Equal Access to Contraception for Veterans Act
Floor Speech
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 486, I call up the bill (H.R. 239) to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for limitations on copayments for contraception furnished by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. TAKANO. 239.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, this is not the first time I speak in favor of Representative Brownley's bill, H.R. 239, the Equal Access to Contraception for Veterans Act, but I continue to advocate for this bill because it is an essential component of supporting the fastest- growing population of our Nation's heroes, our 2 million women veterans.
Last week, this bill was defeated on the suspension calendar when the Family Research Council mobilized efforts with my colleagues in the Freedom Caucus who suggested that the bill pushes a ``harmful ideology.'' Distorting this debate into one about abortion, frankly, does not make any sense at all.
I again remind my colleagues that this legislation passed out of our committee with the support of Ranking Member Bost and through the House last Congress with the support of former Ranking Member Dr. Roe. I know that Dr. Roe is a fierce pro-life advocate, but as an OB/GYN, he understood the importance of access to contraception.
Let me be clear. This bill brings veterans' contraception coverage on par with care they received while on Active Duty from the Department of Defense and coverage required by private health insurance providers to all women in the United States since 2010--all women except those who seek care from the VA.
Now, this bill is about healthcare. This bill is about access. This bill is about equity, especially for our women veterans.
I thank Ranking Member Bost and Minority Leader McCarthy for their leadership in support of this bipartisan bill.
Simply put, a ``no'' vote today is saying directly to veterans that they deserve less healthcare than all other Americans. To me, the choice is easy. Vote ``yes'' on H.R. 239. We cannot permit veterans to be made second-class citizens.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Brownley), my good friend from my home State, and the chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Health, and also the author of this very important piece of legislation.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I just want to say that extremism in the defense of nonsense is not conservatism, it is still nonsense.
Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Mrvan), my good friend, and member of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and the chairman of the Subcommittee on Technology and Modernization.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Underwood), my good friend and a member of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and also a very active member of the Health Subcommittee.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time is remaining?
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Lois Frankel), my good friend and new member of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, where she also serves on the Health Subcommittee.
Ms. LOIS FRANKEL of Florida. Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Takano and Ms. Brownley for their magnificent leadership advancing the health and safety of our women veterans.
Madam Speaker, my, my, my, this bill, which passed unanimously last session, is just mind-boggling that now some Republicans are opposing it.
Really?
I am going to say this: As a very proud mother of a son of a United States Marine Corps veteran, I know the risks and sacrifices of our brave military. So I say without hesitation, after service to our country is completed, no veteran of the United States Armed Forces should be forced to pay out-of-pocket expenses for preventative care, including contraception, that their civilian counterparts do not pay.
Small copays can be prohibitive for veterans struggling to make ends meet. In fact, studies show that costs associated with contraception, even when small, lead some people to forego it completely, to choose less effective methods, or use it inconsistently.
Here is the thing, Madam Speaker; the decision about whether or when or how to become a parent is one of the most important decisions a person can make. Our veterans were willing to stand up and take bullets for our freedom, so we need to stand up for theirs. Let's make it clear, today we are focused on access to birth control.
The Republican position conflating abortion and contraception is part of a broader extreme effort to block access to any type of reproductive healthcare. So let's eliminate the barriers and get the veterans the healthcare they need.
Madam Speaker, I call on my colleagues to demonstrate their commitment to the patriotic people who make up our military and veteran communities by passing this very good bill, Equal Access to Contraception for Veterans Act.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Green), my good friend and a member of the Financial Services Committee, where he is chairman of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Green).
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Chu), my good friend and the chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, let me just say that this bill by Ms. Brownley is about providing equal access to contraceptions for our Nation's veterans. To oppose this bill is to advocate for a situation where veterans are made second-class citizens.
This bill is about contraception. Nowhere in the bill's text or in the title does the word ``abortion'' even appear. I would ask my colleagues who are in opposition to the bill to read the one-page text very carefully. I think they will see that there is no reference to, in any way, the word ``abortion.''
Madam Speaker, I would also say, I think it was H.L. Mencken who said that consistency is often the hobgoblin of little minds.
For those Members who voted against this bill, you know, in fear of the moment, they can reconsider their vote and, I think, get on the right side of the issue in terms of equality for our veterans.
Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky), my colleague and very good friend, the chairwoman of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky).
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Madam Speaker, I appreciate the honor and courage with which my counterpart, Ranking Member Bost, has defended and stood up for the truth. And the truth is, H.R. 239 by Chairwoman Brownley is about providing equal access to contraception to America's veterans.
A ``no'' vote on this bill--and I will say it again--a ``no'' vote on this bill is a vote to make our veterans second-class citizens.
Every other American under every other plan in this country, whether it is in private healthcare, because we passed the Affordable Care Act and said that every American is entitled to preventative services, including contraception, since 2010, or Active Duty servicemembers under the Department of Defense who are able to access contraception without copays--Ms. Brownley's bill simply makes veterans on equal footing with all other Americans.
A ``no'' vote on this bill is to make our veterans second-class citizens, and I say of those who make that vote: Shame on them.
Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to vote ``yes,'' and I yield back the balance of my time.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source