Over two years ago the FDA Reproductive Health Drugs Advisory Committee had its last meeting and since that time its charter lapsed. Now under Bush it will be revived with eleven brand new members, all selected by our President without Congresional approval.
The person Bush would like to head up the newly reformed committee is Dr. W. David Hager. This committee makes crucial decisions on a whole bunch of matters, not only relating to gynecological and obstetrics drugs but contraception and medical alternatives to surgical procedures for pregnancy termination. Many of his views are far outside the mainstream for reproductive technology.
Dr. Hager is staunchly pro-life and has written a number of books and articles that are somewhat bizarre in many of their teachings. For example, in one such article he states that women who suffer from PMS should read the bible and pray to fix themselves. He also calls the common birth control pill an abortifacient, a view not held by the vast majority of...well, anybody.
Dr. Hager evidently has strong religious beliefs, which I have no problem with. Unfortunately, I see his appointment as just one more way Bush will begin to further push his own agenda as it relates to women's rights. I'll be interested to see who the other ten appointees will be.
In another vein, Bush continues to push his own beliefs starting in Texas with school's health text books. Formerly the textbooks defined marriage as a "lifelong union between two adults." Now all references to marriage will be changed to "man and woman" or "husbands and wives".
Though some board members were against the change saying that "Our job is not supposed to make changes at somebody's whim. This is nothing more than a political agenda and we're not here to follow a political agenda", the changes were approved.
Texas is rolling right along in their efforts to make everyone in the state think like President Bush from attempting to instill intolerance in young school children to their refusal to even support same-sex civil unions.
-frolix