Sebelius entered the history books yesterday by overruling the Food and Drug Administration's decision to make the Plan B morning-after contraceptive available over the counter for girls younger than 17. It's the first time that HHS has slapped down the FDA on a decision like this.
From the New York Times: "Although Ms. Sebelius had the legal authority to overrule the F.D.A., no health secretary had ever publicly done so, an F.D.A. spokeswoman said. Nor had such a disagreement been the subject of such extraordinary dueling press statements. Dr. Margaret Hamburg, the F.D.A.’s commissioner, issued a lengthy statement saying it was safe to sell Plan B over the counter, while Ms. Sebelius countered that the drug’s manufacturer had failed to study whether girls as young as 11 years old could safely use Plan B."
The decision is straight out of former President George W. Bush's Plan B playbook. Bush fought to keep the drug behind the counter and only available to women 18 and older. Both the most ardent Plan B supporters and opponents who think it's nothing more than an over-the-counter abortion pill can see that this is the thinnest veneer of logic that Sebelius could find to placate social conservatives ahead of the election.
Hamburg said in a statement that studies have repeatedly shown the medication to be safe. "Based on the information submitted to the agency, [Center for Drug Evaluation and Research] determined that the product was safe and effective in adolescent females, that adolescent females understood the product was not for routine use, and that the product would not protect them against sexually transmitted diseases. Additionally, the data supported a finding that adolescent females could use Plan B One-Step properly without the intervention of a health-care provider," she said.
"I reviewed and thoughtfully considered the data, clinical information and analysis provided by CDER, and I agree with the Center that there is adequate and reasonable, well-supported and science-based evidence that Plan B One-Step is safe and effective and should be approved for nonprescription use for all females of child-bearing potential," Hamburg added.
And former FDA assistant commissioner Dr. Susan Wood — who quit her FDA job over Bush's fight over Plan B — tells the Times, the problem with Sebelius' reasons for telling the FDA to shut up is that there are plenty of potentially harmful medications on store shelves. "Acetaminophen can be fatal, but it’s available to everyone. So why are contraceptives singled out every single time when they’re actually far safer than what’s already out there?" she told the paper.
So the rules remain the same for Plan B. Anybody 17 and older can get it from behind the counter at pharmacies. Surely the conservatives and right-to-lifers — who loathe Sebelius like none other — will line up to donate to Obama and the Democrats now.
Showing 1-13 of 13
All this really means is there wasn't enough kickback from the drug company to buy the bitch . YET
Sebelius is a fucking idiot. The people she's trying to please with this decision will continue to despise her and everything she stands for. Might as well try to make nice with a pit viper. All she's accomplished here is to piss off her few remaining supporters and make them even less likely to bother to go to the polls next year.
I don't see how this is an election issue.....people can get abortions now, so why wouldn't a little prevention whether it be condoms, spermicide, day after pills the rythm method or abstinence be preferred to the use of Abortion as a means of birth control. Come on how many abortions are really required to save a woman's life or because of rape.....not very damn many. I'd much rather see a greater use of prevention than 1 million abortions a year......but Oblameya has to have something to run on and it's sure ain't the economy STUPID!
People also have the right to not have sex if they don't want to have a child but I guess it's a little too much to ask people to wait. I'm so tired of hearing that it's everyone's right to indulge their every desire and then get annoyed that they actually have to deal with the consequences.
This is odd for her. She and Tiller the baby killer were very close
...actually "Jack", the Plan B pill has nothing to do with killing babies, it actually prevents babies from killing babies. It's NOT an abortion pill. It prevents the egg from even being implanted. It prevents it from becoming an embryo. So before you go on your hate-filled, morality rant read up on the pill a little. It's no different than using spermicide-laced condoms or taking birth control. All this bill was supposed to be about was making it more available to someone who wants to prevent an unwanted pregnancy before they have to make the decision to go down the path of abortion, etc.
who is Gov. Kathleen Sebelius OR anyone else to tell us we cant or can have babies . the overpopulation of the USA would be alot smaller if we as women had rights to make sure we dont have a baby . its OUR right not anyone elses to tell us .what abt health issues ? what abt babies having babies ? what abt if the person was raped ? what abt if the women was drunk or something and ended up with a FUGLY guy ? what abt if the so called father to be is a LOSER ? the list goes on and on ....ITS OUR RIGHT to abort or NOT to noone elses . just saying . :)
No, it doesn't have anything to do with vote-getting, or Obama. The bitch wanted to go to Washington, DC. and that is where she ended up. This decision is conscience driven. She finally realized that children killing their own children is not exactly in line with her title, being a national leader in health care. Again, nothing to do with vote getting. I think she's staring down her legacy and she doesn't like what she sees. So.. ladies... go kill your own children... and leave a legacy of death in your path, as Sebelius has done and is regretting now.
Katherine, you are hot and sexy yes...but now I'm disappointed immensely that you are yet another out of touch politician. You're playing THE religion card...then LYING outright by saying it was for safety reasons. Come on you've got to be kidding me??? OUR population is out of control and we as a society need to look beyong unemployment numbers. Geez we can immediately stop unwanted pregnancies and you single-handedly shot it down...im guessing you are going to be unemployed soon. You lost my vote...
like
dislike
