Hirono, Markey, Duckworth Statement on the Right to Contraception Act Floor Vote
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement ahead of the Senate vote tomorrow on their bill, the Right to Contraception Act. The bill would guarantee the right for people to obtain and use contraceptives and for health providers to prescribe contraceptives and give information related to contraception, free from 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. 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.
“Economic, social, and personal freedom are attacked when the right to contraception comes under attack. 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. The solution is to protect the right to contraception by passing our Right to Contraception Act.
“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.”
A long-time champion for abortion access, Senator Hirono is committed to protecting the fundamental right to reproductive care for all. Last month, Senator Hirono reintroduced the Access to Birth Control Act, legislation that would guarantee patients’ timely access to birth control at pharmacies nationwide—including by addressing pharmacies’ refusals of contraception that prevent patients from obtaining their preferred form of birth control medication. Last October, she also joined a letter urging the Biden Administration to require federally and state-regulated health insurance plans to fully cover over-the-counter contraceptives, including Opill with no copays or out of pocket costs, and without a prescription requirement. Earlier that year, Senator Hirono led her colleagues in urging Perrigo, the manufacturer of Opill, to follow through on its commitment to make the contraceptive “affordable and accessible” by releasing a low and affordable retail price and beginning broad distribution of the product as soon as possible.
###
