A Better Week in Washington, D.C.

The Child Health Bill should be a no-brainer and should unify conservatives and progressives in making sure that all children receive health care coverage. Surely we can all agree that every child has a right to the medical care and preventive services they need.

But, not surprisingly riders of all sorts have been attached to these bills. The good news though, according to NARAL, is that the Senate yesterday narrowly defeated (50 - 49) an anti-choice rider to the bill, that would have extended coverage to embryos and fetuses but not pregnant women.

And the House voted to change the authorization for a part of the abstinence-only-until-marriage program so that, according to SIECUS, programs must now:

*contain medically and scientifically accurate information;

*give states the flexibility to use funds for more comprehensive programs which discuss abstinence, but may also include information on birth control;

*require funded programs to have been proven effective at decreasing teen pregnancy, STD, and HIV/AIDS rates.

Of course, both of these now how to go to the other side to work out a compromise on the final bill.

Let's hope and pray that wisdom and care will prevail.