Congresswoman Clarke Urges the Supreme Court to Affirm Women's Rights

Press Release

Brooklyn, N.Y. -- Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke joined ninety-three of her colleagues in filing an amicus brief with the United States Supreme Court in Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby Stores and Conestoga Wood Specialties Corp. v Sebelius to protect women's access to basic health care services such as contraception.

"When Congress and President Obama developed the Affordable Care Act, we wanted to end the policy of sex discrimination in which women were charged much higher premiums for insurance, and routine medical services were not covered by their insurance plans, despite that comparable services for men were covered. The enactment of the Affordable Care Act was a victory for women," said Congresswoman Clarke. "This lawsuit constitutes an attempt to undermine that victory for women, to return women to the status of a subordinate sex, whose needs insurance companies are allowed to ignore."

Congresswoman Clarke continued: "The types of health care services this lawsuit involves are used by an estimated ninety-nine percent of women at some point in their lives, and have been recognized by doctors and public health experts as safe and effective. As with men, women have the right to control their health care decisions. I urge the Supreme Court to affirm this basic right."

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