Morning after in America

PRESIDENT BUSH’S UNEASY relationship with science and policy is about to hurt him as much as it has already hurt American women. For years now the Food and Drug Administration has failed to make the morning-after contraceptive pill, commonly known as Plan B, available over the counter. This despite numerous studies (including ones by the FDA) showing that the medication is effective and as safe as Tylenol. The result? Millions of women have been deprived of easier and cheaper access to an important product. And the agency has seriously damaged its reputation among scientists, Congress and the American public.

Now this inaction is about to claim another avoidable casualty. Bush has nominated Dr. Andrew C. von Eschenbach, who has been the agency’s acting commissioner since fall, to keep his job permanently. Von Eschenbach is a sound choice with a stellar resume. He is a respected Texas surgeon who headed the National Cancer Institute for four years. And he is a cancer survivor, so it’s hard not to root for him in a Lance Armstrong sort of way.

But Democratic Sens. Hillary Clinton of New York and Patty Murray of Washington are invoking senatorial privilege to block the nomination until the agency makes a decision on Plan B. In this case, the senators have every right to resort to blackmail. Last summer, they agreed to back the nomination of former FDA Commissioner Lester M. Crawford only after he promised to approve the drug. But the minute he got in office, he balked; then he abruptly resigned two months later.

In the months since, it’s been downright painful listening to FDA officials explain their obfuscations on the issue. Even they can barely say “we need to study the issue some more” with a straight face. To see why, visit the website of Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Los Angeles) -- earlier this month, he posted leaked evidence from within the agency showing its scientists supported the retail sale of Plan B in 2004.

Incredibly, that smoking gun probably won’t shame agency officials into changing their minds. Yet the administration insists that the issue will be addressed soon and that senators should just go ahead and approve the nomination. (If anyone buys that, we’ve got a beautiful plot of land in Antarctica they just have too see.)

It’s high time for the FDA to approve the morning-after pill for retail sale. Then Von Eschenbach can begin to help the troubled agency deal with its many urgent reforms.