Last week, the Bush White House, which claims to be consistent and unswerving, added to its long list of flip-flops by reversing course on a federal tobacco buyout. This week, it appears the White House is prepared to change its once-firm position on Plan B contraception.
To be sure, the administration’s position on emergency contraception has been absurd. Late last year, an FDA panel voted 23 to 4 to approve over-the-counter access to an emergency contraception pill called Plan B. It’s like the “morning-after” pill you’ve probably heard about, but it’s not RU-486 — Plan B doesn’t induce abortion, it simply prevents an embryo from becoming attached to the walls of a uterus. One FDA panel member called it the “safest drug that we have seen brought before us.”
The FDA was expected to formally follow the panel’s overwhelming conclusion and, in the process, radically change the reproductive fights in the United States. With easy access to Plan B, women would likely have fewer unwanted pregnancies and fewer abortions. This pill was going to change the debate for the better.
Predictably, the religious right had a fit, calling it the “pill to kill,” and, with some help from some conservative lawmakers, the administration rushed to make the far right happy. The FDA derailed the plan for bizarre and nonsensical reasons, almost certainly cooked up for election year cover. It was, alas, the latest in a series of moves in which Bush has placed politics ahead of science and public health.
Of course, that one whole month ago, and as we’ve seen, that’s more than enough time for Bush to flip-flop. In fact, it appears a switch could come quickly.
The Bush administration is likely to reverse its recent decision on a controversial emergency contraceptive and make it available over the counter this year, a key House Republican said.
After meeting last week with Steven Galson, acting director of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Rep. James Greenwood (R-Pa.) said he is very confident the agency will make the contraceptive Plan B available over the counter in 2004.
[…]
It is unclear when the FDA will act, but Greenwood said he believes it will happen “before the year is out.”
Just to be clear, I think this would be a positive development and I’m certainly not criticizing the move. I am, however, noting that Bush’s constant complaints about John Kerry’s alleged flip-flopping look increasingly ridiculous considering his own policy u-turns that seem to occur on a weekly basis.
Of course, if there is a switch on this within the administration, they’ll feel the wrath of some angry far-right activists.
Such a move by the Bush administration would infuriate GOP lawmakers and conservative groups that have lobbied to keep Plan B off the shelves and available only by prescription.
An FDA policy switch could be politically risky before the election for President Bush, whose policies on government spending and immigration have been criticized by some in the conservative movement.
[…]
A spokesman for the White House did not return a phone call seeking comment.
Bush has been loath to anger his base, public health be damned. We’ll see what happens.