Rep. Johnson Votes to Defend Georgians' Right to Contraception

Press Release

On Thursday, in order to combat right-wing attacks on women's reproductive health freedoms, Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) voted to defend Georgians' right to access birth control. Passed in response to the Supreme Court's heart-wrenching decision undermining the Constitutional right to privacy, the Right to Contraception Act establishes a statutory right to obtain, use and provide contraception under federal law -- preempting Republican attempts to criminalize contraception.

"This week, I proudly joined House Democrats in standing up for Georgians' ability to make their own family planning decisions," said Rep. Johnson. "Emboldened by a GOP-appointed Supreme Court, right-wing extremists are waging a dark crusade of punishment and control across the country -- even seeking to restrict women's access to birth control. Building on landmark reproductive rights legislation passed by the House last week, the Right to Contraception Act will protect Georgians from this outrageous assault on personal freedom by establishing a statutory right to use birth control under federal law. As Republicans set their sights on criminalizing abortion in all 50 states, House Democrats will never relent in defending the rights of every American, everywhere."

With its ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, the Supreme Court's Republican-appointed supermajority erased nearly 50 years of legal precedent -- fulfilling the Republican Party's longtime goal of ripping away Americans' reproductive health freedoms. In his concurring opinion, Justice Clarence Thomas called on the Court to reconsider other landmark rulings -- including the Griswold v. Connecticut decision recognizing the Constitutional right to use contraceptives. Right-wing legislators in Idaho and Louisiana are already using the Dobbs decision to begin restricting access to contraception, while other Republicans have called Griswold "constitutionally unsound," "wrongly decided" and "an issue that should have been left up to the states."

These attacks threaten basic preventive health care relied on by millions of Americans. Contraceptive use is crucial to preventing unintended pregnancies, preventing and treating a wide array of medical conditions and decreasing the risk of certain cancers. Access to contraception also advances economic equity -- leading to higher wages and lower rates of poverty. Support for contraception is nearly universal: 96 percent of voters support having access to contraception, and 99 percent of U.S. women who have been sexually active report having used some form of contraception.

The Right to Contraception Act will protect Georgians from extremist attacks on this essential care, establishing a statutory right to obtain, use and provide contraceptives under federal law. This legislation will also prohibit states from impeding these rights -- including providers' ability to share information about contraception.

This action builds on the House's vote last week to advance two pieces of landmark reproductive rights legislation. The Women's Health Protection Act will enshrine the protections of Roe v. Wade into federal law and guarantee Americans' right to make their own health decisions. Additionally, the Ensuring Women's Right to Reproductive Freedom Act will reaffirm the right to freely travel throughout the country to access reproductive care.

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