In a week filled with devastating attacks on women's rights and access to reproductive health services for men, women, and teens, at least one good thing happened. On Friday, the Department of Health and Human Services repealed portions of the regulations on reproductive health care, initiated by the Bush administration, that threatened women's health. ACLU of Illinois Executive Director Colleen Connell writes:
It took two years of hard work, but today the Bush era regulations limiting access to reproductive health care were repealed.
As you may recall, Illinois Reproductive Rights Project staff and supporters were part of the nationwide effort to defeat these regulations passed during the last days of Bush Administration.
We submitted comments in opposition to the regulations, assisted coalition partners and health care providers in preparing their comments, and set up an extensive Action Center to get our supporters to make their voices heard in opposition.
Today's new rule eliminates these dangerous provisions, now on to preserving Title X.
The ACLU National Headquarters also expressed satisfaction over the repeal and concern with the current actions of the House of Representatives in a recent press release:
The Department of Health and Human Services today modified a regulation originally issued by the Bush administration that was designed to allow insurance companies, hospitals and other health care providers to refuse to offer basic reproductive health services, including birth control and life-saving abortions. The American Civil Liberties Union welcomed the changes, while urging the administration and lawmakers to oppose ongoing efforts in the House of Representatives to place politics over women's health.
Read the full press release.
Download a copy of the HHS rule.
