Women's Caucus Decries Vote to Gut Planned Parenthood from Healthcare Law

May 04, 2017
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Trumpcare is Affront to Women’s Essential Healthcare Services

(Sacramento)— Following  a vote today by the U.S. House of Representatives today  on Trumpcare (H.R. 1628) —the American Health Care Act—the California Legislative Women’s Caucus called upon its colleagues in Washington to protect women’s access to essential healthcare.  Current versions of the legislation produced at the 11th hour would eviscerate funding for Planned Parenthood, jeopardizing the healthcare of women and rolling back women’s rights for decades.   The bill will next be heard in the U.S. Senate.

“Women in the United States were just trumped by their Representatives for misogynistic profit and greed,” said Assemblywoman Cristiana Garcia, Chair of the California Legislative Women’s Caucus.  “Those that voted in support of this bill still think men have ownership of women and it's still a radical notion that a woman has a right to make choices about her own life, control her destiny and get the healthcare she needs along the way.  That’s shameful and just sickening.”

Women’s and healthcare advocates are calling this the worst bill for women’s health in a generation. During the last two decades, California passed legislation that protected and expanded access to women’s healthcare services, while building its infrastructure to ensure their children and families would be served.  Preserving recent advancements like the Reproductive FACT Act of 2015 (AB 775), by Assemblymember Autumn Burke AB 154 (2013), authored by Senator Toni Atkins which expanded access and SB 1053 by Senator Holly Mitchell that  required health plans to provide coverage for all prescribed and FDA-approved female contraceptives are examples of recent legislation. 

“Today, the House of Representatives approved a bill that would strip vital coverage from 24 million people across the nation. Healthcare, including women’s health services, is a fundamental right. The proposed replacement for the Affordable Care Act would force many women to pay significantly more for their healthcare and take away access to basic services, as offered by Planned Parenthood and other important healthcare providers. This separate and unequal standard is wrong and will endanger the lives of countless women, children and families across California,” said Senator Connie M. Leyva, Vice Chair of the Legislative Women's Caucus.

In January, the Legislative Women’s Caucus was joined by pro Tem De León and Speaker Rendon at a rally hailing the far-reaching benefits of all services provided specifically by Planned Parenthood for both women and men in the state. In California 87% of Planned Parenthood services are provided to women and 13% are to men.

“This Caucus will not stand idly while our rights are at risk,” continued Garcia.  “California will fight this measure with the wrath of our mothers and grandmothers before us. We will protect every Californian—especially women—through our budget and at the polls.  We will not go back to the dark-ages of shame and oppression. Defeating this bill must be our number one priority.”

The Legislative Women’s Caucus represents and advocates on behalf of the diverse interests of women, children and families throughout California. It seeks to increase participation and representation of women in state government. Members of the Legislative Women’s Caucus seek to promote sound legislative policies and budget priorities that will improve the well-being of women, children and families and to work cooperatively with local, state and national women’s organizations interested in advancing policies to achieve these same objectives.

Find out more at: http://womenscaucus.legislature.ca.gov