This legislation would codify contraception protections into federal law.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
21 July 2022
Contact: Kevin McGuire, 202-538-2386 (mobile)
WASHINGTON, D.C.- Today, Congresswoman Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44) voted to pass H.R. 8373, the Right to Contraception Act, legislation that would make access to contraception a right protected by federal law.
This bill is a preventative measure in light of Justice Thomas’ concurrence in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which called into question the constitutionality of the right to contraception established in Griswold v. Connecticut.
“Republicans across the country are moving aggressively to restrict access to family planning services. We already see the terrible impact the loss of access to abortion has had on women and in one case a 10-year-old rape victim. These laws and proposed laws will disproportionately impact Latinas, Black, and other women of color – as well as low-income women. We cannot allow women’s access to reproductive care to move backward,” said Rep. Barragán. “Contraception is a critical part of preventative healthcare. The Right to Contraception Act will ensure women across the country are able to continue to utilize this essential healthcare resource.”
“We must continue to fight on all fronts against this all-out assault on reproductive rights, that includes a need to make the right to an abortion federal law. I also urge the Senate to end the filibuster and pass the Judiciary Act to expand the Supreme Court to ensure that we maintain the rights we have now and that any laws we pass are protected from the ideological and extreme current Supreme Court majority.”
The Right to Contraception Act would establish a statutory right to obtain contraceptives, engage in contraception, and for providers to provide contraceptives and contraception resources. It would also prohibit state laws from restricting contraceptive access and establish a private right of action for individuals to enforce their right to contraceptives.
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Nanette Diaz Barragán is proud to represent California’s 44th Congressional District, which includes the communities of Carson, Compton, Florence-Firestone, Lynwood, North Long Beach, Rancho Dominguez, San Pedro, South Gate, Walnut Park, Watts, Willowbrook and Wilmington. She serves as chairwoman of the House Homeland Security Committee’s Subcommittee on Border Security, and on the House Energy and Commerce Health, Energy, and Environment & Climate Change Subcommittees.