WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) issued a statement today ahead of the Senate vote on their bill, the Right to Contraception Act. The proposed legislation aims to ensure the right for individuals to obtain and use contraceptives and for healthcare providers to prescribe contraceptives and provide related information without government interference.
"Decades after the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the constitutional right to access contraception, this same right is being threatened for millions of Americans as a result of Republicans’ successful efforts to overturn Roe v. Wade," the senators stated. "Across the country, extreme state abortion bans are undermining access to Plan B, survivors of sexual violence are facing greater challenges obtaining emergency contraception, health providers are being prevented from educating their patients on birth control options, and a sitting Supreme Court justice called for the reconsideration of this constitutional right, as other extremist judges rule in favor of limiting access to contraception."
The senators emphasized that economic, social, and personal freedoms are compromised when access to contraception is restricted. They noted that recent actions by the Supreme Court have overturned longstanding legal precedents concerning reproductive rights.
"We’ve seen this Supreme Court willingly overturn decades of legal precedent to peel back reproductive rights, and we are unwilling to stand by as threats to the right to contraception escalate," they said. "The solution is to protect the right to contraception by passing our Right to Contraception Act."
They further stressed that tomorrow's vote would reveal each senator's stance on protecting health and freedom: "This vote will put each Senator on the record on their willingness to stand up for the health and freedom of every American. Protecting the right to access and provide contraception free from government interference should be easy, but MAGA extremists want to make it hard. We look forward to voting yes to protect this right."
Senator Hirono has been an advocate for abortion access and broader reproductive care rights. Last month, she reintroduced the Access to Birth Control Act aimed at ensuring timely patient access at pharmacies nationwide. Additionally, she urged both federal and state-regulated health insurance plans through a letter last October—co-signed with colleagues—to fully cover over-the-counter contraceptives like Opill without copays or prescription requirements.
Earlier in 2023, Senator Hirono led an initiative urging Perrigo, Opill’s manufacturer, to maintain its commitment by releasing an affordable retail price for broad distribution.
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