Representatives Schakowsky, Lee, and DeGette Reintroduce Groundbreaking Legislation to Ensure Reproductive Justice

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, a Senior Chief Deputy Whip, and Vice-Chair of the Democracy Reform Task Force, released the following statement on the introduction of the Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance (EACH Woman) Act:

“Though the Trump Administration is bending over backwards to erase reproductive rights for women, the EACH Woman Act takes a giant and important leap forward. I am proud to once again introduce legislation that will allow every woman to make her own health care decisions regardless of her income, her race, where she works, or how she gets her insurance,” said Rep. Schakowsky. “The Hyde Amendment has impacted millions of women across this nation for far too long, and I am glad that my colleagues in the Senate have now joined us to say: enough is enough. Comprehensive health care is a human right, and theEACH Woman Act affirms that promise.”

The EACH Woman Act protects every woman’s constitutionally-guaranteed right to abortion and ensures access to affordable reproductive health care regardless of income, race, or zip code. This bill would repeal the Hyde Amendment and lift the prohibition in current law preventing women who receive their health coverage through government-sponsored plans such as Medicaid, Medicare, and TRICARE from obtaining all legal health care services.

The legislation in the House was reintroduced by Congresswomen Schakowsky, Barbara Lee (CA-13), Diana DeGette (CO-01), and 105 of their colleagues. For the first time, companion legislation was introduced in the Senate by Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Patty Murray (D-WA) Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Tina Smith (D-MN), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN).