Conscience Protection Act of 2016

Floor Speech

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Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, when will the Republicans' war on women end?

First, Republicans passed a bill to allow a woman's boss to decide whether she has access to contraceptives. Next, Republicans passed legislation to prevent a woman from choosing the medical provider that best meets her needs. Today, Republicans are bringing another bill to the House floor to limit a woman's right to make the best decision for herself and her family.

This bill is not about protecting the conscience rights of healthcare entities to not provide or to participate in abortions. Providers already have those protections under current law. Instead, this bill expands and makes permanent policies that attempt to limit a woman's access to her constitutionally protected right to safe and legal abortions. This bill allows the moral beliefs of an employer's to limit a woman's access to healthcare services. A woman, not her employer, should make decisions about her health. Her healthcare choices are none of her boss's business.

I urge my colleagues to stand up for women's health by opposing this harmful legislation.

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