HIRONO JOINS WOMEN SENATORS, MOTHERS & MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS IN BLASTING REPUBLICAN ATTEMPTS TO DEFUND OBAMACARE, SHUTDOWN GOVERNMENT

Washington, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono joined her Democratic female colleagues, pregnant women, new mothers and medical professionals today to blast Republican attempts to defund health care reform by forcing a government shutdown. Repealing or defunding the Affordable Care Act would take away basic coverage like maternity care, prenatal care, preventive screenings like mammograms, and other services for millions of women. Gutting the law would return women to the days when they could be charged more just for being women, and when pregnancy was considered a preexisting condition, which made it difficult or impossible for pregnant moms to get health coverage.

Watch Hirono’s full remarks here: http://bit.ly/170Zfuz.

“We are facing a shutdown of government in a few days that will hurt our families and harm our economy,” Hirono spoke. “Why? Because of a seemingly endless quest on the part of Republicans to gut Obamacare, a law that was passed by both houses of Congress, upheld by the Supreme Court and signed into law by a President who was overwhelmingly reelected….Let’s not attack women, let’s not attack our families so that this endless quest to gut Obamacare continues. Let’s get on with the business of our country, which is to create jobs, help our middle class.”

Senate Democratic women led the fight to include important protections for women in the Affordable Care Act. Also speaking were Senators Stabenow (MI), Mikulski (MD), Murray (WA), McCaskill (MO), Klobuchar (MN), Shaheen (NH), Baldwin (WI), Warren (MA) and Heitkamp (ND). They were joined by new mothers who couldn’t find health insurance under the old system and medical professionals who have seen first-hand how the Affordable Care Act will help women across the country.

Senators Warren, Mikulski and Hirono look on as a mother describes how she couldn’t find health care coverage while pregnant ahead of the Affordable Care Act taking effect.

Hirono joins her female colleagues in fighting Republican attempts to shutdown government and harm women and families.