Congress, the budget bill, and reproductive-health priorities

With election-coverage in overdrive, I wanted to be sure to mention what's going on in Congress these days.

Right now, they're busy writing next year's budget bill, and determining what programs get funded at what levels. If you're like me, you're wondering if they're going to make birth control affordable for students, ensure that low-income women have access to affordable reproductive-health services, and cut funding for dangerous and discredited "abstinence-only" programs... among other things.

We need as much political will behind these pro-choice priorities as possible - especially given President Bush's persistent veto threats.

This is, naturally, where you come in. Please take a moment to call on your lawmaker to stand firm for these important initiatives:

• Fix the birth-control crisis. Congress must bring down the price of birth control to $5 or $10 instead of $50+ for students and low-income women. As you know, two years ago Congress inadvertently eliminated many health-care clinics' access to deeply discounted birth control and as a result, millions of low-income women and college students have seen the price of their birth control skyrocket. THE ASK: Please preserve the Senate bill's language to fix the problem.
• Improve women's health by increasing funds for the federal family-planning program. The House bill recommended a $315 million funding level for Title X. THE ASK: Please support this recommended $315 million funding level.
• Cut taxpayer dollars on fraudulent "abstinence-only" programs. These programs are unproven and dangerous. THE ASK: Support the Senate's recommended cut of $28 million.

Together, these three provisions will go a long way toward protecting women's reproductive health and together we can speak up on behalf of women whose everyday lives are affected by these federal policies and programs. So thanks for your help and support.