Federal regulators have not only cleared the way for over the counter sales of a morning after pill.
They've also eliminated the hurdle that threatened to sink President Bush's pick to head the Food and Drug Administration.
Two senators who had blocked Andrew von Eschenbach's nomination have withdrawn their objections since an FDA compromise was announced today.
The ruling lets women 18 and over buy the Plan B contraceptive without a prescription. Girls 17 and younger will have to have a doctor's note.
Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Patty Murray say they still want the FDA to revisit the age restrictions. But their statement says the ruling is "real progress" toward giving all women access to emergency contraception.
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
