[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 40 (Wednesday, March 8, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E293]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

                                  _____
                                 

                       HON. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 8, 2017

  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of 
International Women's Day. While there are many issues that women face, 
including equal pay for equal work, affordable child care, access to 
affordable and quality healthcare, paid family leave, and the general 
rights of women of color and lesbian, bisexual, and transgender women, 
I would like to focus today on reproductive rights.
  Roe v. Wade became the law of the land in 1973 when the Supreme Court 
of the United States deemed abortion to be a fundamental right. In 
recent years, that fundamental right to make a private choice about 
one's own body has been challenged by legislation and in the court 
system. Anti-choice legislation that places a ban on abortion care 
after a certain number of weeks of pregnancy, challenges to the 
contraception mandate in the Affordable Care Act, and most recently, 
passing a Congressional Review Act regarding changes to the Title X 
program are just a few of the tactics the House Republicans have used 
to undermine reproductive care for women in this country.
  Along with reproductive care, we must educate our youth about sexual 
health. Instead of using evidence-based sexual education programs, many 
Republicans have instead advocated for abstinence-only education. These 
programs promote the false notion that ``sexual risk avoidance 
education'' is effective, but they are harmful and stigmatizing. Young 
people deserve real information about sexual health and well-being. 
Research shows that when young people have the necessary information 
about contraception as well as abstinence, they will delay initiation, 
reduce sexual activity, and increase use of condoms and contraception 
while seeing a reduction in unintended pregnancy and STD rates. Sexual 
health and education and reproductive health go hand-in-hand, but the 
GOP continues to ignore the evidence and add unnecessary barriers which 
ultimately increase rates of unintended pregnancy and decrease access 
to family planning care.
  Within days of his inauguration, President Trump signed an executive 
order enacting the Global Gag Rule, which forces any foreign 
organization that receives U.S. foreign aid dollars to certify that 
they do not use their own funds to pay for abortion services, counsel 
patients about the option of abortion, or advocate for the 
liberalization of abortion laws. This policy is a change and an 
expansion from previous law which has banned U.S. foreign aid dollars 
from being used for abortion related activities since 1973. Advocates 
have called this new policy the ``Global Gage Rule on steroids.'' This 
expansion delivers a devastating blow to NGOs and is dangerous for 
reproductive health internationally.
  At a time when the current administration seems to be more against 
women than with us, we must stand up for ourselves. We must continue to 
bring forward evidence-based and sensible policies that are good for 
women and good for our population. Whether we are discussing 
reproductive health, economic equality, civil rights, or the many other 
issues that women face, we must face them together.

                          ____________________