[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 81 (Wednesday, May 13, 2026)]
[House]
[Pages H3447-H3450]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HIGHLIGHTING WOMEN'S HEALTH
(Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 3, 2025, Ms.
Morrison of Minnesota was recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of
the minority leader.)
General Leave
Ms. MORRISON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and
submit extraneous material into the Record.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Minnesota?
There was no objection.
Ms. MORRISON. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms.
Kaptur).
[[Page H3448]]
Supporting Ukraine
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for the courtesy.
Today, I rise sincerely to thank 218 House bipartisan colleagues for
signing Discharge Petition No. 8 in order to force a vote here on the
floor for a long-overdue vote on the Ukraine Support Act.
Liberty for Ukraine and for NATO hangs in the balance. For 12 years,
Ukraine's people have valiantly endured Russia's savage war to
eradicate Ukraine, its children, and Ukraine's very identity.
As today's forces continue liberating stolen territory, our
bipartisan petition represents strong support for Ukraine's defense of
liberty.
Vladimir Putin must stop and end his horrific invasion of a free
nation. I am confident that this bill will pass this House.
Let me thank especially Congressmen Steny Hoyer, Don Bacon, Brian
Fitzpatrick, Kevin Kiley, Mike Quigley, and all those in the Ukraine
Caucus who have fought so long and hard in our bipartisan support for
Ukraine that transcends party lines.
All 218 signatories have the gratitude of the American people, the
whole of the Ukrainian nation, and freedom lovers around the world. Let
us now pass this bill with dispatch before the end of next week.
Mr. Speaker, I include a summary of H.R. 2913.
H.R. 2913--Ukraine Support Act
summary
This bipartisan legislation enhances security assistance to
Ukraine while placing long overdue sanctions on Russia to
force Vladimir Putin to end the war on Ukraine.
ukraine security assistance
Extends Lend-Lease authority through 2028.
Authorizes up to $8 Billion in Foreign Military Financing
loans.
Extends Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative.
Supports Baltic Allies.
Establishes new mechanisms to support Ukraine's recovery.
Supports intelligence cooperation.
russia sanctions and export controls
If Russia continues waging war against Ukraine or refusing
to negotiate a peace agreement in good faith, requires the
President to sanction:
Russin financial institutions;
Russia's energy industry;
Constructors and maintainers of the Kerch Strait Bridge;
Russia's Shadow Fleet;
Facilitators of North Korea's participation in the invasion
of Ukraine;
All foreign persons involved in the kidnapping of Ukranian
children;
Imposes export licensing requirements on foreign-produced
items known to be destined for Russian military or industrial
activities, and to prevent US-origin drone technology from
being shared with Iran.
500 percent tariffs on Russia.
Vote yes on the Ukraine Support Act to pressure Russia to
end its invasion of Ukraine.
Ms. MORRISON. Mr. Speaker, this past Sunday, millions celebrated the
work, love, and support mothers give to their children and families
across the country.
There are so many ways, seen and unseen, that mothers show up for
their families and care for their communities.
I know that I am incredibly grateful to my beloved mother and for the
privilege of getting to be the mother to my three wonderful children.
Appropriately, Mother's Day also marked the beginning of National
Women's Health Week. This provides the opportunity to highlight women's
health, reflect on the progress we have made and the ongoing research
we need, and to commit to the continued advancement of access, quality,
and affordability in women's healthcare.
{time} 2020
Advancing women's health and delivering the best possible care
requires a strong collaboration between the many caregivers and
entities that have built and continue the work of advancing women's
healthcare.
One organization that has been an indispensable partner to all
obstetrician/gynecologists in their quest to provide the best evidence-
based care to their patients over the past 75 years is the American
College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Over its 75-year legacy,
ACOG has never wavered from its foundational mission of advancing the
quality and consistency of care for women through guidance, education,
and professional collaboration.
In the early years of its existence, ACOG set out to create evidence-
based standards and develop opportunities for clinicians to continue
their education.
Growing scientific progress and an expanding focus on women's health
opened doors for the organization to serve as a leading voice as the
Nation experienced historic advances, like the FDA's approval of the
birth control pill and the Griswold v. Connecticut decision that
established the right to privacy and, therefore, the right to use
contraception, which had been illegal in Connecticut and many other
States prior to this decision in 1965.
As these events established the policy landscape for women's health,
ACOG continued its work standardizing prenatal and cancer screenings,
introducing its own academic journal, and establishing the requirements
to achieve high honors in the field of obstetrics and gynecology.
The landmark Roe v. Wade decision, as well as the establishment of
the Title X program, which was the first Federal grant program in the
United States dedicated to providing family planning and other
preventive health services to low-income families, both elevated
women's health further and supported ACOG's efforts to expand access to
reproductive healthcare to all Americans, regardless of their ability
to pay. They also amplified the importance of understanding the causes
of maternal mortality and working to decrease it.
During this time, ACOG was at the forefront of building reliable,
trusted programs that helped standardize evidence-based medicine,
integrate cultural competency, and strengthen policy partnerships.
ACOG's role in women's health was also extended to helping protect
the patient-physician relationship.
From the critical influence of the Doe v. Bolton decision, which was
the companion case to Roe v. Wade in which the Supreme Court struck
down burdensome procedural requirements that effectively made abortion
completely inaccessible in Georgia, even if the patient's life or
health were threatened, to the mobilization needed in the aftermath of
the Dobbs decision in 2022, which overturned Roe.
ACOG serves as a trusted source for evidence-based guidance for care
across the lifespan for patients and providers alike. Both turn to ACOG
for information about critical topics, ranging from contraception,
cancer screening, STI screening and treatment, obstetric care, best
surgical practices and advances, nutrition, abortion care, vaccines,
menopause care, and everything in between.
In its continued pursuit of advancing women's healthcare, ACOG has
championed work to understand and address the systemic issues
vulnerable women and populations face.
Through pioneering initiatives like the Committee on Healthcare for
Underserved Women and the recognition that health is deeply impacted by
factors beyond biology and clinical care, ACOG was an early leader in
establishing opportunities for communities' lived experiences to be
heard and incorporated into our understanding of disparities and how to
address them.
As ACOG expanded its focus on reviewing and understanding the impact
of systemic inequities and disproportionate burdens of maternal
mortality in minority communities, ACOG continued its work of building
robust and responsive clinical guidance and programming that centers
respectful care and quality improvements.
During times of transformational advancements like the development
and approval of the HPV vaccine, the Affordable Care Act, and historic
investments in maternal death prevention efforts, ACOG has led and
helped expand key collaborations and partnerships.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms.
Pettersen).
Ms. PETTERSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Women's Health
Week and the catastrophic impact Trump and Republicans have had on
women's health in this country.
This week, the Trump administration launched moms.gov, another
performative political stunt pretending to support moms, but the health
and well-being of women and families has never been under greater
threat than under this administration.
Our access to healthcare is being decimated with cuts to Medicaid and
[[Page H3449]]
the ACA, while women are also dealing with the ongoing consequences of
the Dobbs decision across this country and, somehow, it might even get
worse.
Republicans are working on a backend national abortion ban by trying
to eliminate access to mifepristone, an abortion pill that is utilized
for 63 percent of abortions in the United States. This move will
disproportionately impact women in poverty and women in rural
communities who face significant barriers to being able to see a
doctor.
Despite their lies, we know that mifepristone is a safe, effective
medication, but access to this lifesaving drug now hangs in the balance
before the Supreme Court. Any restrictions of this medication for
miscarriages and abortions will be another devastating attack on our
ability to make our own decisions about our health, our bodies, and our
futures.
Let's be clear that this has nothing to do with science. It is about
controlling women and taking away our access to reproductive healthcare
and our ability to make our own decisions.
During Women's Health Week, let's remember that Donald Trump has
consistently put us last. As a woman, as a mom, and as an American, I
am horrified. We cannot stand on the sidelines.
Ms. MORRISON. Mr. Speaker, I now yield to the gentleman from New
Jersey (Mr. Conaway).
Mr. CONAWAY. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague (Ms.
Morrison) for coordinating this Special Order hour.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 75th anniversary of the
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, better known as
ACOG.
For three-quarters of a century, ACOG has been at the forefront of
improving the health and well-being of women, mothers, and families
across the United States.
Since its founding in 1951, ACOG has helped to shape the standard of
care in obstetrics and gynecology, advancing research, physician
education, and evidence-based medicine.
Every day, OB/GYNs across our country provide compassionate care
through every stage of life--from birth to infancy, then to adolescence
and adulthood, from pregnancy to menopause, and beyond.
As a physician myself, I know firsthand the critical role that
trusted medical professionals play in keeping our communities healthy
and informed. That role is certainly critical today as we see from this
administration so many attacks, I would say, on the ability of families
to have the information and to gain the information that they need to
protect their health, the health of their families and communities at
large.
We have moved away from science as the foundation for decisionmaking
in healthcare, and that terrible trend, that tragic trend needs to end.
ACOG has consistently worked to ensure that physicians have the
tools, training, and guidance necessary to deliver the highest quality
care to patients. Their work has helped to reduce maternal and infant
mortality, improve prenatal care, expand access to preventive
screenings, and advance women's health outcomes nationwide.
At a time when maternal health disparities continue to impact far too
many families, particularly Black mothers and their children and others
who live in underserved communities, organizations like ACOG remain
essential partners in the effort to build a healthier and more
equitable future.
Now, I mentioned I am a practicing physician. I have had to call on
members of ACOG to help me provide help to women. Certainly, as a
legislator at the State level for 26 years, I worked closely with ACOG
on everything from medical malpractice reform to obviously dealing with
the tragedy of the disparities in Black infant mortality and for Black
mothers who are pregnant and delivering children.
Their work to provide standards of care, to guide decisionmakers, not
only in the healthcare arena, but in the legislative arena, to improve
outcomes for all people, and particularly those who suffer from
disparities in our healthcare system, we owe to ACOG a tremendous debt
of gratitude.
{time} 2030
Mr. Speaker, we owe a gratitude to the doctors, the nurses, the
researchers, the educators, and advocates who have dedicated themselves
to this mission for the past 75 years. I will stand and commend ACOG
for its decades of leadership, service, and advocacy on behalf of
patients and physicians alike.
Congratulations to the American College of Obstetricians and
Gynecologists on this important milestone, and I wish the organization
continued success in the years ahead.
Ms. MORRISON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his remarks.
Mr. Speaker, the last few years have brought unprecedented challenges
and rapid change. During the COVID-19 pandemic and in the wake of the
Dobbs decision, ACOG held strong to the foundational mission that has
driven its work for decades, strengthening equitable, accessible
obstetric and gynecologic care.
ACOG's presence and leadership during these pivotal moments for
women's health and the profession they have represented over the last
75 years has helped translate the lifesaving scientific advances and
give evidence-based guidance and stability to a profession that has,
is, and will continue to be monumentally consequential to families
across the country and in every congressional district.
Reflecting on the incredible progress of the last 75 years also
brings to the forefront the importance of the work still left to build
and expand.
Despite the incredible advances in women's health, challenges and
obstacles to fully achieving the mission of equitable, accessible care
remain.
An estimated 36 percent of counties in the United States are
maternity care deserts, meaning they do not have a hospital or birth
center offering obstetric care or any obstetric providers.
Two-thirds of these maternity care deserts are in rural areas that
are also the most vulnerable to disruptions in services and hospital
closures. Approximately 1.2 million women live in counties with only
one OB/GYN.
By 2035, the estimates are that 44 U.S. States are projected to not
have enough OB/GYNs to meet those States' needs with the most severe
shortages being in rural areas.
Women in many communities are already traveling long distances to
access prenatal care or to deliver safely in a hospital.
In the wealthiest country in the world, in a country built on the
principles of human dignity and freedom, these alarming statistics can
and should lead to a unified bipartisan effort to address them.
We have seen how the work and legacy of ACOG and its members have
helped support historic achievements while upholding the core goals of
access and quality of care.
Facing and overcoming persistent challenges demands a commitment to
science and evidence-based practices for setting the standards for OB/
GYN care, for advocating for policies that advance the field, and
empowering physicians to provide patients with the care they need all
while building on each of these areas to inform continuing education
opportunities, refine clinical guidelines, and continue the evolution
of the field of obstetrics and gynecology.
Beyond navigating increasing administrative burdens, burnout, and
workforce instability, OB/GYNs are having to deal with health and
medical misinformation jeopardizing their work and their patients'
well-being.
Patients are increasingly exposed to misinformation about
contraception, fertility, pregnancy care, menopause, vaccines, and
reproductive health.
This creates fear and confusion, undermines trust, delays treatment,
imposes real risks to patients and families. That is why trusted
scientific leadership matters.
ACOG and generations of physician-researchers have helped translate
rigorous science into evidence-based care that improves outcomes for
women across the lifespan. Throughout my career in medicine and public
service, I have worked to support evidence-based approaches that
deliver for families.
From championing expanding Medicaid coverage to 12-months postpartum
in Minnesota to advocating for the reauthorization of the Newborn
Screening Saves Lives Act in Congress, I have advocated for advancing
early intervention and prevention to save lives.
Healthy mothers, healthy babies, and healthy families strengthen
communities, reduce long-term healthcare expenditures, and improve the
long-term resilience of our Nation.
[[Page H3450]]
I had the privilege of caring for patients as an OB/GYN for more than
20 years, so I have seen firsthand the challenges patients face to
afford and get the care they need.
I have seen the impacts of some of the medical breakthroughs and
improvements to care that have occurred over the decades, and I have
seen how social determinants of health make it so difficult for many
Americans to have good health.
As an OB/GYN, I have seen my patients directly benefit from practices
that were built on decades of research, clinical trials, and the
dedicated work of multiple generations of my fellow OB/GYNs.
These advances were the result of hard-fought advocacy and awareness
campaigns, committed work from researchers and physicians, and patient
voices being centered and truly heard.
One of the great privileges of my years in practice was caring for my
patients across different stages of their life. OB/GYNs see patients
from adolescence through adulthood to end of life.
I have cared for patients that I delivered through to their own
pregnancies, and I have cared for many through early adulthood, through
midlife, through perimenopause and menopause, and beyond.
ACOG has been there every step of the way to provide evidence-based
recommendations to help guide my and my patients' decisionmaking.
In the decades I have spent in this remarkable profession, it has
been my sincere honor and privilege to provide the care my patients
needed, from prenatal care through labor and delivery, to
contraception, to hormone replacement therapy, from the exam room to
the operating room, helping patients through important life stage
transitions, creating care plans through shared decisionmaking, always
working to meet patients where they are to meet their unique needs.
ACOG has been a critical partner throughout my career and the careers
of many thousands of OB/GYNs across the country.
In a rapidly changing world that is marked by advances in technology
and access to an avalanche of information, not all of which is
accurate, it is difficult for many of us to fully understand how
drastically circumstances have changed for women and how
transformational historic moments were to women's health and safety.
Younger generations of Americans and even some older Americans may
not be able to recall a United States without protected access to birth
control or an HPV vaccine.
My career as an obstetrician-gynecologist began at a time when
foundational concepts in public health and clinical practice were
better defined and elements critical to progress, like the right to
privacy and the ability of women to make their own independent
healthcare decisions, were protected.
In the last decade as women's health rights and protections have been
threatened and eroded, I am thinking of my patients and of people
across our country.
I am remembering my patients who disclosed, in some cases for the
first time in their life, their traumatic experiences prior to the
protections of Roe v. Wade.
I am thinking of my younger patients who worried about the
possibility of losing protected access to abortion care as the Supreme
Court ruled on the Dobbs case.
I am thinking about the babies I delivered protected by vaccines from
preventable, life-threatening conditions and the mothers spared from
complications because of comprehensive, evidence-based clinical
guidelines and access to comprehensive care.
I would be remiss if I didn't take the opportunity to remind everyone
in this moment when access to mifepristone is threatened, the research
on mifepristone has not changed. It has been an FDA approved medicine
for a quarter of a century. It has been used safely and effectively by
millions of women around the globe.
For my entire 20-year-plus career as an OB/GYN, mifepristone has been
used to help women manage miscarriages and safely end pregnancy. Its
safety record surpasses most over-the-counter medicines.
What has changed is the people in power. People with no medical
training who want to undermine access to healthcare, control women's
bodies, and ignore evidence-based science because of their own personal
ideology.
Putting their desire to control and restrict women, women whose lives
they know nothing about and who they will never meet, over facts and
research and safety.
It sets a very dangerous precedent for us all.
{time} 2040
As we celebrate the milestones of the last 75 years of ACOG, we also
have a responsibility to face future challenges head-on, mindful of all
that we have gained and conscious of what is being lost, unwaveringly
committed to improving the lives of all people seeking care, their
families, and their communities.
I offer a heartfelt thank-you to ACOG for 75 years of always standing
with patients and physicians and for its ongoing work to improve
healthcare and the health of our patients. Onward to the next 75.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
____________________