I don't understand why the administration can't make the case to the Republicans, who the Obama Team evidently fears will attack them for broadening the availability of contraception, that Plan B and other forms of contraception will prevent pregnancies and, therefore, abortions.
The tactic is straightforward: Why do the Republicans want more teen pregnancies and more teen abortions? Fact:
Medical experts have for years urged the federal government to make emergency contraception available to teens without a prescription, noting that the drug is safe and highly effective, preventing as much as 80 percent of pregnancies in teens and young women, according to the [American Academy for Pediatrics]. ... The AAP also found no evidence that the availability of emergency contraception increases rates of sexual activity, or the frequency of unprotected sex, among teens. ...
There’s also a case to be made that wider availability of Plan B emergency contraception could help lower the rate of teen pregnancies that end in abortion, experts say. According to the Guttmacher Institute’s numbers, 82 percent of teen pregnancies in the U.S. are unplanned, and nearly a third — 27 percent — end in abortion.
But I suppose it's more expedient to sweep this under the carpet for a year or so until after the election when Secretary Sebelius will lift her block on the FDA's decision.