More on Hager's role in rolling back women's reproductive rights

From NARAL Pro-Choice America; “Notorious Right-Wing Activist Admits Decisive Role in Bush Administration’s Anti-Birth Control Policy–Hager admits to central role in FDA decision to overrule its scientific and medical panels to block women’s access to birth control.”

Oh it gets better….

(Washington, DC) ““ In the wake of new reports of notorious right-wing activist David Hager’s influence over the Food and Drug Administration’s decision to block women’s over-the-counter access to the morning-after pill, NARAL Pro-Choice America is renewing its call on President Bush to remove Hager from a medical advisory panel and for FDA to make documents related to this decision public…which the agency has refused to do.

The Washington Post and The Nation report that, in an October sermon, renowned arch-conservative W. David Hager claimed credit for writing a report urging the FDA to override its scientific and medical advisory panels and block over-the-counter sales of the PLAN B morning-after pill. President Bush appointed Hager to the FDA advisory panel that reviewed the PLAN B petition. He was one of only four of the panel’s 27 members to oppose over-the-counter sales of the emergency contraceptive.

In the same speech, Hager bragged that the FDA’s rejection of the petition for over-the-counter sales of the morning-after pill marked only the second time in 50 years the FDA overruled its advisory panels.

I’m sure in the same way a guy might brag about “knocking up a woman.” Well in the case of denying women access to another emergency contraceptive and being anti-contraceptives period, he can now brag about how it could be possible for a rapist to traumatize his victim a second time by forcing her body to “nourish” and house his genetic material for nine months, all against her will. And less access to contraceptives will lead to more women getting unintentionally pregnant, and more women possibly having abortions. Genius. /sarcasm>

“We’d long suspected that Hager was the driving force in the Bush Administration’s decision to block easier access to the morning-after pill. Now we have proof, and it’s time for him to go,” said Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America. “Scientists, doctors and an overwhelming majority of Americans support giving women, especially survivors of sexual assault, access to the morning-after pill to prevent unintended pregnancies.

Yes well, leave it to ultra-conservatives to ignore medical science, women’s bodily integrity and right not to be an incubator (and just ignore women’s right period), and even public opinion for the sake of arrogantly adhering to their rigid anti-women’s reproductive rights agenda. And their ever constant interjection of a little theocracy into ever branch of government and its institutions.

But that’s not good enough. The FDA should approve over-the-counter access to the morning-after pill and release all the documents related to this decision. The public deserves to know how far the Bush Administration is willing to go to impose its opposition to birth control over all American women.”

NARAL Pro-Choice America plans to file another request under the Freedom of Information Act for all documents showing contact between the FDA and the White House on this matter. In February 2004, NARAL Pro-Choice submitted a similar request, but FDA refused to comply.

Allegations of Hager raping his ex-wife aside, no doubt he’s certainly done more in the ways of aiding rapists traumatizing their victims a second time with pregnancy by denying rape-victims access to another emergency contraceptive (Plan B), than ensure the reproductive rights of women. Just keep rollin’ them back. But breathe easily, women who value their reproductive rights and access to contraceptives such EC; Hager is leaving the FDA’s Advisory Panel. Breathe easily for now anyway.