The Washington Post reports that President Obama is trying shift the issue of abortion in the United States from a debate over “morality and legality” to emphasizing the need to decrease the number of unplanned pregnancies. To do this, he is utilizing the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, which has as one of its goals reducing the abortion rate.
The article cites several things the president has done to try to find common ground on the issue, including lifting the Global Gag Rule and removing contraceptives for low-income women from the stimulus package. We blogged about both of these moves here and here. As for reducing the abortion rate, the article cites several bills in the works aimed at that very goal:

Several pending proposals could offer the starting point for legislation aimed at reducing abortion by steps such as making contraception more available, making it easier for pregnant women to receive health care and day care and stay in school, and making it easier for prospective parents to adopt.

Any proposal that will help all women have better information, control and choices when it comes to their reproductive lives is one worth fighting for. Let’s hope President Obama makes good on his plans to reduce the need for abortion in the U.S. while respecting women’s agency over their lives.