As Republicans threaten the right to contraception, DNC National Press Secretary Emilia Rowland released the following statement:

“This week, Senate Republicans showed where they stand on birth control by voting against protecting access to essential contraceptive care. Today, on the 59th anniversary of the Griswold v. Connecticut Supreme Court decision, Americans have fewer reproductive freedoms than their mothers and grandmothers had decades ago — all because of Donald Trump and his MAGA minions.Democrats continue to fight to protect access to contraception against extreme attacks on our freedoms that are only made possible because Trump proudly overturned Roe v. Wade. Trump and Republicans are determined to attack Americans’ fundamental right to safe and accessible reproductive care, but their anti-freedom agenda will be rejected once more in November, and President Biden and Vice President Harris will finish the job of defending and restoring reproductive freedom for every American.”

Senate and House Democrats continue to push back against extreme MAGA Republicans’ relentless attacks on reproductive freedoms.

Politico: “Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said his chamber will vote Wednesday on legislation aimed at ensuring a women’s right to obtain birth control…

“‘Democrats will never relent until we reverse the immense damage MAGA Republicans and the Supreme Court have inflicted,’ Schumer wrote, ‘and we remain absolutely committed to doing everything we can to protect women, families, and reproductive freedom.’”

The Hill: “​​The Democratic leader began the process for the Senate to consider the Right to Contraception Act sponsored by Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.).

“The bill would guarantee the legal right for individuals to get and use contraception and for health care providers to provide contraception, information, referrals and services related to contraception.

“It would also prohibit the federal government and any state from administering or enforcing any law, rule or regulation to prohibit or restrict the sale or use of contraception.

“And it would allow the Justice Department, providers and individuals harmed by restrictions on contraception to go to court to enforce those rights.”

19th News: “Democrats in Congress run full-court press on reproductive rights ahead of Dobbs anniversary” 

Axios: “Scoop: Senate Democrats plot reproductive-rights blitz”

New York Times: “House Democrats on Tuesday went on the offensive on reproductive rights, announcing they will seek to force a vote on legislation to codify the right to birth control access nationwide.”

Ms. Magazine.: “In the wake of growing Republican restrictions on reproductive rights, Democrats in many states are introducing bills to protect access to contraception. In response, Republicans are blocking these bills, going on record as opposed to contraception.”

Trump left the door open to restricting access to contraceptives like Plan B in a recent interview, threatening to double down on his record of undermining access to contraception.

Interviewer: “Do you support any restrictions on a person’s right to contraception?

Trump: “Well we’re looking at that, and I’m going to have a policy on that very shortly and I think it’s something that you’ll find interesting.”

Interviewer: “That suggests that you may want to support some restrictions? Like the morning after pill or something?

Trump: “We are also– You know, things really do have a lot to do with the states. And some states are going to have different policies than others.”

Politico: “As president, Trump enacted several policies that made it more difficult for people, particularly the working class and the poor, to obtain contraception — from allowing more employers to opt out of birth control coverage in their workers’ health insurance to imposing restrictions on the Title X family planning program that triggered a mass exodus of clinics.

“Conservative allies want to reimpose those policies and go further if he wins in November. Their ‘Project 2025’ blueprint includes proposals to require coverage of natural family planning methods and remove requirements that insurance cover certain emergency contraception.

“Taken together, the policies highlight the many ways a second Trump administration could hamper access to contraception, short of a blanket ban. The impact would also be much greater now that roughly one-third of states prohibit nearly all abortions…

“As part of their 2025 wish list, conservatives want to overhaul which forms of birth control insurance companies must cover for patients at no cost under the Affordable Care Act. For instance, they have drafted plans to allow insurers to drop coverage of emergency contraception, such as Plan B pills, which some on the right believe are abortifacients because they make it harder for fertilized eggs to implant in the uterus…”

MAGA Republicans have left contraception access in jeopardy by voting down legislation aimed to codify the right to contraception. 

NBC News: “Senate Republicans blocked legislation Wednesday that would enshrine a federal right to access contraception, sinking the Democratic-led measure.

“The vote on the Right To Contraception Act was 51-39, falling short of the 60 votes needed to defeat a filibuster and move the bill forward. Republicans said it was unnecessary because the use of birth control is already protected under Supreme Court precedent.”

TIME: “So far, congressional Republicans have indeed declined to protect contraception access. Despite polling showing that 80% of Americans say protecting this access is ‘deeply important’ to them, nearly every Republican in the House voted against a 2022 bill to protect it. And 126 House Republicans are cosponsors of the Life Begins at Conception Act, which would imbue a fertilized egg with full “personhood” rights even before implantation, which means before a pregnancy has actually begun. Critics say such a law could outlaw in vitro fertilization – and, if some in the anti-abortion movement succeed in redefining some forms of contraception as abortion, several forms of contraception, too.”

Associated Press: “Earlier this month, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, vetoed bills from the Democratic-controlled Legislature that would have protected the right to contraception.”

Associated Press: “In Wisconsin, Democrats introduced a bill that was intended to protect contraception access last year, but it never got so much as a hearing in either the GOP-controlled state Assembly or state Senate before the two-year session ended in March. Senate Democrats tried to pull the bill from committee in February and force a floor vote, but all the chamber’s 22 Republicans voted against the move.”

Threats to reproductive health care don’t stop at contraception – Trump and MAGA Republicans want a national abortion ban.

Associated Press: “Trump says he will support national ban on abortions around 15 weeks of pregnancy”

Rolling Stone: “Trump Wants to Ban Abortion Nationwide: Report”

New York Times: “Trump Privately Expresses Support for a 16-Week Abortion Ban”

Rolling Stone: “Trump Floats National Abortion Ban After Claiming He’s ‘On the Side of Women’”

Trump: “There of course remains a vital role for the federal government in protecting unborn life. And it’s very important.” 

Trump on if he would sign a six-week national abortion ban: “I’m looking at all options.”

Trump: “We’ll pick something that’s going to be very, very good for pro-life … I’m going to be in there pushing.”