NARAL Pro-Choice America Calls Children’s Health Bill A Step in the Right Direction

Washington, D.C. – Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, today praised House lawmakers for moving the nation's health-care priorities in the right direction by passing an expansion of the Medicaid family-planning program and improving "abstinence-only" programs, as part of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).

"Lawmakers today passed a commonsense bill that will help women and families across this country," Keenan said. "After years of anti-choice attacks, we are finally seeing progress and support for women's health-care options. This action illustrates how the new Congress can avoid repeating the mistakes of the previous anti-choice Congresses."

Pro-choice lawmakers also took a positive step in improving the discredited "abstinence-only" programs. The controversial program will now have to meet commonsense standards of medical accuracy, and states will have some new flexibility in deciding the curricula.

"As a former teacher and state superintendent of education, I'm pleased that the House took an important first step in acknowledging that the Bush-backed 'abstinence-only' programs are inaccurate and jeopardize our teens' health," Keenan said. "We will continue to call on lawmakers to reverse this dangerous and divisive policy. Our ultimate goal is to ensure that our teens get honest, realistic sex education in the classroom. This is a worthwhile first step." 

Contact:
Ted Miller, 202.973.3032