Rep. Huffman Slams GOP Attack on Reproductive Health; Takes Action to Defend Women’s Rights

January 24, 2017

Washington, D.C.- Today, Rep. Huffman voted against H.R. 7, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act of 2017, which has a laundry list of reckless impositions against a woman’s right to choose and access to healthcare. In response to this extreme assault on women’s health, Rep. Huffman renewed his commitment to fight to protect women’s reproductive health in the days ahead.

“In a week that millions of women and men alike gathered in front of the Capitol and across the globe to fight for women’s rights, it is insulting that the first action taken by the GOP Congress is an all-out war on women’s reproductive health,” said Rep. Huffman.  “Today, starting with my vote against H.R. 7, I am renewing my commitment to ensure that women’s rights are always treated as human rights. Under President Trump, we are going to have to make sure we never hang up our pink hats and picket signs and that we fight the extreme attacks on women’s health with that same passion every single day.”

As part of this renewed pledge to combat the extreme attacks on women’s healthcare choices and equality, Rep. Huffman joined Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY) in introducing the Global Health, Empowerment, and Rights (HER) Act, which will ensure that a repeal of the global gag rule is permanent. On President Trump’s first day in office he reinstated the global gag rule, which prohibits foreign organizations from receiving U.S. international family planning aid if they provide information, referrals, or services related to legal abortions, even if those activities are done solely with non-U.S. aid funds.

Last week, Rep. Huffman joined with over 170 of his colleagues in Congress to urge President Trump to reject a policy agenda that would harm women, specifically the repealing of the Affordable Care Act without a replacement and the defunding of Planned Parenthood health centers. Should Republicans repeal the Affordable Care Act without a replacement and defund Planned Parenthood health centers, millions of Californians who receive health insurance through the exchange or rely on Planned Parenthood for high quality healthcare will be unable to do so. It will have a devastating impact on all women, but in particular women of color and those in rural communities.

Rep. Huffman voted against H.R. 7, No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act of 2017, which will:

  • ban publically funding insurance coverage for abortions;
  • codify in to law both the Hyde & Helms Amendments;
  • codify the Washington D.C. abortion ban;
  • restrict abortion coverage in the ACA exchanges by forbidding those eligible for subsidies to purchase plans that include abortion coverage;
  • deny insurance-related tax credits to small businesses that choose plans that cover abortion;
  • permanently ban coverage for federal employees; and
  • codify a ban on abortion coverage for women in military hospitals.

 

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