Eva M. Clayton: “I want to take this opportunity this morning to commend my colleagues in the House who are tirelessly working to ensure…”

“I want to take this opportunity this morning to commend my colleagues in the House who are tirelessly working to ensure that all women will receive adequate health care coverage under health care reform. At a time when most everyone is recognizing the importance of preventive health care measures, it would be such a great loss to not have included in the benefits package screenings and tests that would alert women and their physicians to diseases such as breast and ovarian cancer. Also, we must ensure that every women has ready access to gynecological and obstetrical care as well as access to family planning services. In the past, women's health concerns have not been readily addressed. The treatment of women's health concerns have lacked seriousness and aggressiveness. As we begin anew under health care reform, I look to the opportunity to have women's concerns form a central part of any comprehensive health benefits. To go forward with a health care plan that does not provide adequate coverage for women would be disastrous for half of our Nation's citizens.”