Contraception
Floor Speech
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Ms. EDWARDS. I thank the gen tle lady for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I just want to express my support for the administration's ruling that provides women and families across this country, no matter their faith, the opportunity to take control of their own reproductive health and to gain access to contraceptive services.
The opposition we are hearing--although very vocal, from very few voices--does not adequately reflect the voices of the millions of women across this country who rely on contraception.
Mr. Speaker, 99 percent of women in the United States and 98 percent of Catholic women already use birth control; and it's estimated that, on average, women use birth control for 30 years. Polls conducted across the country over the last week also have found that more than half of the United States population believes that employers should provide health care plans that cover contraception and birth control at no cost.
Unfortunately, over the last week, since the administration's ruling, I believe religious leaders have misinterpreted and misled the American people on the rule's implications. The exemption in the ruling actually very carefully protects the rights of churches and church associations. The administration justly limits the exemption of institutions whose main purpose is for spreading religion and employ and serve people of the same faith. Clearly, the opposition doesn't express this. Extending this exemption beyond these churches to other religious institutions would directly undermine the intent of the health care reform law for the more than 640,000 individuals employed, in particular, by Catholic hospitals.
And let's be clear: Contrary to what some have said, this ruling has absolutely nothing to do with abortion. In fact, the ruling will save women up to $600 per year and keep their employers from absorbing a 15 to 17 percent increase in health care costs simply not to provide women with contraceptive coverage.
Women and families across the country deserve the option to receive comprehensive contraception coverage if they desire. The rule doesn't prescribe contraception to women. If a woman chooses to exercise her faith and not use contraception, she's free to do so under this ruling. However, limiting access to contraception to any subset of the population would be a direct affront to the scientific and medical recommendations of the Institute of Medicine.
Catholic institutions are in an untenable position. After all, where is it that we would draw the line? Should those institutions exercise their role as employers rather than their role in their faith tradition? I would argue that of course this is about their role as an employer.
What, for example, would the government do if these institutions also believed that they should exempt themselves from paying payroll taxes because they believe that under their faith tradition people's responsibility is to tithe instead? Would we allow them to self-exempt from payroll taxes? I don't think so.
Contraception and maternal health is all a part of a woman's comprehensive health care, just like breast exams, screenings, and well-woman visits. Fifty percent of pregnancies in this country are unplanned, and it's widely understood that these unplanned pregnancies are not as healthy as planned pregnancies. This can cost taxpayers up to $11 billion a year. And at a time when the other side is slashing budgets and proposing reforms to shift costs to States, this ruling is about as smart as we get for our health care system, for women and families, for babies, and for American taxpayers.
Making certain women and families have the opportunity to plan pregnancy is critical for our society. The administration's ruling protects women, families, and babies, eliminates discrimination of one group of women over another, and it's important for us. The ruling respects the religious beliefs and freedoms of all Americans and health care providers while it ensures that women have the full option to pursue contraception.
I stand with my colleagues in support of the administration's rule and look forward to working to expand health care coverage and women's health care coverage.
At this time, I would like to yield to my colleague from Connecticut, the Honorable Rosa DeLauro, who is a true leader for women's health care, and I appreciate her leadership.
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