[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 51 (Wednesday, March 28, 2012)]
[House]
[Page H1651]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1230
                      OPPOSE THE REPUBLICAN BUDGET

  (Ms. BONAMICI asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I'm troubled by the Republican budget's 
effect on health care, specifically the provisions that would eliminate 
the Affordable Care Act. Passing the Republican budget would be 
detrimental to the health of citizens across the United States, but 
it's particularly harmful to women.
  As we mark the anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, we can measure 
its successes by the benefits that women have already realized: 
preventive care is guaranteed, gender rating will soon be gone, and 
access to contraceptives has expanded. This expansion is important for 
all women, not just those women who use contraceptives for birth 
control.
  My colleagues will share stories of women who have been put at risk 
by this budget. I would like to share the story of Julie, an Oregonian 
whose contraceptives are important to her health on a daily basis to 
treat endometriosis. Without contraceptives, Julie would suffer from 
extreme pain and the risk of infertility. Under the Republican budget, 
her access to this medication could be in jeopardy.
  It is unconscionable to deny women access to treatments that can 
improve the quality of their lives, and I urge my colleagues to stand 
up for women and oppose the Republican budget.

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