Congressional Record—Senate S1497
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March 8, 2012 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S1497 bipartisan bill. Senator LIEBERMAN and and across the country, efforts we all to women’s care, even shutting down Senator COLLINS, an Independent and must fight against. Only 1 week ago in the Federal Government. That may Republican, have acknowledged they the Senate, we had a debate on the seem extreme to all, but that is exactly want to bring this bill forward, and ability for women across this country what happened 1 year ago when Repub- they have it done, so we will bring it to to access contraceptives. It is a debate licans nearly shut down the Federal the floor. We have all our Appropria- most women believed was settled half a Government over a rider that was yet tions bills, and we have to do those. So century ago and one we had all hoped another attempt to go after title X and we have a lot to do to accomplish even was in the past. However, in a scene Planned Parenthood. I remember sit- a fraction of our to-do list, and it is that was eerily reminiscent of half a ting in those meetings late at night, going to take more cooperation and century ago, last week one woman after months of negotiations over the less conflict. Not everything has to be brave enough to come forward and give numbers in the budget, astonished that a knock-down, drag-out fight as it was voice to the importance of birth con- Republicans were willing to throw all on this highway bill. To think we wast- trol was targeted. First, her story of a those negotiations away over one issue, ed 3 weeks on a matter dealing with friend’s battle with ovarian cancer was and that was their attack on women’s the health of women in America, but purposely left out of a House hearing health. we did. So we stand ready to work with on women’s health. Then, as we have The attack on women’s rights is not our Republican colleagues. all heard, she was scorned and ridiculed just taking place in the Nation’s Cap- The Republican leader mentioned the by a rightwing pundit. ital. In State after State across the It was a galvanizing and eye-opening small business jobs bill. We have been country, legislators bent on putting moment for millions of women in our trying to do one for a long time. We are politics between women and their country. It was a reminder that some going to do a small business jobs bill. health care are undoing years of impor- still see women as easy targets, and it The House bill is not perfect. We are tant work. A recently enacted law in awakened many women to the fact glad it is moving forward, and we are Texas not only strips women of their that the gains we are meant to cele- going to try to do something here to rights but of their dignity. It is a law brate on a day such as today could eas- about which Nicholas Kristof of the match so we can get it to conference ily be lost to political strategy that New York Times recently wrote a col- and get this done. preys on women. I am hopeful that when Democrats For many of those who watched the umn. I ask unanimous consent to have the reach across the aisle, we will find will- last few weeks play out, it may have article written by Nicholas Kristof, ing partners on the other side for a seemed an isolated incident. It could ‘‘When States Abuse Women,’’ printed change. appear to some as a sudden and swift I thank the Chair. I ask that the effort by some Republicans—who in the RECORD at the conclusion of my Chair announce the business of the thankfully have been blocked for the remarks. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- day. time being—but that is not case. The pore. Without objection, it is so or- truth is, women’s access to care has f dered. rarely been at greater risk. From the RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME (See exhibit 1.) moment they came into power, the Re- Mrs. MURRAY. It is a law that all The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- publicans in the House of Representa- women across the country should be in- pore. Under the previous order, the tives have been waging a war on wom- sulted by and outraged over. Today, leadership time is reserved. en’s health. nearly 40 years after Roe v. Wade was f If you don’t believe me, look at the very first bills they introduced when passed, a woman in Texas who seeks an MORNING BUSINESS they arrived. They campaigned across abortion—one of the most difficult the country in the last election on a choices a woman and her family can The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- face—is not met with compassion and pore. Under the previous order, there platform of jobs and the economy, but the first three bills they introduced care but with humiliation, and that is will now be a period of morning busi- because they have passed a law by Re- ness for 1 hour, with Senators per- when they got here were direct attacks on women’s health. The very first one, publicans that she is now subjected, mitted to speak therein for up to 10 against her will, to a vaginal minutes each, with the time equally di- H.R. 1, would have totally eliminated title X funding for family planning and ultrasound. Then she is instructed to vided and controlled between the two listen to a fetal heartbeat, watch the leaders or their designees, with the ma- teen pregnancy prevention. The amend- ment also included defunding Planned ultrasound and numerous other State- jority controlling the first half and the mandated hurdles and then she has to Republicans controlling the second Parenthood and cutting off support for the millions of women who count on it. go home and wait 24 hours before she half. can access a health care procedure that The Senator from Washington. Another one of their bills would have permanently codified the Hyde amend- was made a right for women four dec- f ment and the DC abortion ban. ades ago. One would think that after 2 years INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY Finally, they introduced a bill that would have rolled back every single spent railing against any government Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I come one of the gains we made for women in involvement in health care, Repub- to the floor to join my colleagues to the health care reform bill. That Re- licans would not want the State to dic- mark International Women’s Day. This publican bill would have removed the tate procedures a doctor must perform day, which across the globe is cele- caps on out-of-pocket expenses that lit- on a woman, whether she wants them brated in many different ways, is, at erally protect women from losing their or not, but then you would be confused its core, a day to reflect on the homes or their life savings if they get because, clearly, when it comes to achievements of women in politics, sick. It would have ended the ban on women and their health care choices, business, and society. It is a day to re- lifetime limits on coverage, which is so these Republicans are willing to do flect on what a woman’s role was in the important to everyone. It would have whatever it takes for them to call the not-so-distant past and to celebrate allowed insurance companies to once shots—not the women, not their doc- how far we have come. But, unfortu- again discriminate against women by tors, not their families. The sad part is nately, on this International Women’s charging them higher premiums than other States across the country are Day in the year 2012, we cannot cele- men or even denying women care be- now contemplating similar laws. brate the progress we have made with- cause of so-called preexisting condi- So the threats to women’s health out also acknowledging the unsettling tions they had, such as pregnancy. It care are very real and they are grow- truth that that progress is under would have rolled back the guarantee ing. We saw it on a panel on contracep- threat. of insurance companies’ coverage of tives in the House that didn’t include a Today a shadow has been cast over contraceptives. woman on the panel. We saw it in a this day of celebration by efforts to Republicans have shown they will go young woman being called horrible turn back the clock in Washington, DC, to just about any length to limit access names for telling the stories of a friend VerDate Mar 15 2010 01:17 Mar 09, 2012 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G08MR6.003 S08MRPT1 jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with SENATE S1498 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE March 8, 2012 in need. We see it in Republican efforts cuts in family-planning programs, and limits Day, I stand with my colleagues to cel- to allow an employer to dictate wheth- on comprehensive sex education in schools. ebrate women who are making a dif- er a woman has access to contracep- If Texas legislators wanted to reduce abor- ference both in America and around tives, and we are seeing it in State tions, the obvious approach would be to re- the world, in countries where they lead duce unwanted pregnancies.