Sherrill Pushes for House Vote to Protect Contraception Access
WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) signed a discharge petition to force the House of Representatives to vote on the Right to Contraception Act, legislation to enshrine people’s right and access to birth control into federal law. Sherrill’s advocacy comes as anti-abortion extremists nationwide continue to attack abortion, contraception, and family planning methods such as IVF.
“Access to birth control is a critical component of family planning, women’s health, and women’s economic success, and should be readily available to women across the country. That’s why I’m proud to stand strong with my Democratic colleagues by working to pass legislation that would protect birth control access from being restricted by far-right politicians. It’s time to protect basic reproductive healthcare once and for all — Speaker Johnson should bring this up for a vote now,” said Rep. Sherrill.
The Right to Contraception Act would:
- Create a statutory right for people to obtain and use contraceptives;
- Establish a corresponding right for health care providers to provide contraceptives and information related to contraception;
- Allow the Department of Justice, as well as providers and individuals harmed by restrictions on contraception access made unlawful under the legislation, to go to court to enforce these rights; and
- Protect a range of contraceptive methods, devices, and medications used to prevent pregnancy, including but not limited to oral contraceptives, emergency contraceptives, and intrauterine devices.
Representative Sherrill continues to lead in the fight for women’s health in Congress. She stood up for servicewomen and military families against Senator Tommy Tuberville’s efforts to overturn the Department of Defense’s abortion travel policy. Additionally, she successfully secured an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2025 NDAA to codify access to year-long supplies of contraceptives to service members. Sherrill has introduced legislation to promote education about women’s heart health, and has co-led a bill to ensure women can access a full year’s supply of contraceptives, rather than just three months at a time. Finally, she is leading efforts to end “judge shopping,” a tactic used by anti-abortion advocates to gain favorable outcomes.
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