Obama Administration Proposes Rule to Rescind HHS Regulation

WASHINGTON, Mar. 6, 2009 - The White House officially proposed a rule today to rescind the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Federal Refusal Rule. The rule, put in place in the closing days of the Bush administration, allows healthcare workers to deny abortion counseling or other family planning services if doing so would violate their moral beliefs.

This is just the first step in the process the Obama administration must go through to repeal the rule, and it is important to note that the rule will remain in effect until a final rule is published rescinding the Bush regulation. A final rule can be published after the Obama Administration has considered the public comments submitted on the proposed rescission.

The Administration will hold a 30-day comment period about the rescinding of the regulation. Comments can be made by clicking here. BirthControlWatch.org blogger Cristina Page remarked "we can't assume administration officials understand all the problems with the original regulations. That's why we must speak up as clearly now as we did before. We know for sure opponents of birth control will be."

“This move by the Obama Administration is an important start towards eliminating this damaging rule," said Mary Jane Gallagher President and CEO of the National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association. "Women and men who depend on these services cannot afford for their access to counseling, education, contraception and preventive health screenings to be limited by this extreme rule."

“This proposed rule clearly states that the Obama administration is committed to putting patients’ care first,” said Planned Parenthood Federation of America president Cecile Richards. “As was made clear at the White House Summit on Health Care yesterday, we should be working together to increase, not hinder, access to care. Patients, especially low income women, deserve access to complete and accurate health care information and services and today’s action shows that this administration understands and will meet this need. This is a common sense fix.”

Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, said “After enduring eight years of persistent attacks on women’s freedom and privacy from the Bush administration, it is great to continue to receive good news from the new administration.” Keenan added “As we move through the process to repeal a dangerous Bush-era rule, we look forward to working with the Obama administration to change the tone of the debate over reproductive rights by protecting women’s access to contraception and other basic health care that actually help prevent unintended pregnancies.”

Statements released following the February 27 notice from the White House that it is taking steps towards rescinding the Federal Refusal Rule:

CT Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who last month sued to block the Bush administration’s midnight regulation, praised the Obama’s administration for moving to rescind the rule. “Dismantling this dangerous rule is a historic step toward preserving profoundly significant health care rights for women, and vital constitutional rights for all,” Blumenthal said. “We will continue to pursue our legal fight until this Provider Conscience Rule is finally and safely stopped." Two family planning groups and six other states, including California and Illinois, have filed lawsuits challenging the Bush rule on grounds it places the health of patients below the religious beliefs of medical providers.

Click here to read press release from the ACLU.

Click here to read a press release from Advocates for Youth.

Click here to read a press release from the Black Women’s Health Imperative.

Click here to read a press release from Catholics for Choice.

Click here to read a press release from the Center for Reproductive Rights.

Click here to read a press release from NARAL Pro-Choice America.

Click here to read a press release from the National Abortion Federation.

Click here to read a press release from the National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association.

Click here to read a statement from the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health.

Click here to read a statement from the National Women's Law Center.

Click here to read a statement from the Pacific Institute for Women’s Health.

Click here to read a press release from Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health.

Click here to read a press release from Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

Click here to read a statement from the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice.

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