Today, in a huge victory for women’s health, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that most employers will be required to cover contraception in their health plans, along with other preventative services, with no cost-sharing such as co-pays or deductibles. This means that after years of trying to get birth control covered to the same extent that health plans cover Viagra, our country will finally have nearly universal coverage of contraception.
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NWPC CA would like to offer you an opportunity to learn about the appointments process. Join Mona Pasquil, Appointments Secretary- State of California, as she leads a 2-hour training session that will leave you informed about the appointments process and how to complete the appointments application. Get more information here and register at www.nwpcca.org/register

December 9, 2011

For More Information:
Contact Pat Lynch, NWPC VP of Communication
888 658 4635 ext 225 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: NWPC Reacts to HHS Decision to Overturn FDA Decision on Plan B

Washington, DC- “Kathleen Sebelius, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, whom NWPC originally supported for her current post, leveled a blow to women’s freedom by announcing she was overruling the Food and Drug Administration’s decision to allow the sale of Plan B One-Step, over the counter contraception, without a prescription,” said Linda Young, President of the National Women’s Political Caucus. 

The FDA had revised a decision about restricting the access to Plan B One-Step by age, after a District Court had directed the agency to reconsider, because the age restriction was based on a political consideration rather than a scientific finding of safety for public use of the drug.  FDA presented the new finding to  allow Plan B One-Step to be available without prescription or restrictions. 

According to Dr. Margaret Hamburg, FDA, The FDA’s recommendation in this matter “reflects a body of scientific findings [and] input from external scientific advisory committees.”   Joined by The Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, FDA Commissioner Dr. Hamburg, MF, said: “Experts, including obstetricians/gynecologists, and pediatricians reviewed the totality of the data and agreed that it met the regulatory standard for a nonprescription drug and that Plan B One-Step should be approved for all females of child-bearing potential.”

“After women everywhere suffered from the Bush policies and restrictions,” said Ms. Young, “we were quite hopeful when President Obama issued a memorandum on scientific integrity in March 2009 to the heads of the executive branch agencies and departments saying that the scientific process must ‘inform and guide’ decisions of his administration.”  “We are assuming that Secretary Sebelius took the action to block the recent FDA ruling only after conferring with the President.  We are severely disappointed to find that the 2009 directive is no longer effective, and that the Administration has approved such regressive action.”

“I call on all women – mothers, daughters, aunts, and all those who care about the rights of women to call on the White House directly to appeal this decision,” urged Ms. Young. 

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Fall has been busy, and has offered opportunities for outreach and idea exchange with many of our members, and also with candidates, elected officials, and leadership of numerous sister organizations.

In addition to our LA Board meeting in November, I travelled to Washington DC to participate in the White House briefing on Women and the Economy, and met friends old and new as we heard an amazing lineup of speakers on economic issues confronting women. DOL Secretary Hilda Solis, Women’s Bureau Director Sara Manzano Diaz, Small Business Administration Deputy Administrator Marie Johns, White House Deputy Press Secretary Jamie Smith and other high level officials shared information and programs that address the issue of jobs and economy for women. Ellie Smeal of the Feminist Majority and Edie Fraser, DC-based philanthropist and strong supporter of electing qualified women to office, were among those in the audience, and we all enjoyed the opportunity to network and connect as we heard about upcoming programming for women. Read the rest of this entry »

At the close of a dynamic 40^th Anniversary Convention, NWPC elected a Super Slate National Board to govern through 2013. The new board members are from all over our nation, including Teray Stephens, NWPC CA President who is the new 1^st Vice President and VP of Board Operations, and Donna DeBerry, another NWPC CA member, in the new VP of Diversity.

Linda Young, newly elected President from Texas, proudly proclaimed “Life Begins (again) at 40″ as she provided an exciting vision for the future. All of the new Board members, who bring impressive leadership and diversity to NWPC, are listed below.

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