WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO), Vice Chair of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, today offered the following statement regarding a proposed regulation making federal aid conditional upon new reproductive health criteria proposed by the Bush Administration:

“This proposed rule is not only ludicrous, but entirely unnecessary – it is just the latest example of how the Bush Administration continues to meddle in women’s reproductive health. Federal law already protects individuals who prefer not to participate in reproductive health care, and many states have refusal clauses for either individuals or institutions that object to providing or participating in such services. 

“Furthermore, this proposed rule could have grave implications for women’s access to health services, including birth control because it goes significantly farther than current law by defining abortion so broadly that it would include many types of birth control, including oral contraception and emergency contraception.”

U.S. Rep. DeGette is also co-chair of the House Pro-Choice Caucus.