On the recordJanuary 22, 2015
Today is a sad day for this institution. Late last night, when Republicans failed to garner the votes for one extreme antiwomen bill, they flipped a switch and turned to another antiwomen bill. This attempt to restrict women's access to abortion care is an unprecedented, radical assault on women's health care. Tens of thousands of women and their families will be harmed by this policy. The bill's sponsors claim that this bill simply codifies the Hyde amendment, and that is inaccurate. This bill takes unprecedented steps far beyond the Hyde amendment. This bill places restrictions on how women with private insurance can spend private dollars in purchasing health insurance, but the bill doesn't stop there. It also prohibits Washington, D.C., from using its own Medicaid funds to make health care coverage decisions. The goal behind this bill is to effectively get rid of all comprehensive health care coverage in this country. Anti-choice Republicans want to turn back the clock on women's rights. It is critical that we protect the right of every woman to make her own personal and private health care decisions. Women, in consultation with their doctors, should remain in control of these choices and not Congress. I strongly urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on H.R. 7.
