Democrats are doing things the right way with the Prevention First legislation proposed by Harry Reid and Hilary Clinton. When they stick to their principles and present policy that shows their vision, they're suddenly a party I can get behind. Keep this up, and people won't be saying we live in a one-party country. From the press release:
"We can find not only common ground, but common sense in the Prevention First amendment we are offering today" said Reid. "Whether you are pro-life or pro-choice, our amendment advances goals we should all share: reducing the number of unintended pregnancies, reducing the number of abortions and improving access to women's health care." "This amendment takes a common sense step towards strengthening access to contraception for women while also reducing healthcare costs borne by taxpayers and employers," said Senator Clinton. "We should all be able to agree that reducing the number of unintended pregnancies and improving access to women's health care should be a priority." Every dollar spent on family planning services saves three dollars in pregnancy and birth-related costs for Medicaid alone. And although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention included family planning in its published list of the Ten Great Public Health Achievements in the 20th Century, the U.S. still has one of the highest rates of unintended pregnancies among industrialized nations. The Reid/Clinton amendment would provide $100 million to: increase Title X, the nation's only program devoted solely to making family planning services available to all women; reducing teen pregnancy; providing equitable insurance coverage for contraception; and increasing awareness about Emergency Contraception.
And a snippet of Reid's speech via Kos:
"Forty years ago today, the Supreme Court recognized a constitutional right to privacy in Griswold v. Connecticut that laid the groundwork for widespread access to birth control for all American women. "Birth control is a basic part of preventive health care for women. Over the past forty years, increased access to birth control has helped to reduce the rate of unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, abortion and infant mortality. "While we have made significant advances over the last forty years, we still have a long way to go. The United States has among the highest rates of unintended pregnancies of all industrialized nations. Half of all pregnancies in the United States are unintended, and nearly half of those end in abortion. Making contraception more accessible and affordable is one crucial step toward reducing unintended pregnancies, reducing abortions and improving women's health.
I have high hopes for this act and will watch its progress closely. Other liberal legislators would do well to follow Reid's proactive, well-framed example. I note with amusement that the Family Research Council responded to a NARAL ad promoting the legislation with a Robert A. Heinlein quote: "Beware of altruism. It is based on self-deception, the root of all evil." If the best rebuttal they can come up with is "altruism is evil", they're on shaky ground.