The US Senate passed a supplemental war spending bill on Thursday, which included a provision to restore government subsidies for birth control pills sold at university and low-income health centers. Advocated by the Feminist Majority and other pro-choice organizations, the measure passed 75-22.
For almost 20 years, pharmaceutical companies provided college health centers and clinics servicing low income women with birth control at deeply discounted prices. But the Deficit Reduction Act of 2006, which went into effect in January 2007, has eliminated these discounts for campus and low-income health centers. According to CQ Politics, the White House “has not issued a specific veto threat on the birth control proposal,” despite expressed opposition.
