SUMMER LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
Congress Passes Controversial Amendment
On July 19th, the House of Representatives voted in favor of an amendment to the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, offered by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ). This amendment eliminates contraceptives from the list of prevention methods available under a new program to treat and prevent obstetric fistula -- a debilitating injury with lifelong consequences for women. This action jeopardizes the health and lives of women and ultimately the environment by limiting access to a full range of family planning options. Access to quality reproductive health care and family planning is a human right -- one that Representative Smith denied to women around the world.
Find out how your Representative voted. If he or she voted in favor of the Smith amendment or "Anti-Environment," let them know that access to contraceptives is essential for improving the lives of women and communities and is a key ingredient to address poverty, create a healthier environment and promote more stable societies.
Call the Capitol Switchboard at 1-866-340-9281 and ask the operator to connect you to your Representative's office, or find their contact information on www.house.gov.
Senate Bill Includes Language Supporting UNFPA
On July 20th, the U.S. Senate adopted, without opposition, an amendment to the annual Foreign Operations spending bill, which was offered by Senators Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Lincoln Chafee (R-RI). This amendment expressed American support for the crucial work of UNFPA, yet because the amendment passed unanimously -- with no challenges or comments from the normal Senate opposition -- there is concern that this amendment may not ultimately pave the way to re-fund UNFPA.
Emergency Contraception - Still a Hot Topic!
In last two editions of PopNews we asked you to conduct a survey of the pharmacies in your community to find out if they would fill emergency contraception (EC) prescriptions. We received only a few results from investigations around the country. One participant in the survey found that the Bartell Drug Store in Seattle, Washington does fill EC prescriptions. Another discovered that Pharmacy Pro in St, Paul Minnesota and Snyders in Orono, Minnesota also fill prescriptions.
Access to EC is a hot topic, and will continue to be in the months to come. The Bush administration recently announced that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will decide whether or not EC will be available over-the-counter by the first of September.
Although we won't continue to report which pharmacies fill prescriptions, stay on top of what is happening in your community. Visit Planned Parenthood's website to see where your pharmacy scores on their scorecard.
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