King Cosponsors Bill to Strengthen and Protect Reproductive Health Care

June 05, 2024
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Nearly 50 years after the Supreme Court’sGriswold v. Connecticutdecision protecting access to contraception, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) has joined legislation to codify this right in federal law. TheRight to Contraception Actwould guarantee the right for people to obtain and use contraceptives and for health care providers to prescribe contraceptives and make available information related to contraception, free from government interference. Contraception includes over-the-counter methods, such as condoms or emergency contraception; those prescribed by pharmacists, like birth control pills; or those requiring a procedure or medical appointment for short-acting or long-acting reversible contraceptives or more permanent methods.
A2022 pollconducted by FiveThirtyEight and Ipsos found a majority of Americans, regardless of political affiliation, support access to a wide range of contraceptive methods. According to a National Health Statistics Report, 90% of reproductive age women use or have used contraception.
“I know as well as most that an examination room is pretty small — and in this case it only has place for a women and her doctor — not the federal government,”said Senator King. “TheRight to Contraception Actwould ensure women have the freedom to make the best health care decisions for themselves and their families. In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturnRoe v. Wadeand continued challenges to reproductive rights across the country, it is even more important to protect women’s rights and codify access to contraception into federal law.”
TheRight to Contraception Actwould:
Senator King is a strong supporter of a woman’s right to reproductive health care. Heopposedthe Supreme Court’s overturning ofRoe v. Wadecalling it “a dangerous, blatantly political ruling that will rob millions of women the fundamental right to make decisions about their own health, safety, and lives.” Prior to the Supreme Court’s ruling, King voted to advance theWomen’s Health Protection Act, legislation which would codify the longstanding precedent ofRoe v. Wadeinto federal law and protect the right to these vital healthcare decisions. Last spring, hesent a letterto the Secretary of Defense highlighting the wide-ranging implications of the Supreme Court’s reversal ofRoe v. Wade, and the challenges that restrictive abortion laws pose to servicemember health and finances, military readiness, recruitment and retention. Most recently, he joinedbipartisan legislationto ensure military families receive the same access to quality reproductive health care as most Americans.
The full text of the legislation can be foundhere.
###