Over at The Washington Monthly, Amy Sullivan links approvingly to an open letter to the pro-lifers from Pro-Choice America :

We will never resolve our differences on this basic question. But we should agree on an equally fundamental point: America would be a better country if no woman ever faced the difficult choices posed by an unintended pregnancy. What better way to end the debate over abortion rights than by eliminating the reasons women seek abortion?

The time has come to join together in a new campaign to reduce the number of abortions.

senate Minority Leader Harry Reid ? who disagrees with us on the issue of abortion ? has offered a commonsense bill called the Prevention First Act which would help reduce unintended pregnancies through better access to birth control. This landmark legislation represents a serious first step in addressing the problem, and I hope you?ll join pro‐choice Americans and me in offering your support.

There’s lots to love about this.from the act’s title to the strategy of calling pro-lifer’s bluff when it comes to their lack of dedication to actually reducing the number of abortions performed.

As for what’s in the act itself? Well, you can read it for yourself here. Since the bill’s seven “titles” look like a reworking of a bill from last year, I’m combining the headings of the current bill with the language from this summary the previous one. Here’s the gist of the Prevention First Act :

TITLE X OF PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE ACT – Increases the authorization for the national family planning program to $643 million in FY2005, which is the level at which it would be funded if its funding had kept up with inflation since 1980.For most women who live in poverty, Title X clinics and their services provide the only health care they will ever receive. Title X clinics not only empower women to control if and under what circumstances they become pregnant, but also provide other vital health services including screening for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), high blood pressure, anemia, and breast cancer. Title X clinics are forbidden by law to use program funds to pay for abortions.

FAMILY PLANNING STATE EMPOWERMENT – Gives all states the option to expand Medicaid family planning services to women with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level, without having to apply for a federal waiver. There are currently 18 states that receive waivers for Medicaid expansion to cover family planning services. These states have demonstrated success in using Medicaid funds to prevent unintended pregnancies. It is a proven way to save taxpayer dollars ? for every dollar spent on family planning, three dollars are saved for Medicaid in pregnancy-related and newborn-care costs.

EQUITY IN PRESCRIPTION INSURANCE AND CONTRACEPTIVE COVERAGE – Requires private health plans to cover FDA-approved prescription contraceptives and related medical services to the same extent that they cover other outpatient medical services and prescription drugs. This title seeks to establish fairness and parity for prescription contraception within the context of coverage already provided by health insurers. This legislation would facilitate access to contraception in a simple, cost-effective way to lower the rate of unintended pregnancies.

EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION EDUCATION AND INFORMATION – The Secretary of Health and Human Services is required to implement public education initiatives about the efficacy and safety of emergency contraception (EC). Also known as ?the morning after pill,? EC is an FDA-approved drug that, when taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex or contraceptive failure, prevents implantation of a fertilized egg ? thus preventing pregnancy. While EC has been available for several years, many women are unaware of what EC is and how it works. It cannot terminate a pregnancy and does not cause abortions.

COMPASSIONATE ASSISTANCE FOR RAPE EMERGENCIES – Requires all hospitals receiving federal funds to offer victims of sexual assault medically accurate information about emergency contraception (EC), and to provide EC when it is requested. For the thousands of women who are tragically raped each year, EC may be the only contraceptive option. Nearly 25,000 rape victims become pregnant in the U.S. each year, making them victims not just once, but twice.

TEENAGE PREGNANCY PREVENTION – Provides funding for grants to public and private entities to establish or expand teen pregnancy prevention programs. Almost 900,000 teenagers become pregnant each year, and three million teenagers contract a sexually-transmitted disease each year. It is a dangerous mistake to assume that withholding important information from teenagers will encourage them to make responsible sexual choices.

ACCURACY OF CONTRACEPTIVE INFORMATION – Any information concerning the use of a contraceptive provided through any federally funded sex education, family life education, abstinence education, comprehensive health education, or character education program shall be medically accurate and shall include health benefits and failure rates relating to the use of such contraceptive.

These seven steps fit in nicely with this oddly controversial speech by Hillary Clinton a few weeks ago :

This decision, which is one of the most fundamental, difficult and soul searching decisions a woman and a family can make, is also one in which the government should have no role. I believe we can all recognize that abortion in many ways represents a sad, even tragic choice to many, many women. Often, it’s a failure of our system of education, health care, and preventive services. It’s often a result of family dynamics. This decision is a profound and complicated one; a difficult one, often the most difficult that a woman will ever make. The fact is that the best way to reduce the number of abortions is to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies in the first place.

While Sen. Clinton may have generated headlines for “playing to the right”, she was 100% correct. It shouldn’t be considered liberal heresy to point out the obvious fact that abortions are horrible. If anything, acknowledging this smashes holes in the pro-life stereotype that liberals are bloodthirsty baby-killers and puts us on common ground with the rest of the country.

The whole point of the mantra “Safe, Legal, and Rare” is that our efforts should be aimed at reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies, not feel good attempts to chip away at women’s legal rights while ignoring the conditions that cause so many unwanted pregnancies in the first place. The Prevention First Act is a giant leap forward in this regard that should appeal to people on both sides of the aisle. The only question now is whether the pro-lifers true motivation is to reduce the number of abortions performed.