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Get involved with our political and advocacy arm, the Planned Parenthood Action Fund.


In April 2007, when the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the federal abortion ban, it sent a clear message to those of us who support women’s health and safety. The U.S. Congress must pass legislation that would safeguard every woman’s basic civil right to make her own health care decisions in consultant with her doctor.

The Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA), introduced in Congress, would do just that — by prohibiting federal or state governments from interfering with a woman’s fundamental right to choose to bear a child or end a pregnancy. Several states already have their own Freedom of Choice Acts. While a state FOCA won't undo the federal abortion ban, it is a step in the right direction if we want to protect women's health and safety.

In upholding the federal abortion ban, the Supreme Court overruled a key legal precedent that it had previously affirmed again and again — that a woman’s health must be the paramount concern in laws affecting abortion access. Every American who values freedom and privacy should be troubled by the court’s radical decision to turn its back on women’s health. And every American can fight back by telling Congress to guarantee the right to choose by supporting FOCA.

Join the Planned Parenthood Action Network and stay informed about the Freedom of Choice Act!





Published: 05.05.08 | Updated: 05.05.08