In Congress

Lawmakers Re-introduce the “Right to Contraception Act” - Aim to Protect This Right For Good

Despite overwhelming public support for contraception, which most American families use, in July 2022, 195 members of the house voted against our right to contraception. That includes condoms, IUDs, the pill, patches, emergency contraception, and the ring. 

Last year, Justice Clarence Thomas’ concurrence to the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision called for the U.S. Supreme Court to reconsider the right to contraception. This statement has emboldened Republican-controlled state legislatures to introduce legislation to begin limiting access to birth control. 

That’s why this June, Rep. Kathy Manning and Sen. Ed Markey re-introduced the Right to Contraception Act – a bill to codify the right to contraception in federal law.

We're asking Americans across the country to call their senator and find out where they stand on the Right to Contraception Act. Are they going to fumble our freedoms?

 

Here are talking points you can use to tell your friends and family what’s going on:

👉 Did you know the U.S. does not currently have a law protecting the right to contraception? That means it can be taken away. Some states have already introduced bills that could take away basic contraception like IUDs.

👉 Some congressional lawmakers just introduced a bill called the Right to Contraception Act. If passed, it would protect the right to IUDs, the pill, patches, emergency contraception, the ring, condoms – all of it.

👉 Congress actually voted on the same bill last year, and 195 members of the House of Representatives voted against it. You heard that right: 195 lawmakers voted against protecting the right to contraception.

👉 People use contraception for so many reasons: to plan their families, reduce period pain, treat acne, and manage endometriosis, menopause, and more. 

👉 It’s important to talk about the Right to Contraception Act and know how your representatives vote on it.

It is essential that Congress protect people’s ability to make critical decisions about their own reproductive health, free from political interference. Contraception is critical health care that almost all women will use at some point in their lifetimes. Access to comprehensive reproductive health services, including contraception, is key to achieving gender equality, improving health outcomes for women and their families, bolstering educational and economic opportunity for all, and ensuring people are in control of their own bodies and family planning.

Learn more about threats to the right to contraception here, review news below, or take action directly by visiting AmericansForContraception.org.

 

News:

9/14/2023 - The GOP's defeaning silence on access to contraception

9/8/2023 - Don't fall for the GOP's bait and switch on birth control

8/31/2023 - I'm a Republican Mother: Contraception Should Stay Legal

6/23/2023 - Congress must codify the right to contraception before it’s too late

6/20/2023 - A Year After Dobbs, Advocates Push In The States For A Right To Birth Control

6/17/2023 - Bill Reintroduced In Congress Gives Federal Protection For Right To Birth Control Access

6/14/2023 - Democrats Reintroduce Bill To Safeguard Access To Contraception

11/15/2022 - Now Is the Time to Protect and Expand Birth Control Access