Senators Block Confirmation of FDA Commissioner Over EC
In a repeat of last spring's battle over the confirmation of the Food and Drug Administration Commissioner, Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) have announced that they will block the confirmation of Andrew von Eschenbach until the FDA rules on making the emergency contraceptive Plan B available over-the-counter. Last spring, they announced a similar hold on the nomination of Lester Crawford, which they lifted when the Secretary of Health and Human Services promised a decision by September 1, 2005. In a shocking turnaround, the FDA announced another delay on Plan B following Crawford’s confirmation. Soon afterwards, Crawford resigned, and von Eschenbach has been acting as interim commissioner.
Now, von Eschenbach faces a confirmation battle of his own, as Clinton and Murray have restated their demands, and seem to be taking a harder line. On National Public Radio, Murray said, “This time around, we are being very firm. The FDA needs to follow its own rules and make a decision, yes or no, on Plan B. And their credibility is at stake. We will hold up this nomination until that decision is made.” Testifying before Congress a month ago, von Eschenbach stated that science, not politics, would be the deciding factor in approving nonprescription sales of Plan B, but did not provide a timetable for an FDA decision.
6/18/2013 Supreme Court Strikes Down Proof of Citizenship Voter Requirements - On Monday, the United States Supreme Court struck down an Arizona law requiring voters to provide proof of citizenship before being allowed register to vote.
In an opinion written [PDF] by Justice Antonin Scalia, the Court ruled that the Arizona statute violated the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA, also known as the "Motor Voter Law") of 1993, which created a federal form that individuals can mail in to register to vote in federal elections. . . .
6/18/2013 Pakistani Women's University Bus, Hospital Bombed - A bus for a women's university in Pakistan and the hospital that treated victims from the blast were bombed on Saturday, killing 14 students and 24 others at the hospital.
The bus was transporting female students and teachers from Sardar Bahadur Khan Women's University in Quetta, located in the southwestern part of Pakistan. . . .
6/18/2013 Taliban Attack In Afghan Capital As NATO Transfers Power - Yesterday, NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) transferred responsibility for the country's security forces to the Afghan government after a bomb blast targeting a political official left three civilians dead in Kabul. . . .
