Monday, May 25, 2015

Sens. Cory Gardner and Kelly Ayotte Push Bill For Over-the-Counter Birth Control



Sens. Cory Gardner and Kelly Ayotte Push Bill For Over-the-Counter Birth Control
by Dr. Susan Berry24 May 2015
Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO) 25% and Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) 42% are pushing joint legislation that would incentivize drug companies that manufacture “routine-use contraceptives” to apply to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a switch to over-the-counter (OTC) sales.

According to a press release last week, the “Allowing Greater Access to Safe and Effective Contraception Act” would encourage contraceptive drug manufacturers to file for a “prescription-to-over-the-counter switch by allowing for priority review of the application and waiving the FDA filing fee.”

The measure provides for incentives to drug companies for any contraceptive available to adults aged 18 and above, which is deemed “safe and effective for routine OTC use” by the FDA.

The bill would also repeal Obamacare’s restrictions on consumer use of health, medical and flexible savings accounts for the purchase of OTC drugs, thus further enabling the purchase of OTC contraceptives with these types of savings accounts. Additionally, the legislation would repeal Obamacare’s annual limits on flexible savings account contributions.

“It’s time to allow women the ability to make their own decisions about safe, effective, and long-established methods of contraception,” Gardner said.

“Most other drugs with such a long history of safe and routine use are available for purchase over the counter, and contraception should join them,” he added. “Making this medication available over the counter would increase access in rural and underserved areas, save consumers money by increasing competition and availability, and save women time by increasing the ease of getting the safe contraception they need.”

“Our legislation will help increase women’s access to safe and effective contraceptives and further empower women to make their own health care decisions,” adds Ayotte. “In addition, our bill restores the ability of Health Savings Accounts and Flexible Spending Accounts to be used to purchase over-the-counter medications, giving women more purchasing power.”

Sens. Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV) 54%, Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) 75%, Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) 51%,
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) 69%, and Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) 50% are co-sponsoring the legislation.

During their campaigns for the U.S. Senate last year, Gardner and Tillis provoked the ire of abortion heavyweights NARAL, Planned Parenthood, and Emily’s List by turning the tables on Democrats who are eager to cast Republican candidates as members of the “war on women” brigade who would repeal Obamacare and take away “free” birth control for women.

Gardner and Tillis responded by advocating for OTC birth control – available without a prescription and, consequently, without Obamacare providing it. The two candidates presented the economic argument that birth control pills could be even more accessible – and less expensive – if women could purchase them without having to obtain a doctor’s prescription. Obamacare’s requirement of full coverage of birth control in health insurance plans requires a prescription and, as a result, would keep the cost of the contraceptives rising for taxpayers who foot the bill for the “free” birth control.

Since pro-abortion groups are reaping many benefits from Obamacare’s so-called “free” contraceptives, the argument presented by Gardner and Tillis sent them into a tailspin, and when the two Republicans won their Senate races, the wounded organizations said they would hold them accountable to their stance of making birth control available over the counter.

While the economic argument of lowering costs of contraceptives by having them available over-the-counter may carry weight, the choice of which oral contraceptives are “safe and effective for routine OTC use” is an issue that may need to be addressed.

As Breitbart News reported in April, Dr. Jane Orient, executive director of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS), observed that “a link exists between hormonal contraception and breast cancer.”

“The World Health Organization declared forms of birth control pills…as Group I carcinogens–and it makes biological sense,” she added.

Additionally, a recent study published by the journal Human Brain Mapping, found the use of the combination form of birth control pills to be associated with significantly lower cortical thickness in certain brain structures believed to be important in the response to emotional stimuli.

The authors of the study noted that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, oral contraceptives “are used by the majority of women in the United States for at least one period of time during their reproductive years and are approved by the Food and Drug Administration for pediatric use” after the onset of the first menstrual period.

“Some women experience negative emotional side effects from taking oral contraceptive pills, although the scientific findings investigating that have been mixed,” the study’s co-author, Nicole Petersen, a neuroscientist at UCLA, recently told The Huffington Post. “So it’s possible that this change in the lateral orbitofrontal cortex may be related to the emotional changes that some women experience when using birth control pills.”

Perhaps the reaction of study co-author Larry Cahill of the University of California-Irvine was most revealing, when he told Catholic News Agency he was amazed at the lack of research on birth control pills, considering they have been taken by many women for half a century to prevent pregnancy.

“You might think after 50 years and hundreds of millions of women taking various incarnations of the pill, there would be a large and cohesive and impressive body of evidence on it, but there’s next to nothing,” he said. “I honestly find that amazing.”

How Evil Is Your Birth Control Manufacturer?
Yaz and Yasmin manufacturer Bayer is under fire yet again, this time for withholding key data about blood clot risks from the FDA. We decided to see how Bayer stacked up against other manufacturers where evil is concerned.


In the land of Yaz commercials, everyone has a sassy doctor friend who enjoys casually discussing… Read more

According to Bloomberg, recently unsealed FDA documents show that Bayer neglected to pass along reports of blood clots to the agency in a 2004 safety review of Yasmin. Says former FDA commissioner David Kessler, "Bayer presented a selective view of the data, and that presentation obscured the potential risks associated with Yasmin." The Bloomberg coverage includes a lot of phrases you never want in an article about your company, like "The FDA told Bayer in June 2003 that it was 'very concerned' about the number of adverse events, particularly deaths," and a section titled "10,000 Lawsuits." So ...

Bayer

What it makes: Yasmin, Yaz, Mirena (IUD)

Evil activities: hiding information about Yaz and Yasmin risks; advertising pills for non-approved uses (like curing acne); failing inspections for some ingredients

Wyeth (now owned by Pfizer)

What it makes: Alesse, LoOvral, Lybrel, Ovral, Minesse, Harmonet, Triminulet, Trinordiol, Minulet, Microval, Nordiol, Biphasil, Overette, Nordette, Triphasil

Evil activities: allegedly illegally kept a generic version of the antidepressant Effexor off the market; accused of paying bribes for overseas business; allegedly sponsored unethical drug trials on victims of the 1984 Bhopal gas disaster

Ortho-McNeil-Janssen (part of Johnson & Johnson)

What it makes: Ortho-Cept, Ortho-Cyclen, Ortho Micronor, Ortho-Novum, Ortho-Tri-Cyclen, Ortho-Evra, Ortho-Tri-Cyclen Lo

Evil activities: accused of hiding risks of Ortho-Evra patch, including a potentially higher risk of blood clots than that posed by birth control pills; allegedly paid kickbacks to pharmacy Omnicare to get more nursing home residents on its drugs

Merck

What it makes: Implanon, Nexplanon, NuvaRing

Evil activities: allegedly made false statements about Vioxx's safety and marketed it for an unapproved use (for which it will pay a nearly $1 billion settlement); refuses to lower prices it charges government programs for its life-saving AIDS drugs

Warner Chilcott

What it makes: Ovcon, Estrostep, Loestrin, Lo Loestrin

Evil activities: Warner Chilcott was sued in connection with its IPO in 2006, but in general I was not able to find much evidence of evil. However, Urban Dictionary does define "Warner Chilcott" as "To commit an act of unspeakable evil and uncalled for malice, just because you can" — so maybe there's something I'm missing.


Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
CDC Foundation is a foundation for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Note: Colleen A. Goggins was a board member for the CDC Foundation, and the worldwide chairman, consumer group for Johnson & Johnson.
David Satcher was a director at Johnson & Johnson, the surgeon general for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and is a board member for the CDC Foundation.
Bloomberg Family Foundation was a funder for the CDC Foundation.
Michael R. Bloomberg is the founder of the Bloomberg Family Foundation, the founder of Bloomberg LP, Howard Wolfson is his adviser, and was a benefactor at the Harlem Children's Zone.
Anne M. Tatlock is a director at the Bloomberg Family Foundation, and was a director at Merck.
Howard Wolfson is Michael R. Bloomberg’s adviser, and was a partner at the Glover Park Group.
Glover Park Group is the lobby firm for Bloomberg IL, the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, was the Pfizer Inc., and Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.
Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank).
George Soros is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations, was a benefactor at the Harlem Children's Zone, a contributor for MoveOn.org, and the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Harlem Children's Zone, Media Matters, the Brookings Institution (think tank), the Committee for Economic Development, and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank).
Ilyse Hogue was a director of political advocacy for MoveOn.org, is a senior adviser for Media Matters, and the president of NARAL Pro-Choice America.
Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP was the lobby firm for the Glover Park Group, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, is the lobby firm for Pfizer Inc., Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, and Wyeth.  
Wyeth was a member of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.
Vernon E. Jordan Jr. is a senior counsel for Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP, married to Ann Dibble Jordan, an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), Valerie B. Jarrett’s great uncle, a director at the American Friends of Bilderberg (think tank), and a 2008 Bilderberg conference participant (think tank).
Ann Dibble Jordan is married to Vernon E. Jordan Jr., an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), and was a director at Johnson & Johnson.
Valerie B. Jarrett is Vernon E. Jordan Jr’s great niece, the senior adviser for the Barack Obama administration, and a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.
R. Eden Martin is the president of the Commercial Club of Chicago, and counsel at Sidley Austin LLP.
Newton N. Minow is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, and a senior counsel at Sidley Austin LLP.
Michelle Obama was a lawyer at Sidley Austin LLP.
Sidley Austin LLP was the lobby firm for Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer Inc., is the lobby firm for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, and Bayer HealthCare.
Sandra E. Peterson is the group worldwide chairman for Johnson & Johnson, and was the EVP for Bayer HealthCare.
Bayer HealthCare is a member of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, and a subsidiary of Bayer AG.
Barack Obama was an intern at Sidley Austin LLP, and Obamacare is his signature policy initiative.                    
CGI Group Inc. was the Obamacare contractor that developed Healthcare.gov web site.
Donna S. Morea was the EVP for the CGI Group Inc., and a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development.
Booz Allen Hamilton is a contractor for Obamacare.
Lloyd Howell Jr. is the EVP for Booz Allen Hamilton, and a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development.
Raymond V. Gilmartin is a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development, and was the president & CEO for Merck.
Patricia F. Russo is a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development, a director at Merck, and a director at Alcoa Inc.
Joseph T. Gorman was a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development, and a director at Alcoa Inc.
Michael G. Morris was a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development, and is a director at Alcoa Inc.
Stephen W. Sanger is a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development, and a director at Pfizer Inc.
Frederick W. Telling was a VP for Pfizer Inc., and is a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development.
Robert A. Essner was a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development, and the chairman for Wyeth.
Ronald A. Williams is a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development, a director at Johnson & Johnson, and a director at the Boeing Company.
Kenneth M. Duberstein was the VP for the Committee for Economic Development, is a director at the Boeing Company, and a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Donna S. Morea was a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development, and the EVP for the CGI Group Inc.
Barbara G. Fast was a VP for the CGI Group Inc., and a VP at the Boeing Company.
W. James McNerney Jr. is the chairman & president & CEO for the Boeing Company, and a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.
Cyrus F. Freidheim Jr. is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, and an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).   
Klaus Kleinfeld is a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), the chairman & CEO for Alcoa Inc., a director at Bayer AG, and a 2008 Bilderberg conference participant (think tank).
Bayer Corporation is a North American subsidiary for Bayer AG.
Mayer Brown was the lobby firm for the Bayer Corporation, and Pfizer Inc.  
William M. Daley was a partner at Mayer Brown, the chief of staff for the Barack Obama administration, and is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.
William M. Daley    
Professional career 
Daley returned to the practice of law, as a partner with the firm Mayer Brown (then Mayer, Brown & Platt) from 1993 to 1997.
Commercial Club of Chicago, Members Directory A-Z (Past Research)
Tuesday, December 17, 2013       
Robert A. Helman is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, a partner at Mayer Brown, and was an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Charles O. Prince III was a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), and is a director at the Johnson & Johnson.
Mark B. McClellan is a director at Johnson & Johnson, was a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution (think tank), an administrator of Medicare and Medicaid for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and a commissioner for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Constance J. Horner was a guest scholar at the Brookings Institution (think tank), the deputy secretary for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and is a director Pfizer Inc.
Suzanne Nora Johnson is a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), a director at Pfizer Inc., and a trustee at the Carnegie Institution for Science.
Andrew Carnegie was the founder of the Carnegie Institution for Science, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank), and the founder of the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Jessica Tuchman Mathews was an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), the president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank), is a director at the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank), a director at the American Friends of Bilderberg (think tank), and a 2008 Bilderberg conference participant (think tank).
Ed Griffin’s interview with Norman Dodd in 1982
(The investigation into the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace uncovered the plans for population control by involving the United States in war)
Donald Kennedy was a trustee at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank), and a commissioner for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank) was a funder for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank). 
Margaret A. Hamburg is the commissioner for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the VP for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank), David A. Hamburg’s daughter, and was an assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
David A. Hamburg is Margaret A. Hamburg’s father, an adviser for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank), and the president emeritus for the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Carnegie Corporation of New York was a funder for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank), the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank), and the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Newton N. Minow is an honorary trustee at the Carnegie Corporation of New York, a senior counsel for Sidley Austin LLP, and a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.
Barack Obama was an intern at Sidley Austin LLP.
Michelle Obama was a lawyer at Sidley Austin LLP, and Craig M. Robinson’s sister.
Sidley Austin LLP was the lobby firm for Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer Inc., is the lobby firm for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, and Bayer HealthCare.
R. Eden Martin is counsel at Sidley Austin LLP, and the president of the Commercial Club of Chicago.
Penny S. Pritzker is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, the secretary at the U.S. Department of Commerce for the Barack Obama administration, was the national finance chair, fundraiser for the 2008 Barack Obama presidential campaign, a co-chair for the 2009 Barack Obama inaugural committee, a fundraiser, national co-chair for the 2012 Barack Obama presidential campaign, a contributor for the 2013 Barack Obama inaugural committee, the host for the Barack Obama fund-raising dinner, 7/2/2008, and Craig M. Robinson’s basketball coach for the children's team.
Sally Susman was a deputy assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Commerce, and is the EVP for Pfizer Inc.,
Samuel W. Bodman III was the deputy secretary for the U.S. Department of Commerce, and is a trustee emeritus at the Carnegie Institution for Science.
Suzanne Nora Johnson is a trustee at the Carnegie Institution for Science, a director at Pfizer Inc., and a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Peter G. Peterson was the secretary for the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the chairman for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank).
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank) was a funder for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank). 
Donald Kennedy was a trustee at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank), and a commissioner for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Margaret A. Hamburg is the VP for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank), the commissioner for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), David A. Hamburg’s daughter, and was an assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
David A. Hamburg is Margaret A. Hamburg’s father, an adviser for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank), and the president emeritus for the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Carnegie Corporation of New York was a funder for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank), the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank), and the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Ted Turner is a co-chairman for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank), and a member of Kappa Sigma.
Richard M. Burr is a member of Kappa Sigma, and a U.S. Senate senator.


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