Rep. Lee Votes to Protect the Right to Contraception From Extremist Threats

Press Release

Congresswoman Barbara Lee today voted to enshrine the right to contraception in federal statutory law. The Right to Contraception Act ensures that neither states nor a hostile Republican administration can limit people's access to contraceptives or the ability of health care providers to provide contraceptives and information related to them.

"Today, I proudly voted to enshrine the right to contraception into federal law. Contraception is fundamental to the health and human rights of all people; it is a core tenant of basic preventive health care that millions of Americans rely upon," said Rep. Lee. "Access to contraception advances women's health, economic empowerment, and equality; it allows people, not politicians, to make decisions about their families and their lives.

"But by overturning Roe, the Republican-controlled Court has shown that they will stop at nothing and continue their assault on our fundamental rights. This is a continuation of decades of efforts by Republicans to gut family planning services, restrict access to care, and roll back the clock on women's access to reproductive health care services at the state and federal level. Make no mistake: Republicans want to control women's lives and their bodies."

"This bill is an important step in protecting reproductive rights, however we can't stop here. Just as abortion wasn't accessible to all before Roe, contraception has long been out of reach for people of color and low-income people. We need to join the rest of the developed world in making birth control available over the counter.

"I thank my colleagues in the House and leadership for bringing this crucial bill to the floor. I urge my Senate counterparts to move swiftly to stop right-wing attacks before they continue any further by protecting contraception access in federal law."

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