Tom Harkin: “let's make it clear. We are not talking about an abortion bill. What we are talking about is a contraceptive pill a…”

“let's make it clear. We are not talking about an abortion bill. What we are talking about is a contraceptive pill a young woman would get, the morning after she may have been the victim of rape or incest. This amendment does not deal with RU-486, it clearly states it is about denying contraceptive services, and it has no exception for young victims of rape or incest. Right now, under existing law, some localities have chosen to provide minors access to contraceptive pills through community health centers and other programs that are based in the school. The decision to provide school-based contraceptive services is a local decision under current law. A local decision. Not a federal one. But this amendment would change that. This amendment says if a young woman has unprotected sex, or even if she is the victim of rape or incest, and is panic stricken the next morning, she cannot take a contraceptive pill the next morning, not knowing whether she is pregnant or not, in order to prevent a pregnancy from occurring. That is what this is about. And I want to reiterate that the Helms amendment has no exception for the victims of rape or incest.”