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Hillary Clinton is back on the job as Senator of New York. "It is an end-run around the rights of women, to make choices are about our own health, and we are not going to stand for it," said Senator Clinton.
Friday afternoon she laid out her opposition to a new Bush administration proposal that would limit funding for health care providers that offer abortions, birth control, and other forms of contraception.
"Under these Bush rules, an ideologically driven hospital administrator or an emergency-room supervisor, or a doctor, or a nurse on duty could deny this woman access to emergency contraception," said Sen. Clinton.
The proposed regulation from the Department of Health and Human Services would require hospitals and clinics that receive federal funds to hire medical personnel who oppose birth-control pills and other forms of contraception.
"This proposal flies in the face of common sense," said New York Democratic Representative Nita Lowey.
Family-planning organizations worry the proposal would not only limit contraceptive services to low-income and uninsured women, but reduce women's healthcare options and change the definition of abortion.
"Imagine: A woman who is a rape survivor that goes into an ER and is denied emergency contraception because the provider does not agree with providing that form of birth control. She would be further victimized," said Celinda Vazquez, Planned Parenthood L.A.
"Our goal is to provide care to our patients and never to harm, never to kill. Abortion kills babies and harms women. And we will not be part of that. Therefore, we thoroughly support the president's proposal," said Registered Nurse Joanne Lavotti, Prolife America.
Abortion rights groups say that they are aggressively lobbying in Washington, D.C., and across the country to make sure that this proposal does not become a federal regulation.
