Nancy L. Johnson: “on July 16 I felt tremendous pride in this Congress when Republicans and Democrats came together and passed an important…”

“on July 16 I felt tremendous pride in this Congress when Republicans and Democrats came together and passed an important family planning provision that would have extended contraceptive coverage to more than a million women enrolled in Federal health plans. The debate was heated, but it was honest and driven by the merits of the issue. Now, three months later, that same provision is no longer in this bill. No one is more disappointed than I. I am particularly disappointed by the fact that it was the victim of an incredible partisanship. The Democrats simply decided contraceptive coverage was expendable, and I rarely make this kind of claim, but honestly that is the truth. It was expendable, it was less important than a provision that will have no effect for 4 years. The Haitian solution was less important than the FEC problem that can be fixed in the next 4 years. The child care improvements were less important than the FEC provisions that will not have effect for 4 years. We should have been able to pass that bill on the floor that had those provisions in it.”