Congressman Steven Horsford Helps Introduce Legislation to Protect Preventive Care After Supreme Court Ruling

Press Release

In a swift response to the Supreme Court ruling that allows employers to refuse coverage of their employees' birth control under their employer-responded health insurance plan, Congressman Steven Horsford joined Representatives Diana DeGette (CO), Judy Chu (CA), Barbara Lee (CA), Lois Frankel (FL) and 134 members of the House of Representatives to introduce the Protect Access to Birth Control Act, which would repeal the Trump administration's 2017 rule giving employers the ability to deny birth control coverage under employer-sponsored health insurance plans.

"The Supreme Court's decision to allow employers to opt-out of providing contraceptive coverage is an attack on women's health and financial stability. This ruling puts millions of Americans at risk, forcing many women to pay out-of-pocket for medication they need, but may not be able to afford," said Congressman Steven Horsford. "In the middle of a global health crisis, which has highlighted America's underlying health and economic disparities, the federal government should make healthcare more accessible, not less. While this Administration continues to threaten our entire healthcare system, I will fight to protect full access to quality, affordable healthcare for all Americans."

In April, Congressman Horsford signed an amicus brief in this case, Trump v. Pennsylvania and Little Sisters of the Poor Saints Peter and Paul Home v. Pennsylvania, calling for the court to overturn the Trump Administration rule because of its direct violation of the Affordable Care Act's contraceptive-coverage requirement.

Since the Affordable Care Act went into effect in August 2011, over 61 million women have been able to access birth control without out-of-pocket costs. However, the Trump Administration finalized these onerous rules in November of 2018, which grant sweeping exemptions from the Affordable Care Act's birth control benefit.

The text of the bill can be found here.

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