Kathy Manning: “I thank the chairman for yielding. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of my bill, the Right to Contraception Act. It seems…”

“I thank the chairman for yielding. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of my bill, the Right to Contraception Act. It seems unbelievable that in the year 2022, we should have to explain that access to birth control is about equality. It is critically important so that women can: Decide whether and when to have a family. Pursue an education. Build an economically secure future; and Protect their health. Let's be honest about the facts. Almost all women will use birth control at some point in their lives, and more than 96 percent of voters support access to birth control. Yet, the right to birth control is under attack by Republican lawmakers who are pushing disinformation about how contraceptives work and attempting to ban methods like IUDs and Plan B. Justice Thomas has added fuel to that fire by stating in Dobbs that the Court should reconsider the constitutional right to contraception. This extremism is about one thing: control of women. We will not let this happen. We will not play defense anymore. This time, we are playing offense. My bill creates a Federal statutory right for individuals to use birth control and for healthcare professionals to provide it. {time} 0930 It protects a full range of contraceptive methods, including birth control pills, IUDs, and emergency contraceptives.…”