[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Pages 11854-11855]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




PROTECT WOMEN'S HEALTH FROM CORPORATE INTERFERENCE ACT OF 2014--MOTION 
                         TO PROCEED--Continued

  Mr. REID. Is the motion to proceed to S. 2578 now pending?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. It is.


                             Cloture Motion

  Mr. REID. I have a cloture motion at the desk.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The cloture motion having been presented under 
rule XXII, the Chair directs the clerk to read the motion.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

                             Cloture Motion

       We, the undersigned Senators, in accordance with the 
     provisions of rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate, 
     hereby move to bring to a close debate on the motion to 
     proceed to Calendar No. 459, S. 2578, a bill to ensure that 
     employers cannot interfere in their employees' birth control 
     and other health care decisions.
         Harry Reid, Patty Murray, Mark Udall, Richard J. Durbin, 
           Jeff Merkley, Debbie Stabenow, Jack Reed, Carl Levin, 
           Christopher A. Coons, Elizabeth Warren, Jeanne Shaheen, 
           Michael F. Bennet, Jon Tester, Patrick J. Leahy, Martin 
           Heinrich, Maria Cantwell, Christopher Murphy.

  Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum under 
rule XXII be waived.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The Senator from Washington.
  Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, last month we saw five male Justices give 
their blessing to CEOs and corporations across America to go ahead and 
deny legally required health care coverage for their employees. When 
that news broke, I was outraged, and I know I was one of millions of 
people across the country who were shocked and angry.
  These women are looking to us. They are demanding a change. Today, as 
women across America took to social media for a Digital Day of Action, 
their message was delivered loudly and clearly when they echoed: ``My 
personal health care choices are not my boss's business--period.''
  It wasn't just women who were speaking out on social media today. In 
fact, we heard from several men who understood that if bosses can deny 
birth control, they can deny vaccines or HIV treatments or any other 
basic health care service for their employees or their dependents.
  I heard from Konrad in my home State of Washington on Twitter today 
who said he doesn't want his boss knowing what medications he is on, 
such as diabetes or heart medications. Konrad said, ``It is simply not 
my boss's business.''
  I also heard from my constituents when I was home this weekend. 
Friday I spoke directly with business owners and others who are hearing 
the same thing. Women are tired of being targeted and are looking to 
Congress to right this wrong by the Supreme Court.
  One such woman is a woman named Morgan Beach. Morgan joined me Friday 
at Oddfellows Cafe, which is a small Seattle business whose owners 
stood up and spoke out about their disgust as employers about this 
ruling. Morgan is one of the 58 percent of women who use contraception 
for reasons other than to prevent pregnancy. As she spoke about how the 
Supreme Court decision would impact women such as her, Morgan said: 
``The terrifying power this ruling gives to a small minority to make 
sweeping personal decisions . . . is frightening. The simple fact is, 
birth control is not my boss's business!''
  Morgan is right. It is not her boss's business.
  We are going to be talking about this urgent issue at more length 
tomorrow morning, but I wanted to come to the floor this evening and 
share what I heard from back home this weekend and throughout today. We 
have legislation that is now slated for a vote later this week, and we 
are going to be talking about this today and tomorrow. I hope all of 
our colleagues are listening, because it is time for Congress to get to 
work. Women and men are watching.
  I am delighted to be joined today by my colleague from Colorado, 
Senator Udall, who is my partner in presenting this legislation.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Colorado.
  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. President, I rise today to speak about a 
proposal Senator Patty Murray and I have introduced to restore a 
woman's power to make personal health care decisions based on what is 
best for her and her family, not according to her employer's personal 
beliefs. The Protect Women's Health from Corporate Interference Act--or 
the Not Your Boss's Business Act--aims to counteract the far-reaching 
consequences of the U.S. Supreme Court's Hobby Lobby decision. That 
misguided Court decision allows closely held corporations to now deny 
their employees coverage for contraceptives through their employees' 
health insurance plans.
  As Senator Murray did in her home State of Washington, I also 
traveled around my home State of Colorado. Several days ago I stood 
shoulder to shoulder with women's health experts, including an OB-GYN 
in Denver, who told me that physicians might now have to consider how 
an employer's religious beliefs might fit into their diagnosis before 
they make a medical recommendation, which ought to be based solely on 
their patients' well-being. This is unacceptable. Women should never 
have to ask their boss for a permission slip to access common forms of 
birth control or other critical health services.
  Today, as Senator Murray alluded, champions in women's health are 
taking a stand on social media to illustrate why the Senate should come 
together this week to pass the Not Your Boss's Business Act. This 
outpouring of support from all over the country shows how important it 
is that we keep private health care decisions in employees' hands and 
out of corporate boardrooms.
  As part of today's Digital Day of Action across the country, my staff 
and I put together a BuzzFeed post to dispel some misconceptions about 
the Hobby Lobby decision and highlight why we need to pass the Not Your 
Boss's Business Act. Go to BuzzFeed.com/markudall and share my post to 
help push back against some of the myths.
  Despite what some people say, this decision is a bad deal, and it 
will undermine women's access to contraception across the country. But 
more and more Americans are joining us to speak out because of how 
backward this Hobby Lobby decision is. I am proud to have groups from 
across the Centennial State, such as the Colorado Organization for 
Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights, NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado, 
Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains, and Colorado's Religious 
Coalition for Reproductive Choice, come out in support of our bill.

[[Page 11855]]

  I believe the Supreme Court was wrong in its misguided Hobby Lobby 
decision, which is already adversely affecting American women and 
families. But we have a chance to fix this, and I stand here today to 
call on my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to join me, join 
Senator Murray and America's workers who agree that women's health is 
not your boss's business.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  Mrs. MURRAY. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Ms. HIRONO. I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum 
call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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