Obama Calls To Rescind Bush-Era Rule

Published February 27, 2009 @ 08:23PM PT

The Obama administration announced today that it is going to move forward to repeal the anti-choice Federal Refusal Rule.

This rule was put in place in the closing days of the Bush administration, and essentially could allow insurance companies to deny claims for the birth-control pill, hospitals to refuse emergency contraceptives to rape survivors, and employees at HMOs to refuse their patients referrals for abortion care based on a matter of conscious, rather than a matter of health.

"President Obama's action today to move forward in repealing this rule reinforces why elections matter and how new leadership can end divisive policies that harm women," Nancy Keenan said in a press release today. "President Obama has signaled his intent to honor the public's call for a focus on commonsense, common-ground solutions that make a difference in the lives of women and their families. We will continue to work with President Obama to change the tone of the debate over reproductive rights by protecting women's access to contraception, which actually helps prevent unintended pregnancies."

According to an MSNBC report, the administration will publish notice of its intentions early next week, opening a 30-day comment period for advocates, medical groups and the public.

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Author

Jen Nedeau is a social media consultant, progressive activist, feminist speaker and writer. She currently lives in New York City, where she works full-time as the Director of Digital Strategy at Air America Media. In August 2008, Nedeau was selected to be the Editor of the WomensRights.Change.Org where she facilitates daily discussion about the feminist movement. Additionally, Nedeau volunteers as the Chief Technology Officer for New Leaders Council, a non-profit that offers exclusive training for young leaders. You can follow her on Twitter @HumanFolly or learn more here: www.jennedeau.com.