[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 47 (Tuesday, March 25, 2014)]
[House]
[Pages H2619-H2620]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HOBBY LOBBY
(Mr. PETERS of California asked and was given permission to address
the House for 1 minute.)
Mr. PETERS of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise to bring attention to
the Hobby Lobby case, which is being argued today at the Supreme Court.
In this case, a for-profit company is refusing to cover the birth
control of its female employees, citing the owners' personal religious
objections.
In 2014, the idea that a woman has to fight for access to birth
control is astonishing. Ninety-nine percent of American women will use
contraception at some point in their lives.
As I have said before, all health care decisions, including birth
control and women's reproductive rights, should be between a woman and
her doctor, not involving her boss or a politician here in Washington,
D.C.
The wide availability of birth control has been an enormous benefit
for millions of women and the American economy, enabling generations of
women to support themselves financially, complete their education, and
plan for the right time to start a family.
It is a basic, preventative health care option. It should not be
available only at the discretion of a woman's employer, nor should a
woman have to choose between her job and her health.
As a husband of nearly 28 years and a father of two, it seems pretty
simple to me. Women, not bosses, should be in charge of their personal
health care decisions.
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