Reps. Lee, DeGette, Pressley, Schakowsky Reintroduce EACH Act for Reproductive Justice
Washington, DC – Reps. Barbara Lee (CA-12) and Diana DeGette (CO-1), Co-Chairs of the Pro-Choice Caucus, Rep. Ayanna Pressley (MA-7), Chair of the PCC Abortion Rights and Access Task Force, and Rep. Jan Schakowsky (IL-9), Chair of the PCC Providers and Clinics Task Force, led a group of 163 members in reintroducing the Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Healthcare (EACH) Act, bold legislation to guarantee abortion coverage regardless a patient’s health insurance.
The EACH Act ends the discriminatory Hyde Amendment and lifts unjust abortion coverage restrictions for those who depend on Medicaid and other government-sponsored plans. The bill helps ensure everyone can access the reproductive health care they need, regardless of income, insurance, or zip code.
“Let’s be clear: the Hyde Amendment is blatantly racist and classist, and keeping it in place is yet another attempt by extremist, out-of-touch Republicans to strip people of this country of their reproductive freedom,” said Congresswoman Lee. “For over 40 years, Hyde has forced poor women who are denied insurance coverage for abortions to carry pregnancies to term or pay for care when they’re already struggling to make ends meet. With extreme abortion laws in place in half the country, it is more critical than ever that we fight to make abortion accessible wherever possible. It is past time for our policies to ensure everyone can get the health care they need without shame, punishment, or financial ruin. It is time to take a step forward, not back. It is time to repeal Hyde once and for all.”
“Our bodily autonomy is under attack nationwide and the racist and discriminatory Hyde Amendment is yet another barrier preventing millions from accessing safe and legal abortion care – particularly our Black, brown, low-income, and other marginalized communities,” said Congresswoman Pressley. “With Republicans’ ongoing assault on reproductive justice, we must use every tool available to affirm abortion care as the fundamental human right that it is. The EACH Act would repeal Hyde and put us one step closer to dismantling the systems of oppression that push comprehensive health care out of reach for many. I am proud to join my colleagues on the Pro-Choice Caucus to introduce this critical bill and I am grateful to our allies in the movement for their partnership."
“Every person should have the freedom to make their own reproductive health care decisions regardless of their income, race, where they work, what zip code they live in, or how they get their insurance,” said Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. “The Hyde Amendment is a racist, discriminatory policy designed to put reproductive and economic freedom out of reach for women of color and low-income women who need an abortion. By restricting Medicaid coverage of abortion, the Hyde Amendment robs those working to make ends meet of the freedom to control their lives and decisions about what is best for their families. The EACH Act, which I am proud to reintroduce with Reps. Lee, DeGette, and Pressley, will finally repeal the Hyde Amendment. Whether at home or abroad, abortion is health care and health care is a human right.”
“Following a pivotal midterm election, the EACH Act is the type of bold legislation we need to build a world where abortion is truly affordable,” said Morgan Hopkins, President of All* Above All. “For decades, even with the protections of Roe v. Wade, the Hyde Amendment has pushed care out of reach for people working to make ends meet, especially people of color. The harm is now worse as anti-abortion state politicians rush to ban abortion. Black, Indigenous, Latina, AAPI, and women of color have been organizing to end Hyde for years. We applaud bold legislators in the U.S. House for introducing the EACH Act today and putting us on a pathway to abortion justice.”
The legislation is cosponsored by Representatives Adam B. Schiff, Adam Smith, Adriano Espaillat, Al Green, Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, Alma S. Adams, PhD, Ami Bera, Andre' Carson, Andrea Salinas, Andy Kim, Angie Craig, Ann Kuster, Becca Balint, Betty McCollum, Bill Foster, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Brad Schneider, Brad Sherman, Brian Higgins, Brittany Pettersen, C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, Chellie Pingree, Chris Deluzio, Chris Pappas, Colin Allred, Cori Bush, Dan Goldman, Dan Kildee, Danny K. Davis, Darren Soto, David N. Cicilline, David Trone, Dean Phillips, Debbie Dingell, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Deborah K. Ross, Derek Kilmer, Dina Titus, Donald M. Payne, Jr., Donald S. Beyer Jr., Doris Matsui, Dwight Evans, Earl Blumenauer, Ed Case, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Emanuel Cleaver, II, Eric Swalwell, Frank Pallone Jr., Frederica S. Wilson, Gerald E. Connolly, Grace F. Napolitano, Grace Meng, Greg Casar, Greg Stanton, Gregory W. Meeks, Gwen Moore, Haley Stevens, Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr., Hillary Scholten, Ilhan Omar, J. Luis Correa, Jahana Hayes, Jake Auchincloss, Jamaal Bowman, Ed.D., James P. McGovern, Jared Huffman, Jared Moskowitz, Jasmine Crockett, Jason Crow, Jeffrey Neale Jackson, Jennifer Wexton, Jerrold Nadler, Jesús “Chuy” García, Jill Tokuda, Jim Himes, Jimmy Gomez, Jimmy Panetta, Joaquin Castro, Joe Neguse, John B. Larson, John Garamendi, John P. Sarbanes, Joseph Morelle, Josh Gottheimer, Joyce Beatty, Juan Vargas, Judy Chu, Julia Brownley, Kathy Castor, Kathy Manning, Katie Porter, Kevin Mullin, Kim Schrier, M.D., Kweisi Mfume, Lauren Underwood, Linda T. Sánchez, Lisa Blunt Rochester, Lizzie Fletcher, Lloyd Doggett, Lois Frankel, Lori Trahan, Lucy McBath, Madeleine Dean, Marc Veasey, Marcy Kaptur, Marilyn Strickland, Mark DeSaulnier, Mark Pocan, Mark Takano, Mary Gay Scanlon, Matt Cartwright, Melanie Ann Stansbury, Mike Levin, Mike Quigley, Mike Thompson, Mikie Sherrill, Nanette Diaz Barragán, Nikema Williams, Nikki Budzinski, Norma J. Torres, Nydia M. Velazquez, Patrick Ryan, Paul D. Tonko, Pete Aguilar, Pramila Jayapal, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Rashida Tlaib, Raul Grijalva, Raul Ruiz, Rick Larsen, Ritchie Torres, Ro Khanna, Rob Menendez, Robert C. "Bobby" Scott, Robert Garcia, Robin L. Kelly, Rosa L. DeLauro, Ruben Gallego, Salud Carbajal, Sara Jacobs, Scott Peters, Sean Casten, Seth Moulton, Sharice L. Davids, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Sheila Jackson Lee, Shontel Brown, Steve Cohen, Susan Wild, Susie Lee, Suzan DelBene, Suzanne Bonamici, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Sylvia R. Garcia, Ted Lieu, Teresa Leger Fernandez, Tony Cárdenas, Troy A. Carter, Sr., Val Hoyle, Valerie Foushee, Veronica Escobar, William R. Keating, and Yvette Clarke.
The bill text is available here.
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