Durbin Joins Shaheen, Senate Democrats to Introduce Legislation to Expand Access to Contraception For Military Women, Dependents
Targeted News Service |
Today, U.S. Senator
The bill would also require the
"Women in the military deserve the same access to health care as the women they proudly defend. To make sure our country upholds this promise, this bill gives female servicemembers expanded access to basic preventative health care, family planning counseling and emergency contraception that is already available to civilian women," Durbin said. "I am proud to co-sponsor this bill, and I thank Senator Shaheen for her leadership on such an important issue."
"Female service members deserve access to the same basic health care as the women they protect and it's unacceptable that they don't," Senator Shaheen said. "Giving women in the military access to basic preventative health care, including contraception and family planning counseling, will strengthen our military as a whole. And it will make sure that women who get their health insurance from the military never have to worry about how they're going to pay for their contraception."
Shaheen's bill is co-sponsored by Durbin, Senators
The Access to Contraception for Women Servicemembers and Dependents Act of 2014 builds off the Shaheen Amendment, which was signed into law last year, to provide health care equity to women serving in the military. Studies have shown that the rate of unplanned pregnancy in the military is estimated to be up to 50 percent higher than the unplanned pregnancy rate among civilian women. The legislation takes a comprehensive approach to the issue by improving access to contraception for all women who receive their care through the military and ensuring that servicewomen have the best possible information about their health care and family planning options, wherever they are serving. Finally, the legislation would also ensure access to emergency contraception for servicewomen who are survivors of military sexual assault so that that they receive the critical and time-sensitive medical counseling and care they may need.
"We applaud Senator Shaheen for introducing this legislation, and for all her hard work to expand access to birth control," said
"Contraception is basic preventive health care. This bill makes the necessary changes to the military's health care system to ensure that all women who rely on the military for health care receive comprehensive contraceptive coverage and counseling without any cost to them," said
"Most people are aghast when they realize that the women who step forward to protect our country are forced to step back when it comes to having full coverage for reproductive health care, " said
Senators Shaheen, Reid and Murray have come to the defense of our military servicewomen and families with legislation that will ensure access to the comprehensive health care they deserve, including birth control and accurate family-planning counseling. If we trust our servicewomen to protect our freedom, we must be there to protect theirs. This legislation helps to ensure that our nation's heroes are not left behind."
"With the
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