[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 174 (Friday, November 9, 2007)]
[House]
[Page H13417]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 IMPROVE WOMEN'S ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE

  (Mrs. CAPPS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge swift action on a 
measure to improve women's access to health care.
  As many of my colleagues are aware, there is a provision in the 
Deficit Reduction Act which has unfortunately created a situation 
whereby student health centers and clinics that serve low-income women 
can no longer access contraceptives at a deeply discounted rate.
  Just this week, I was proud to cosponsor a bill introduced by my 
colleagues Joe Crowley and Jim Ramstad to correct this inadvertent 
oversight.
  The effects of this Deficit Reduction Act provision are already being 
felt by women across the country, including college students who are 
now forced to pay up to 10 times more for birth control pills than they 
did before.
  Unfortunately, there are those who refuse to agree to our proposed 
correction. So I am standing here today to urge my colleagues to fix 
this discrepancy that was never intended to exist.
  Let's stop the attacks on women's health. Let's guarantee women 
access to needed health services.

                          ____________________