Hirono: ‘[Access to contraception] is not "pure hysteria" to ... millions of women across the country'

Politics
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Sen. Mazie Hirono tried to persuade Republican senators that there is a need to protect access to contraceptives for women. | Mazie Hirono/Facebook

Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) recently asked GOP lawmakers to support legislation that she introduced.

The Right to Contraception Act "would codify the fundamental and constitutional right to contraception, which the Supreme Court first recognized more than half a century ago in its decision in Griswold v. Connecticut," a press release from Hirono's office noted. 

"This is not 'pure hysteria' to the millions of women across the country who woke up one morning in June and no longer had a constitutional right," Hirono said in the press release. "When it comes to this far-right, agenda-driven Supreme Court, nothing is off the table, and nothing is 'pure hysteria.'"

Hirono introduced the Right to Contraception Act after Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas signaled his intent to revisit Griswold v. Connecticut in his opinion to overturn Roe v. Wade, according to the press release. 

Sens. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Edward Markey (D-MA) joined Hirono in revealing the legislation. Hirono and her fellow senators insisted that "codifying the constitutional right to obtain contraceptives would protect against efforts by Republican-led states to restrict contraception," the press release noted.

The effort to get GOP members to cross the aisle came after Senate Republicans suggested that the right to contraception is not at risk. This occurred even though "several Republican-led state legislatures are already preparing to take away access to contraception," Hirono said.