On Senate Floor, Sen. Hassan Says ‘Trumpcare is a Disaster for Women’

WASHINGTON, June 21 -- The office of Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., issued the following statement:

Today, Senator Maggie Hassan delivered remarks on the Senate floor, highlighting that "Trumpcare is a disaster for women" in New Hampshire and across America. Senator Hassan also noted how Senate Republicans are working on the Trumpcare proposal behind closed doors - without any women Senators.

"To compete economically - on a level playing field - women must be able to make their own health care decisions," said Senator Hassan. "They shouldn't have to pay more than men do for their health care. They should be able to visit providers of their own choice who understand and have expertise in the woman's health care needs. The health insurance that is available to women should be equal to that of their male colleagues - that means it should cover their basic health care needs. And to fully participate not only in our economy, but also in our democracy, women have to be recognized for their capacity to make their own health care decisions - just as men are."

Senator Hassan highlighted the story of Carla from Newfields, New Hampshire, who depends on Planned Parenthood for birth control to treat her ovarian cysts. Senator Hassan described how Trumpcare would completely defund Planned Parenthood, leaving Carla and millions of women across the country without essential health care.

"Defunding Planned Parenthood would leave many women in the Granite State and throughout the country without access to care - plain and simple," Senator Hassan stated. "There just aren't enough other providers - as I heard from medical providers throughout my state when I was Governor there - to absorb all of the patients that Planned Parenthood cares for now."

Senator Hassan also stressed how under Trumpcare, for a mother, giving birth could be considered a pre-existing condition, giving insurance companies the ability to charge them more. Additionally, Trumpcare would increase the cost to women for maternity care in other ways, including undermining the Essential Health Benefits.

"The Congressional Budget Office says that the House-passed Trumpcare bill would increase out-of-pocket spending for maternity care for women... by thousands of dollars per year," Senator Hassan explained.

"Any cut to Medicaid would disproportionately affect Granite State women - as 62 percent of Medicaid recipients in New Hampshire are women," Senator Hassan added.

Senator Hassan concluded her remarks urging all Granite Staters and Americans to continue speaking about how Trumpcare would impact their lives.

"It is critical that people in New Hampshire and across our nation continue to speak out and share their stories about how Trumpcare would impact their lives," Senator Hassan concluded. "And I am going to continue to work with my colleagues to defeat this bill."