Hirono Reintroduces EACH Act To Help Guarantee Abortion Coverage For Millions Of Americans

WASHINGTON, March 31 -- Sen. Mazie K. Hirono, D-Hawaii, issued the following news release on March 30, 2023:

U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) reintroduced the Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance (EACH) Act, a bicameral bill that would help guarantee abortion coverage--without restrictions--for millions of Americans. With the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade and many states enacting extreme abortion bans, the EACH Act ends the Hyde Amendment and lifts unjust abortion coverage restrictions for those who depend on Medicaid and other government-sponsored plans or programs. In a post-Dobbs America, this legislation would help protect the right to abortion and ensure everyone can get the reproductive healthcare they need. In addition to Senator Hirono, the legislation was also co-led by Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Patty Murray (D-WA).

"Everyone deserves the fundamental right to access the health care they need, regardless of their income or type of health insurance," said Senator Hirono. "For too long, the antiquated Hyde Amendment has prevented people across our country from accessing abortion care, disproportionately impacting people with low incomes, people of color, and immigrants. As we work to protect and strengthen access to reproductive care, it's past time we end the Hyde Amendment. I am glad to join Senators Duckworth and Murray in reintroducing the EACH Act to help end unjust restrictions on abortion access and help ensure people can access the care they need."

Today, abortion coverage restrictions like the Hyde Amendment impact millions of Americans--especially people with low incomes, people of color, young people and immigrants. These harmful policies make it harder, if not impossible, for patients to afford an abortion or find a local provider. Abortion coverage restrictions also compound the harms from systemic racism, economic insecurity and immigration status--ultimately denying millions of patients their constitutional right to an abortion.

Recent polling data also show that 62% of voters support lifting federal abortion coverage restrictions and believe Medicaid should cover abortion.

In addition to Senators Hirono, Duckworth, and Murray, the Senate bill is also cosponsored by Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Ed Markey (D-MA), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), John Fetterman (D-PA), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Peter Welch (D-VT) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM).

U.S. Representatives Barbara Lee (D-CA-13), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-07), Diana DeGette (D-CO-01) and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09) introduced the House companion to the EACH Act in January. They were joined by 163 of their House colleagues.

The full text of the bill is available here (https://www.hirono.senate.gov/download/each-act-bill-text).

A long-time champion for abortion access, Senator Hirono is committed to protecting the fundamental right to abortion care for all. Earlier this month, Senator Hirono introduced legislation to expand protections for Americans' personal health data privacy following reports that have shown social media companies are collecting and data brokers are selling location data that could be used to identify individuals seeking reproductive health care services. She also led 30 of her colleagues in pushing to prevent local and state law enforcement from using federal assistance to surveil or investigate individuals receiving or providing abortion care.

Last month, she introduced the Secure Access for Essential Reproductive (SAFER) Health Act, legislation that would expand patient privacy protections by strengthening the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) to prohibit medical providers from disclosing personal health information related to abortion or pregnancy loss without patient consent. Senator Hirono also urged the Biden administration to take new steps to protect reproductive freedom amidst divided control of Congress and increasing efforts to restrict access to abortion.

In August, she introduced the Let Doctors Provide Reproductive Health Care Act to protect doctors against Republicans' non-stop attacks and ensure they can safely provide abortion care in states where it is still legal. She also led a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services urging them to make medication abortion more easily accessible. In July, Senator Hirono introduced the Freedom to Travel for Health Care Act of 2022, which clarifies that it is illegal for anti-choice states to limit travel for abortion services, and would empower impacted individuals to bring civil action against those who restrict an individual's right to cross state lines to receive legal reproductive care.

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Original text here: https://www.hirono.senate.gov/news/press-releases/hirono-reintroduces-each-act-to-help-guarantee-abortion-coverage-for-millions-of-americans