Providing Quality, Affordable Health Care

By Pete Kasperowicz Several House Republicans on Wednesday morning protested the Obama administration's decision not to exempt religious organizations from a requirement to provide birth control coverage in healthcare plans, including contraceptives and abortion drugs. Obama's Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) exempted churches and other places of worship from the requirement, but did not extend the same exemption to religious-backed universities and other organizations. "As an Iris... Read more

This evening, Congresswoman Gwen Moore (W-4) will join Planned Parenthood of Metro Washington for a reception and the DC Screening of the new documentary "A Vital Service: African American Stories of Reproductive Health Care." Read more

WASHINGTON D.C. (WTAQ) - Wisconsin's congressional Democrats said they appreciated President Obama's vow to revive manufacturing in his State of the Union address Tuesday night. But the state's Republicans said Obama's plea for economic fairness wrongly focuses on guaranteeing outcomes through government action, instead of opportunities in a free market. The Democrat Obama called for higher taxes on the rich -- a 30 percent bracket for those making over $1 million a year. And he took another sw... Read more

Sen. Herb Kohl (D) "We appreciate that the president is focused on the right things for our country: increasing our economic output and decreasing unemployment. In Wisconsin we're particularly happy about his focus on manufacturing since our state's economy and employment, more than most any other state, is dependent on a strong manufacturing base. The president also recognizes that education is the foundation of our country's future, whether it means providing all students access to a quality ... Read more

Today, Congresswoman Gwen Moore (WI-4) applauded the decision by the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to ensure access to affordable birth control, and not further expand the refusal provision to the birth control coverage benefit under Read more

Greg Kaufmann Nation readers know the record-setting levels of poverty in America today: nearly one in six citizens below the official poverty line of $22,300 for a family of four, including one of five kids. African-American and Hispanic children are even worse off, with poverty rates of 40 percent and 37 percent, respectively. More than one in three Americans are struggling on incomes below twice the poverty threshold—roughly $45,000 for a family of four. In 2011, The Nation kept the plight o... Read more

By Ashley Lopez NARAL Pro-Choice America, a national reproductive rights group, announced today that it sent a letter to President Obama denouncing a federal agency’s recent decision to overrule an FDA request to expand access to Plan B, or the morning after pill, to young women under the age of 17. The letter contained more than 35,000 signatures. Since Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced her decision, reproductive health advocates and policy-makers have expressed d... Read more

By Laura Bassett, Ryan Grim & Amanda Terkel WASHINGTON -- Women's rights groups expressed outrage on Wednesday when a top Obama administration official overruled a recommendation from government scientists to expand access to the morning-after pill, but Democratic members of Congress are being far more cautious with their criticism. In an unprecedented and unexpected move, Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius rejected the Food and Drug Administration's conclusion that the Pl... Read more