Nancy Keenan (born February 14, 1952) is the current president of the United States-based reproductive rights organization NARAL Pro-Choice America.
Keenan was born in Anaconda, Montana. She earned an undergraduate degree in education from Montana State University and master's degree from the University of Montana. Keenan began her career as a special-education teacher before winning election to the Montana House of Representatives.[1] In 1988 she won the first of three terms as the statewide elected Superintendent of Public Instruction for Montana. She served until 2000.[2] In 2000, Keenan ran for the Montana at-large seat in the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat. She was defeated by Republican Denny Rehberg.[3] From 2003-2004, Keenan worked as the Education Policy Director of the organization People For the American Way (PFAW).
Keenan became president of NARAL Pro-Choice America in 2004.[4] As president, Keenan has advocated for access to abortion, but she has also attempted to change the nature of the debate around reproductive rights issues in the United States. For example, in 2006, she said that while pro-choice and pro-life people don't agree on abortion "we should be able to agree that we can reduce unintended pregnancies" by (as a NARAL ad stated) "guaranteeing women's access to birth control, including the 'morning-after' pill, making sure our kids receive honest, realistic sex education, and increasing support for family-planning services."[5] In a speech presented on the 35th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Keenan asked supporters to acknowledge "a woman's right to choose is a morally complex issue, and a lot less black and white than it’s been made out to be." She discussed the pro-choice position in terms of moral values.[6][7] She reiterated the position that reducing unintended pregnancy is a "core moral value" in her speech at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.[8]
Washingtonian Magazine named Nancy Keenan as one of the 100 most powerful women in Washington, DC in 2006.[9] She has appeared on MSNBC[10] and other news broadcasts, and is frequently quoted by the The Washington Post, The New York Times, Associated Press, and other news services.
Keenan was strongly critical of the Stupak-Pitts Amendment, which places limits on taxpayer-funded abortions in the context of the November 2009 Affordable Health Care for America Act.
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