Women's Issues

Schakowsky, Colleagues Introduce First-Ever Bill to Repeal the Helms Amendment, a 47 Year-Old, Anti-Choice Policy
Schakowsky, DeGette, Jacobs, 31 House Democrats Demand HHS Enforce HIPAA Privacy Rule, Protect Reproductive Health Care Privacy
July 23, 2025
Press Release
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Representatives Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Diana DeGette (CO-01), and Sara Jacobs (CA-51) led 31 House Democrats in a letter to Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. demanding the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) uphold protections for private health information related to reproductive care. This action follows the June 2025 decision by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas in Purl v. Department of Health and Human Services, vacating most provisions of the HIPAA Privacy Rule to Support Reproductive Health Care Privacy.
Issues:Women's IssuesWomen's HealthHealth
Schakowsky, Fletcher, Matsui, Pressley Introduce Safer Beauty Bill Package
July 17, 2025
Press Release
WASHINGTON - U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Ranking Member of the Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, on Wednesday reintroduced the Safer Beauty Bill Package with her colleagues, Reps. Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07), Doris Matsui (CA-07), and Ayanna Pressley (MA-07). The bill package includes four separate bills that offer progressive updates to an increasingly outdated set of federal cosmetics laws. This package builds upon the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act (MoCRA), which passed under President Joe Biden and expanded FDA oversight to include the regulation of the cosmetics industry, including mandatory recall authority, adverse event reporting, and requiring facility registration, and more.
Issues:Women's IssuesWomen's HealthConsumer ProtectionCosmetic SafetyHealth
Schakowsky, Illinois Attorney General Raoul, State Rep. Cassidy, and Civil Rights & Pro-Choice Advocates Highlight Personal Stories and Resources Following the Overturning of Roe v. Wade
July 1, 2022
Press Release

EVANSTON – Yesterday, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, and State Rep. Kelly Cassidy joined the ACLU of Illinois, Planned Parenthood of Illinois, and the Chicago Abortion Fund for a roundtable event at the Center on Halsted to reiterate that abortions are still safe and legal in Illinois.

Issues:Women's IssuesWomen's HealthHealth
Schakowsky, Jayapal, Espaillat, Panetta Introduce Legislation to Protect Immigrant Survivors of Domestic Violence
December 14, 2022
Press Release

WASHINGTON - U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), a Senior Chief Deputy Whip and member of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, introduced the Working for Immigrant Safety and Empowerment (WISE) Act, alongside U.S. Representatives Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), and Jimmy Panetta (CA-20), which will protect immigrant survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, and gender-based violence.

Issues:Women's IssuesImmigrationViolence Against Immigrant WomenHealthGlobal HealthForeign Policy/National SecurityGlobal Women
Schakowsky, Kuster Lead Letter to Match Group President Calling for Improvements to Protect Users from Registered Sex Offenders on Dating Apps
February 20, 2020
Press Release

Washington, DC - Today, Representatives Jan Schakowsky (IL-09) and Annie Kuster (NH-02) led a letter, signed by 11 Members of the Energy and Commerce Committee, to Match Group President Shar Dubey calling on the company to check users against sex offender registries and disclose its efforts to respond to reports of sexual violence that were a result of users meeting through Match Group services.

Issues:Women's IssuesConsumer ProtectionPrivacy
Schakowsky, Lee, Blumenthal, and Booker Lead Colleagues in Pressing Federal Agencies to Reinforce Helms Amendment Exceptions to Countries and Organizations That Receive U.S. Foreign Assistance
August 2, 2022
Press Release
WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09), Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA-13), U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), led a group of 76 Members of Congress
Issues:Women's IssuesWomen's HealthCivil and Human RightsGlobal Women
Schakowsky, Lee, DeGette, Pressley Reintroduce the EACH Act for Reproductive Justice
January 26, 2023
Press Release
WASHINGTON - U.S Representative Jan Schakowsky, Chair of the Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus Providers and Clinics Task Force, Reps. Barbara Lee and Diana DeGette, Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus Co-Chairs, and Rep. Ayanna Pressley, Chair of the Pro-Choice Caucus Abortion Rights and Access Task Force, led a group of 163 members in reintroducing the Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Healthcare (EACH) Act, bold legislation to guarantee abortion coverage regardless a patient’s health insurance.
Issues:Women's IssuesWomen's HealthHealth
Schakowsky, Norcross, and Bonamici introduce the Women's Pension Protection Act
October 2, 2018
Press Release

Today, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), a Chief Deputy Whip and Co-Chair of the Seniors Task Force, was joined by Reps. Donald Norcross (D-NJ) and Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) in reintroducing the Women’s Pension Protection Act. This bill, which was introduced in the Senate by Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), takes necessary and important steps to ensure that women are better prepared for retirement. After the bill’s introduction, the lawmakers released the following statements:

Issues:Economy, Jobs & TaxesSocial SecurityMedicareWomen's Issues
Schakowsky, Norcross, and Bonamici introduce the Women's Pension Protection Act
October 2, 2018
Press Release

Today, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), a Chief Deputy Whip and Co-Chair of the Seniors Task Force, was joined by Reps. Donald Norcross (D-NJ) and Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) in reintroducing the Women's Pension Protection Act. This bill, which was introduced in the Senate by Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), takes necessary and important steps to ensure that women are better prepared for retirement. After the bill's introduction, the lawmakers released the following statements:

Issues:Social SecurityWomen's IssuesEconomy, Jobs & TaxesMedicare