On the recordJuly 21, 2022
Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman for making sure this bill could come to the floor so swiftly. I thank my friend, Congresswoman Manning, for her partnership on co-leading this bill with me. And I thank Speaker Pelosi for her continued leadership in this post-Roe reality. Madam Speaker, this bill could not be more important because, for me and for tens of millions of Americans, these threats from Justice Thomas and the Supreme Court to take away our right to contraception are not abstract. I have lived my entire life with this constitutional right to contraception, and it is a right I have exercised for decades, whether it was the birth control pills I used when I was a teenager to address debilitating cramps, the IUD I have relied on for years, or the Plan B I have used at times that was, thankfully, available over the counter when I needed it. I am probably the first person ever to speak about using Plan B on the House floor, and I know I am the first person in at least 35 years to talk about my period here. But you know what? We should be talking about it. We should be talking about periods and birth control and the healthcare that millions of Americans need for our everyday lives because this is not a side issue that only affects some people. This is a kitchen-table issue. The decision of how, if, and when to grow a family are decisions that are personal and private and should never be decided by the Supreme Court or Congress.…





