Friday, June 23, 2006

Almost a year ago, 19 members of Congress wrote a letter to President Bush asking whether he supports contraception and birth control. The letter was sent after then-press secretary Scott McClellan declined to answer a reporter's question on the same subject -- a "no comment" that was regularly repeated in the months that followed.

Late last month, Assistant Secretary for Health John O. Agwunobi responded for the president in a letter to Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-N.Y.):

Thank you for your letter to President Bush to request his views on access to birth control. The President has asked that I respond on his behalf.

This Administration supports the availability of safe and effective products and services to assist responsible adults in making decisions about preventing or delaying conception.

The Department of Health and Human Services faithfully executes laws establishing Federal programs to provide contraception and family planning services. The Title X Family Planning Program and Medicaid are each significant providers of family planning services.

Additionally, this Administration strongly supports teaching abstinence to young people as the only 100 percent effective means of preventing pregnancy, HIV, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

I will provide this response to the other signatories of your letter.