Birth Control & Marriage Equality Are Fundamental Rights
Guaranteeing the Right to Birth Control
With Roe overturned, extremist Republicans in Congress are plotting a nationwide ban to criminalize abortion in all 50 states. While Republicans move to punish and control women, House Democrats are taking action to defend women's right to reproductive freedom: sending the Women's Health Protection Act and the Ensuring Women's Right to Reproductive Freedom Act to the Senate.
With extremists now threatening to criminalize birth control, House Democrats took additional action on Thursday by passing the Right to Contraception Act: legislation establishing a statutory right to obtain and use birth control under federal law.
This basic preventive health care is relied on by millions of Americans, and 96 percent of voters support having access to birth control. This is a matter of women's health: to prevent unintended pregnancies and to treat or prevent many medical conditions. This is a matter of economic justice: as access to contraception is linked to higher rates of education and employment, while reducing poverty. And importantly, this is a matter of fundamental freedom: to make your own decisions about your body and your life.
With the passage of the Right to Contraception Act, Democrats have made clear that we will never relent in our fight against Republicans' outrageous assault on freedom.
Know Your Reproductive Rights The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) provides reproductiverights.gov as a source of information on your reproductive health care rights. There, you can learn how to access care, insurance coverage and other resources. |
Ensuring Marriage Equality
In his concurring opinion in the Supreme Court's decision overturning Roe v. Wade, Justice Clarence Thomas explicitly called for the Court to consider overturning other landmark rulings, including the Obergefell v. Hodges decision recognizing the Constitutional right to marriage equality. In response to continued right-wing attacks on Americans' personal liberties, House Democrats advanced the Respect for Marriage Act to:
- Enshrine Marriage Equality Into Federal Law: This legislation will require the federal government to fully recognize any marriage considered valid in the state where it was performed – providing same-sex and interracial couples additional certainty that they will continue to receive equal treatment under federal law.
- Repeal the Defense of Marriage Act: While the Supreme Court has effectively voided the Defense of Marriage Act, this unconstitutional and discriminatory federal law still remains on the books. The Respect for Marriage Act would repeal this statute once and for all.
- Bar Discrimination By State Officials: This legislation prohibits state officials from denying recognition of an out-of-state marriage on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity or national origin.
While 157 Republicans voted against upholding Americans' right to marry the person they love, House Democrats will fight to ensure marriage equality remains the law of the land – now and for generations to come.
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