An energized and battle-tested Planned Parenthood will issue a call to action to their members today to defend the President’s birth control policy and urge the White House not to give in to the fierce lobbying from the US Conference of Catholic Bishops by altering the policy in any way detrimental to universal access.
The organization will send a message from Cecile Richards to all its members on the issue today, FDL News has leaned. According to a source, it will call for members to contact the White House, to “show your support for access to contraception for all women.” The group has also been active in social media on the birth control issue, particularly at their PPAct twitter feed.
This is the first counter-attack from a women’s health organization since the controversy erupted over the Administration’s universal access to birth control policy. In particular, the Catholic bishops and conservative organizations have decried that the religious exemption to the policy only holds for churches and non-profits, not for religiously affiliated hospitals and universities (where there are a large number of employees who do not share the same faith as the affiliation).
And it’s the first major Planned Parenthood action since the Susan G. Komen controversy of last week. Planned Parenthood received a major fundraising boost and support from across the spectrum last week after Komen attempted to cut its breast cancer screening funding. But instead of laying low and despite continued assaults from the conservative movement, Planned Parenthood will step forward and stand up for universal birth control access.
This is part of a larger counter-attack against the controversy whipped up by the Catholic bishops and others. Groups like NARAL Pro-Choice America, the National Organization for Women and EMILY’s List have publicly defended the Administration’s policy. But this Planned Parenthood action looks like the strongest yet, with outreach to all their members.
If the Administration holds firm on the access point, this is likely to boost them in November:
On Monday, senior administration officials told reporters that access to free contraceptives is not negotiable.
The policy risks alienating some voters, but Democratic pollster Geoff Garin said they were unlikely to support Obama in the first place.
“The voters who oppose this policy tend to be partisan Republicans,” Garin said. At the same time, Garin noted that the policy could create goodwill among younger women, who are most likely to vote based on birth control and abortion issues.
At least one women’s rights group is letting the White House know that personally.




42 Comments

Support this site!
Subscribe to the newsletter
Advertise on Firedoglake
Send
us your tips
Make us your homepage
About FDL News Desk
I think it’s much more appropriate for 350 bishops to determine whether birth control should be part of a medical plan or not. /s
Hmmmm. Let’s see if Komen survives as more than a shadow of its former self.
Next case, how many R.C.s will leave the church after this bishopric over reach. I’m not holding my breath but guessing there will be some.
Hey. I blame that Hamsher woman. And good morning to you, Rick Santorum!
I thought the admin is already backpeddling.
A government policy that requires private citizens/companies to pay for insurance to cover people’s access to free contraceptives?
A birth control mandate!
I pay for my “health care insurance,” and it appears that the Y chromosome types get coverage for little blue pills to cure their impotence issues.
Would I prefer to have my “health care” dollars cover birth control?
YES, please.
If citizens are so “upset” over birth control being covered, then perhaps they should also consider “protesting” scrips for Viagra & Cialis, etc.
OOOOOPS, I plumb forgot. It’s the MEN who NEED help with impotence. If the sluts don’t want to get pregnant, why they can just stop being such skanky tarts, etc.
How about mandating only those plans that pay for Viagra & Cialis must also pay for birth control.
We shall see if the Catholic Church will give up its “non-Prophet” status as a show of commitment to their professed convictions. That, and if they will only hire Catholics, who we all know, don’t use contraceptives.
I wouldn’t know anything about either.
I think the admin. should push harder and make free contraceptives retroactive. I spent all that money years ago.
“Backpeddling” is the Obama administration’s “middle name”.
Actually, MOST health care plans DO NOT pay for Viagra. The biggest one that does, the federal government.
Didn’t know that. Somehow I thought I heard a long time ago that ins plans paid for that.
Yes, like Komen, admin repeatedly finds the sweet spot guaranteed to piss off the most people.
The alternative would have been more expensive. *g*
This fight really is about whether a religion can be an “employer” in the secular (non-religious) economy and yet claim exemption from secular regulations under the first amendment. Nobody is forcing this religion to give birth control pills to their nuns & priests. Nobody is forcing this religion to “speak” in its religious functions against its religious conscience.
This fight is about whether Rome is exempt from U.S. law, whether the law is sovereign or Rome is sovereign. This fight is 480 years old. Just check out the first season of “Tudors” if you have any doubts about that. King Henry VIII beat Rome into submission in 1532, American Catholic church potentates need to get over it.
What we need is a poll on how many catholic woman use birth control.I imagine it will be at least 80%,any sencible young woman should protect themselves from unwanted pregnancy.the bigger issue the decline in morals and responsibility in youths for the last 40 years,there was a time that one parent could earn enough to support a family while the other parent was able to stay home and properly raise thier children(teach morals and responsibility),today do to the growing inequality both parents need to work more and more hours to just get bye children are no longer being raised but just being sheltered and growing up on their own(most of us cant afford nannies to raise our children)
MSNBC is splashing this figure continuously under all talking heads on cable teevee right now: “98% of Catholic Women Have Used Contraceptives.”
Yes, my kind of family planning – second kid by 24, [snip], enjoy the rest of your life.
Right on. I saw that the Church has instructed the Bishops that they must cooperate with civil sex abuse investigations, but they do not have to report sex abuse to the civil authorities.
In this they subject their “sovereignty” to civil authorities in the first part, but protect their “sovereignty” in the second. Funny how that is supposed to work.
OT: Obama Campaign Chief Reassures Wall Street
LINK (possible video).
They are even reversing the “do not report” part. Several of the settlements with big urban archdioceses mandate reporting. I’m fairly sure the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has demanded reporting, not just cooperation.
In fact, they will continue to increase training & counseling to increase reporting so they avoid getting indicted for misprision of felonies, like the bishop or monsignor who was indicted in Philadelphia.
Showtime’s version is nice, but I prefer the BBC’s 1970 treatment with Keith Michell’s stellar performance.
http://www.amazon.com/Six-Wives-Henry-VIII-Complete/dp/B00004U3UI
Oh, and I’m not into pointing out snark, OR providing unneeded definitions to commonly used terms……………………. capisc?
I don’t think there ought to be any damn exemptions, at all. All women should be covered. Period. I’m so sick of the Catholic bishops I could *spit*
Not the poll you wished for, but an interesting one nonetheless. LINK.
Of course I knew you were being snarky. Who could doubt that? You said “if they will only hire Catholics, who we all know, don’t use contraceptives.” I only indicated I was replying to you @8 to give you credit for hitting the nail on the head by pointing to the “employer” role.
Haven’t seen the 40-year old BBC episodes, maybe I can look for those on Netflix.
New Dday thread upstairs. I’m out.
Gotcha.
The BBC version will be worth the effort. Keith’s performance is legendary.
Wrong again. It is a government policy requiring organizations and institutions to provide its employees the health insurance coverage that the employees and their doctors decide is necessary, not to force employees to their doctrine to obtain a livelihood. You and Boehner and Romney are all under the mistaken belief that institutions are people and people have no rights. To object to this on the grounds that this is infringing on people’s rights is a lie.
Yeah, I blame the Hamsher woman too. I also wish there were thousands more like her.
My family planning: no kids by 35 (snip).
Well said.
I’m sure 350 guys who will never ever have to worry about pregnancy complications or death as a result of childbirth are the best people to determine what is and isn’t right for those of us that can and have experienced pregnancy and all the side effects you get from sharing your body.
We all need our surrogate daddies to decide these kinds of issues for us because these types of things are to taxing on our wimmenfolk brains./s
Amen, and preach it!
How bout mandating that any plan that covers ANY medication be required to cover it?
Who says that Pneumonia couldn’t be “God’s will?” I mean why is it and should it be only reproduction that operates under the premise of His will? If you don’t feel you should have to pray yourself well for any medical issue then you should have the capability of having any and all medical options for ALL medical conditions.
Why not?
I don’t see you outraged by an antibiotic mandate. Pregnancy is a medical condition. Last I saw treating medical conditions was the purpose of HEALTH insurance.
Very good question! Love it, cwaltz.
Why not? Access to family planning should be available to every male and female.
Isn’t it about time for King Chaos to tell these pud-pullin finatics to SDSTFU. IF these assholes are allowed to influence our laws then shouldn’t the taxpayers be allowed to make laws for their church? First rule- no more wearing dresses unless your transgendered. Second rule- keep your beliefs inside your church doors. Third rule- when tempted to spread your crap in public, see rule #2.
Nice, but you missed rule Four: Keep your magic “wand” out of the alter boys.
I probably have it wrong, so I’ll have to look into it closer. But my company health plan is paid for partly by the employer, and partly by me.
If the government requires the company to obtain insurance that provides access to free contraceptives, there’s a cost involved, whether I choose to eventually obtain the contraceptives or not.
You probably don’t believe that the insurance companies are going to give away anything for free. So next year the company will just say, “Oh well, everyone’s health insurance is going up a little.”
Mandated.
Ok by me. Just part of living in a civilized society. It costs everyone a little, and everyone benefits.
A survey by the Public Religion Research Institute released yesterday says 98% of catholic women have used birth control at some point.