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Rep. Ilhan Omar Votes for The Right to Contraception Act

July 22, 2022

WASHINGTON – In order to combat right-wing attacks on women’s reproductive health freedoms, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) voted to defend Minnesotans’ right to access birth control in the House Thursday.  Passed in response to the Supreme Court’s religious extremist decision overturning Roe v. Wade and undermining the Constitutional right to privacy, the Right to Contraception Act establishes a statutory right to obtain, use and provide contraception under federal law — preempting Republican attempts to criminalize contraception.

“Today, I proudly joined House Democrats in standing up for Minnesotans’ ability to make their own family planning decisions,” said Rep. Ilhan Omar.  “Emboldened by a GOP-appointed Supreme Court, right-wing extremist in statehouses across the country are doing everything they can to restrict and control women’s access to birth control.  The Right to Contraception Act will protect Minnesotans from this outrageous assault on personal freedom by establishing a statutory right to use birth control under federal law.  It is shameful that 195 Republicans in Congress voted against this and don’t want you to have access to contraceptives. If they had the chance they would ban it.”

With its ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the Supreme Court’s Republican-appointed supermajority erased nearly 50 years of legal precedent – fulfilling the Republican Party’s longtime goal of ripping away Americans’ reproductive health freedoms.  In his concurring opinion, Justice Clarence Thomas called on the Court to reconsider other landmark rulings – including the Griswold v. Connecticut decision recognizing the Constitutional right to use contraceptives.  Right-wing legislators in Idaho and Louisiana are already using the Dobbs decision to begin restricting access to contraception, while other Republicans have called Griswold “constitutionally unsound,” “wrongly decided” and “an issue that should have been left up to the states.”

These attacks threaten basic preventive health care relied on by millions of Americans.  Contraceptive use is crucial to preventing unintended pregnancies, preventing and treating a wide array of medical conditions and decreasing the risk of certain cancers.  Access to contraception also advances economic equity – leading to higher wages and lower rates of poverty.  Support for contraception is nearly universal: 96 percent of voters support having access to contraception, and 99 percent of U.S. women who have been sexually active report having used some form of contraception. 

The Right to Contraception Act will protect Minnesotans from extremist attacks on this essential care, establishing a statutory right to obtain, use and provide contraceptives under federal law.  This legislation will also prohibit states from impeding these rights — including providers’ ability to share information about contraception.

This action builds on the House’s vote last week to advance two pieces of landmark reproductive rights legislation.  The Women's Health Protection Act will enshrine the protections of Roe v. Wade into federal law and guarantee Americans’ right to make their own health decisions.  Additionally, the Ensuring Women's Right to Reproductive Freedom Act will reaffirm the right to freely travel throughout the country to access reproductive care.

Issues:Healthcare