[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 11 (Thursday, January 22, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Pages S426-S427]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   SENATE RESOLUTION 37--SUPPORTING WOMEN'S REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE 
                               DECISIONS

  Mrs. BOXER (for herself, Mrs. Murray, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Blumenthal, 
Mr. Booker, Mr. Brown, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Coons, Mr. Durbin, 
Mrs. Feinstein, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Heinrich, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Kaine, 
Mr. King, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Markey, Mrs. McCaskill, Mr. Menendez, Ms. 
Mikulski, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Peters, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Schatz, Mr. Schumer, 
Mrs. Shaheen, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Tester, Mr. Udall, Ms. Warren, Mr. 
Whitehouse, Mr. Wyden, and Mr. Franken) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, 
Labor, and Pensions:

                               S. Res. 37

       Whereas access to comprehensive reproductive health care is 
     critical to improving the health and well-being of women and 
     their families and is an essential part of their economic 
     security;
       Whereas access to affordable contraceptives, including 
     emergency contraceptives, and medically accurate information 
     prevents unintended pregnancies, thereby improving the health 
     of women, children, families, and society as a whole;
       Whereas Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973), was decided 42 
     years ago and clarifies that women have a constitutional 
     right to plan their families and futures;
       Whereas private reproductive health care decisions should 
     be decided by women and their health care providers;
       Whereas the requirement under the Patient Protection and 
     Affordable Care Act (Public Law 111-148) that all insurance 
     plans cover contraception without cost sharing has

[[Page S427]]

     saved women at least $483,000,000, and more than 30,000,000 
     women are eligible for this benefit;
       Whereas research suggests that increasing the rate of 
     contraceptive use may be associated with the decline in teen 
     pregnancy by 50 percent since 1990;
       Whereas elected officials in many States and Congress have 
     attempted to block or curtail women's access to medical care 
     and information in order to fulfill a political agenda, and 
     they have often succeeded in such attempts;
       Whereas there have been numerous attempts, both legal and 
     legislative, to allow insurance companies and employers to 
     deny women coverage for all contraceptive methods approved by 
     the Food and Drug Administration, even though the law 
     requires such coverage, and such methods are based on a 
     foundation of scientific evidence;
       Whereas since the enactment of the Patient Protection and 
     Affordable Care Act, States have enacted hundreds of laws 
     restricting access to women's reproductive health care and 24 
     States have enacted laws that reduce abortion coverage in 
     plans that are offered through the Exchanges established 
     under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; and
       Whereas 24 States have laws or policies that interfere with 
     women's health care providers in a way that undermines, 
     instead of strengthens, patient safety: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate supports efforts to--
       (1) ensure that all women have access to the best 
     available, scientifically-based health care and information;
       (2) ensure that women can make their own private health 
     care decisions with access to comprehensive, unbiased 
     information and confidentiality;
       (3) ensure that women and families, not their employers, 
     make their own decisions about their health care;
       (4) prohibit employers or government entities from 
     interfering with or denying reproductive health care services 
     guaranteed by law, including access to contraception without 
     cost;
       (5) promote preventive health care services and wellness 
     for women;
       (6) guarantee the constitutionally protected right to safe, 
     legal abortion services;
       (7) ensure that women have access to health care that 
     fosters safe childbearing, with resources available to reduce 
     maternal and infant morbidity and mortality;
       (8) ensure that all women have access to comprehensive, 
     affordable insurance coverage that includes pregnancy-related 
     care, such as prenatal care, miscarriage management, family 
     planning services, abortions, labor and delivery services, 
     and postnatal care; and
       (9) enact legislation that improves and expands women's 
     access to reproductive health care regardless of the State 
     within which they reside.

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