an office seeking information about her pregnancy. Only, it's not a doctor's office and they're not going to tell her the truth. Unfortunately, this happens every day across the United States.

Everyone can agree that women seeking information about pregnancy, birth control, abortion, or sexually transmitted diseases should receive timely and accurate information, not false political propaganda. But there are facilities out there that spread misinformation about abortion and birth control in an effort to dissuade women from exploring those options. These are known as limited service pregnancy centers or crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs).

In Baltimore and around the country, many facilities have neutral sounding names like "Center for Pregnancy Concerns." Sounds like a place you could get information or services for your pregnancy concerns, right? Wrong. Volunteers who visited these centers were told falsehoods like abortion increases your risk of breast cancer, that natural family planning is as effective as the pill, and that condoms do not protect against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). CPCs are concerned alright, but not about what's in the best interest of women's health. They're concerned with preventing women from exploring their full range of options to protect against unplanned pregnancy and STDs.

CPCs do not always disclose information about the limitations of services or their anti-choice agendas in their advertising, particularly their beliefs about birth control. Low-cost birth control has been proven to be the most effective way to decrease the need for abortion, yet CPCs give false information about the safety and effectiveness of contraceptives. Moreover, not a single CPC in Baltimore City contacted by NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland Fund volunteers would provide a referral for comprehensive birth control.

That's why this week Baltimore City Council President Stephanie Rawlings-Blake introduced the Limited-Service Pregnancy Centers Disclaimer Bill. Co-sponsored by ten other council members, this bill is a common sense measure that will ensure that women visiting a Baltimore CPC are informed that they will not receive comprehensive birth control or abortion services or referrals. The measure does not ask CPCs to provide services they find objectionable. It only asks them to be honest and straightforward with the women, so that they know up front whether the facility will suit their needs. Having a more complete picture about the services that are and are not offered will also help provide a context for information they do receive. The goal of this bill is to empower women to make decisions about their care, and decide if a so-called "Center for Pregnancy Concern" is, well, concerned about the same things as they are.

This bill is an exciting step in Maryland. Although Maryland introduced a statewide bill to regulate CPCs in 2008, the bill, like all pro-choice bills in the last eleven years in our state, did not move forward. But localities around the country have been enacting laws and policies to strengthen the reproductive rights of women. For example, Pittsburgh enacted a buffer zone protecting patients entering reproductive health care facilities. And Madison, Wisconsin created an ordinance requiring pharmacies to let customers know when emergency contraception is not available.

NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland and Planned Parenthood of Maryland are committed to ensuring that every woman has the best medical care possible - from birth control to prenatal vitamins, from pre-conception care to labor and delivery. We have no objection to a center that offers women who have decided to carry their pregnancies to term any help they like. But lines are crossed when a CPC is not up front about their services, or when a center misleads women.

The Limited Service Pregnancy Centers Disclaimers Bill simply asks that Baltimore CPCs disclose what is true - that they do not provide or refer for comprehensive birth control services or abortion so that women know up front whether the facility suits their needs. We believe this bill to be a common sense approach to a goal we all share - getting women the care they need.

The Senate Finance Committee, Health Care, and the Lucky Number 13

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:34:50 -0500

Kristin Koch is the Deputy Director for Online Communications at NARAL Pro-Choice America.

Why should pro-choice people like you breathe a sigh of relief?

Because we came within three votes of seeing the future of women's access to abortion care changed for the worse for generations.

On Wednesday, the Senate Finance Committee narrowly rejected an anti-choice attempt to ban abortion coverage in the new health-care system (shocker, it was sponsored by the anti-choice Sen. Hatch!).

This was the choice vote to watch this week, folks, so we have to send a shout out to the 13 senators who stood up for women.

Don't hold back - call these senators and say "thank you!"

Sen. Max Baucus, MT (chair): (202) 224-2651
Sen. Jeff Bingaman, NM: (202) 224-5521
Sen. Maria Cantwell, WA: (202) 224-3441
Sen. Thomas Carper, DE: (202) 224-2441
Sen. John Kerry, MA: (202) 224-2742
Sen. Blanche Lincoln, AR: (202) 224-4843
Sen. Robert Menendez, NJ: (202) 224-4744
Sen. Bill Nelson, FL: (202) 224-6551
Sen. John Rockefeller IV, WV: (202) 224-6472
Sen. Charles Schumer, NY: (202) 224-6542
Sen. Olympia Snowe, ME: (202) 224-5344
Sen. Debbie Stabenow, MI: (202) 224-4822
Sen. Ron Wyden, OR: (202) 224-5244

Even thought we have cleared this huge hurdle, we still are nowhere near the finish line. That's why your phone call today is so important.

NARAL Pro-Choice America Endorses Rep. Paul Hodes for New Hampshire Senate Race

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 12:00:34 -0500

Is it just me, or is there truly nothing better than a good NARAL Pro-Choice America PAC endorsement in the morning? It's a great way to start the day and head into the weekend, for sure.

Today's announcement is all about NARAL Pro-Choice America PAC 's endorsement of pro-choice superstar Rep. Paul Hodes from the great state of New Hampshire! Long-time readers of this blog might remember that I am a huge fan of New Hampshire. Anyway, here are some quotes about the endorsement:

Rep. Paul Hodes: "I am honored to receive the endorsement from NARAL Pro-Choice America. I have worked for and believe in the fundamental right of women to make medical decisions without the fear of government intervention. I will be a Senator who stands up to those that would work to criminalize women and their doctors and I will always fight to protect the rights that Roe v. Wade guarantees to every woman."
Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America: "Rep. Hodes has a distinguished record of protecting and defending a woman's right to choose. Most recently, Rep. Hodes played an important role in working to eliminate funding for dangerous and deceptive 'abstinence-only' programs. He's worked hard to answer the public's call to move away from these failed Bush-backed policies that have put our teens at risk. We are confident that, as a senator, Rep. Hodes will continue to stand up for women's freedom and privacy and keep up New Hampshire's tradition of strong pro-choice advocates, such as Gov. John Lynch, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, and Rep. Carol Shea-Porter. Rep. Hodes' candidacy marks a great opportunity to add to the list of pro-choice senators."

You can read our full announcement here, and if you're feeling generous, head on over to the Hodes for Senate web site to get involved and contribute!