Today, Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth (IL-08) will help introduce legislation responding to the Supreme Court's decision in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood v. Burwell. The Protect Women's Health from Corporate Interference Act of 2014 would explicitly prohibit for-profit employers that maintain a group health plan for its employees from using religious beliefs to deny employees coverage of contraception or any other vital health service required by federal law. The legislation will be introduced by Pro-Choice Caucus co-Chairs Louise Slaughter (D-NY) and Diana DeGette (D-CO), and Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY).
"This legislation is an important step towards making sure that women have access to birth control and can make their own choices about their reproductive health. Congress, the Supreme Court, corporations and the Administration should not be in the business of restricting access to health care for women."
"Access to affordable birth control is crucial to protecting the health of women and reducing unwanted pregnancies. 99% of sexually active American women have used contraception at some point in their lives and access to birth control has been shown to decrease abortion rates by up to 78%. Personal decisions about reproductive health should be based on a woman's own conscience, religious beliefs and sound medical advice -- not the whims of her employer or her legislators."