Federal legislation would lift discriminatory abortion coverage restrictions
Washington, DC, July 9, 2015– The National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund has joined LGBTQ activists, reproductive health advocates, women’s rights groups, and civil rights leaders in calling on members of Congress to pass the Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance (EACH Woman) Act. Sponsored by Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA), Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), and Congresswoman Diana DeGette (D-CO) and more than 70 co-sponsors in the House, the bill would ensure health coverage for abortion for every woman however much she earns, however she is insured, or wherever she lives.
“We fully support the EACH Woman Act. For decades, studies have shown that young lesbian and bisexual women are twice as likely as straight women to become pregnant, therefore access to abortion is an issue that directly impacts LGBTQ people,” said Rea Carey, Executive Director, National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund.
The EACH Woman Act would lift the Hyde Amendment, which bans federal funding for abortions, and allow individuals insured through the government to get the abortion care they need. It would also put an end to political interference with private health insurance companies and the coverage they choose to provide for abortions.
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CONTACT:
Jorge Amaro
Media and Public Relations Director
National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund
213-842-7564
jamaro@thetaskforce.org