WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama supports requiring girls younger than 17 to see a doctor before buying the morning-after pill. But fighting that battle in court comes with its own set of risks.
A federal judge on Friday ordered the Food and Drug Administration to lift age restrictions on the sale of emergency contraception without a prescription. The ruling upends a decision the Obama administration made in 2011.
The Justice Department says it's still deciding whether to appeal. If it does, it could re-ignite the cultural battle over women's reproductive health and sidetrack Obama just as he's trying to keep Congress and the public focused on gun control, immigration and the budget.
White House spokesman Jay Carney says Obama still believes that the age limits are the right commonsense approach.
